Introduction

The Henlopen Theatre Project (HTP) is a Sussex County, Delaware based, professional theatre arts organization. Its mission is to produce professional, equity theatre with a strong arts education component. Dedicated to foster new plays as well as presenting established works; HTP has offered audiences and students a diversity of live theater experiences that they could otherwise obtain only by traveling long distances to major cities.

HTP was founded by a dedicated group of volunteers in 1997 and received 501 (c) 3 status in 1998. It has been producing since the 1999 season with the inception of its education program and a production of Shakespeare's "As You Like It." It has grown significantly in the last two season increasing its productions from one to at least three a season and increasing the number of performances to the cape region. These included a Pulitzer Prize winning playwright as well as Tony, Emmy and Academy Award winning actors.

HTP New Works/New Voices Series

With its unique commitment to new plays and playwrights, HTP complements the existing arts organizations in the area with more diverse and experimental programming. Through it's New Works/New Voices Series, HTP presented the Delaware premiers of three new plays and the world premier of a new comedy. This included the work of a local high senior, who was able to work with a professional director and actors to see her play come to life and learn about collaboration. (She is currently attending Dartmouth and is still actively writing.) New Works/New Voices is dedicated to new plays and emerging playwrights with a focus on minorities and women, whose works are produced less frequently. It continues to provide a safe atmosphere for artists to work and through question and answer sessions engages the audience to actively participate in the creative process.