East Lynne To Officially Move Into Clemans Theater

After years of multi-million-dollar renovations, East Lynne Theater Company, Cape May's award-winning Equity Professional Theater, will officially be handed over the keys to the former Allen African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) by the city of Cape May in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, May 22. The building will now publicly be called the Clemans Theater for the Arts at the Allen AME Church.

Now in its 45th year, East Lynne, which has had a successful tenure at the First Presbyterian Church of Cape May for the past 25 years, will begin to utilize the Clemans Theater immediately following the open-to-the-public ceremony, opening with the photography exhibit “Through the Lens” and moving toward plays and cabaret performances this summer. East Lynne will split its 2025 mainstage season between the Clemans Theater and the Presbyterian Church.

In 2021, with the blessing of the former congregation, the city of Cape May purchased the church, which was built in the 1850s, after a major fire caused significant damage to the interior, the bell tower and the steeple. As part of the agreement with the city, East Lynne will act as caretakers to maintain and preserve the physical structure, as well as uphold the legacy of the Black church and the community that supported it. 

“We have been working toward and looking forward to this moment for more than two years,” said Mark David Boberick, executive director of East Lynne. “It is a privilege for East Lynne Theater Company to be trusted with protecting and sustaining the historical significance of this great building, and welcoming the community back to this extraordinary venue.”

It was through a generous donation from Cape May resident Christina Clemans on behalf of her late husband Dave that the site will be called the Clemans Theater for the Arts. East Lynne is still working to raise money through its Capital Campaign to build an annex that would include housing, office space, green rooms, and more for its Equity actors.

“Through the Lens” photography exhibit runs through mid-July. The remainder of East Lynne's season is as follows:

• “Ken Ludwig's Dear Jack/Dear Louise”: June 19 through July 12, at Cape May Presbyterian Church.

• “Every Brilliant Thing”: July 31 through Aug. 30, at Clemans Theater for the Arts.

• “No Regrets: An Evening with Edith Piaf”: Sept. 4 to 14, at Clemans Theater for the Arts.

• “Sherlock Holmes: Scandals!”: Oct. 23, 24, 25, at Cape May Presbyterian Church.

“Moving into the Clemans Theater for the Arts changes the entire trajectory of our company,” said Boberick. “We now have the capability to offer year-round entertainment and, once the Clemans annex is fully built and the interior of the theater thoroughly outfitted for its true purpose, East Lynne will have the ability to present theatrical works to their fullest creative potential by integrating larger scenic elements complimented by state-of-the-art lighting, sound and projection capabilities. The possibilities at the Clemans Theater really are endless.”

The ribbon-cutting event will take place 5-7 p.m. Thursday, May 22, at the AME Church, 717 Franklin St. Cape May Mayor Zachary Mullock will conduct the ceremony and officially hand over the keys to the AME to Boberick and Susan Tischler, East Lynne board president. Live music and light refreshments will be part of the festivities.

East Lynne plans to continue the celebration during its Spring Soiree fundraiser, which will take place 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, May 25, at the Clemans Theater. Tickets are $125 and can be found at EastLynneTheater.org.

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