Clear Space Theatre Fall Productions – Rehoboth Beach

Clear Space Announces Casting for Upcoming Fall Productions

Venus in Fur – September 19 – 28
Sweeney Todd – October 11 – 27
Shrek – November 8 – 10

After concluding its most successful summer repertory festival in company history, reaching nearly 10,000 audience members in just 9 weeks of summer shows, Clear Space Theatre Company’s 20th anniversary continues with three fall productions – Venus in Fur, Sweeney Todd, and Shrek. Casting for all productions has now been announced, including a range of beloved area favorites, national artists from New York City, and young people from across our region. 

Tickets for all productions are available at www.clearspacetheatre.org.

Venus in Fur
The Tony Award-nominated play by David Ives (whose plays have been called “juicy,”
“surprisingly moving,” and “utterly delightful” by The New York Times) begins the fall season at
Clear Space with performances September 19 – 29.

A crackling exploration of sexual control and desire, Venus in Fur combines David Ives’
legendary rigor, wit, and wild humor. At an audition for a new, highly erotic play, a director is at
the end of his rope to find the right female lead – until a surprising actress walks in to take the
reins. Soon, a charged cat-in-mouse game begins. Audiences intrigued by the Fifty Shades
series of films or books will find this a perfect escape this fall.

The two person cast is led by Christopher Pio as Thomas and Eve Dillingham as the actress
auditioning for him, Vanda. After years with Atlantic Theater Company in NYC and a range of
off-Broadway roles, Christopher has also appeared regularly on film in popular shorts on the
international film festival circuit, including On Dying Grass, Desired, and City in the Sea.

Also based in NYC, Eve Dillingham was most recently seen as Viola in Twelfth Night at
Shakespeare’s Globe in London and has made numerous appearances at Syracuse Stage. Venus
in Fur is directed by Carin Jean White, who received her MFA in Directing from Columbia
University and has staged such unique projects as The Art of Walking, an immersive theater
festival, Spiegelworld’s Empire in a circus tent in Times Square, and a series of dance-theater
pieces at DUMBO in Brooklyn and the Prague Quadrennial in the Czech Republic. All three
artists make their Clear Space debut with Venus in Fur.

Sweeney Todd
Following Venus in Fur, Clear Space Theatre presents the chilling and thrilling Sweeney Todd,
one of Stephen Sondheim’s most acclaimed masterpieces, with three critically acclaimed
Broadway runs. Clear Space’s production runs from October 11 – 27. This dark and compelling
tale of revenge and murder makes for a perfect addition to the Halloween season.

Sweeney Todd, an unjustly imprisoned barber, returns to London seeking vengeance against
the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. The road to revenge leads
Todd to Mrs. Lovett, a resourceful proprietress of a failing pie shop. Just above, he re-opens a
new barber practice. Mrs. Lovett’s luck sharply shifts when Todd’s thirst for blood – and an
ingenious contraption connecting their two shops – integrates a new ingredient into her meat
pies that has the people of London lining up… and the carnage has only just begun!

Matt Whalen (seen as Barry in The Prom and the title role in Young Frankenstein at Clear
Space previous) stars as Sweeney Todd opposite Lorraine Leavel (Dolly Levi in Hello Dolly and
Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music at Clear Space) as Mrs. Lovett. They are joined by
returning Clear Space artists Thomas Higgins (Franz in Rock of Ages and Spongebob in The
Spongebob Musical) as Tobias Ragg, Steve Givens (Daddy Warbucks in Annie) as Judge Turpin,
Sarah Rose (Norma in Victor/Victoria), Les Diggs (Sy in The Bodyguard and George in A Raisin
in the Sun) as Adolfo Pirelli, and Tyler Dark as Jonas Fogg (Stalker in The Bodyguard). Making
their Clear Space debuts are Drew Black as Anthony Hope, Tiffany Furicchia as Johanna, and
Benjamin Cohen as Beadle Bamford. Clear Space Theatre Company Artistic Director David
Button directs, with James Weber (Jersey Boys, Rock of Ages) serving as musical director and
Candice Jewell (Rock of Ages) as choreographer.

Shrek
Fall productions continue November 8 – 10 as Clear Space presents a Spotlight on Young
Performers production of Shrek featuring talented young artists from the Clear Space Arts
Institute. A hit Broadway musical adapted from everyone’s favorite animated film, Shrek will
delight audiences of all ages.

Shrek is the tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a
wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Throw in a short-tempered
bad guy, a cookie with an attitude, and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and it’s the kind of
mess that calls for a real hero.

In the production’s leading roles, Justin Truitt plays Shrek, Abby Lynne plays Fiona, Grace
Lucas plays Donkey, Natalie Howard plays Lord Farquaad, Liv Nehrbas plays Dragon, Lily Truit
plays Pinocchio, and Alex DeEmedio plays Gingy. In total, over thirty young people from across
the region are featured in the ensemble of this production.

For individual tickets to these fall productions, visit www.clearspacetheatre.org, call
302-227-2270, or visit the box office in person at 20 Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach DE
19971.

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