East Lynne Theater Company Co-Board President Susan Tischler, left, posed with Cape May Mayor Zachary Mullock and Christina Clemans outside the historic Allen AME Church, which will be repurposed as the Clemans Theater at the Allen AME Church in the near future.

(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- Cape May's award-winning East Lynne Theater Company, presently housed at Cape May Presbyterian Church, is moving into high gear with its New Beginnings Capital Campaign to repurpose its future home at the historic Allen African Methodist Episcopalian (AME) Church on Franklin Street. The campaign kicked off one year ago with a generous donation from Christina Clemans in honor of her late husband Dave Clemans, a staunch historic preservationist.

The Clemans Theater at the Allen AME Church was, in 2021, considered one the “most endangered historic places” by “Preservation New Jersey” due in large part to a devastating fire in 2018. The city of Cape May saved it from the wrecking ball when it purchased the church from its remaining congregation and has since been working on renovations. East Lynne leased the church from the city and entered into a partnership with the municipality to repurpose the historic building into a performance facility.

The city will turn over the Allen AME Church to East Lynne at the beginning of 2025. The theater company plans to use the money raised from the Capital Campaign to begin work on an addition that will provide dressing rooms, bathrooms, a backstage, and an office, as well as to repurpose the interior into a theater complete with a lobby, sound booth, staging, lighting, and flexible seating.

The estimated cost of repurposing the Allen AME Church is $1.2 million, of which Co-Board President Susan Tischler says approximately $500,000 has already been raised, thanks to a generous donation for stage-naming rights by the family of the late Gus Andy, owners of La Mer Resorts, Beach Avenue, which was matched by an anonymous donation.

“The plan,” said Board Member and Treasurer Gary Padussis, “is to repurpose this amazing building into a state-of-art performance center while still honoring the history of the African American community of Cape May, past, present and future.”

Though it is still a couple of years away until the Clemans Theater at the Allen AME Church is fully functioning, East Lynne is hoping to host events such as art and photography exhibitions by some of the region’s most exciting artists in the space as early as spring 2025.

“East Lynne is transforming right along with the Allen AME Church,” said Co-Board President Mark Boberick. “Where we were once known as primarily a ‘summer theater,’ we are now laying the groundwork for a robust calendar of events all year long. The revitalized space will be able to host events such as concerts, art and historical expositions, children’s programming, weddings and so much more. The possibilities are endless.”

When complete, the Clemans Theater at the Allen AME Church will be the cornerstone of Cape May’s new cultural district, which already includes the Harriet Tubman Museum and the newest Cape May County Library housed in the former historically Black Franklin Street School.

Naming rights for the lobby, the addition and other aspects of the renovation are still available, as well as Founding Benefactor contributions. Those wishing to contribute to Easy Lynne’s New Beginnings Capital Campaign may contact Co-Board President Susan Tischler at 609-408-1744 or at boardpres@eastlynnetheater.org

East Lynne is presently located at 500 Hughes Street in Cape May.

Founded in 1980, East Lynne Theater Company (ELTC) was the first theater in the country with the unique mission of presenting and preserving America's theatrical heritage. The New York Times listed ELTC as one of the 75 top summer theaters in North America. In 2018, the New Jersey Senate and General Assembly passed a joint legislative resolution recognizing ELTC as “one of the state’s most important cultural treasures.”