The lights dim. The room goes quiet. Somewhere in Delaware tonight, an audience is leaning forward, waiting for the first line. That is the Delaware arts scene at work, and it is bigger than most of us realize.
Ask yourself something. When was the last time you saw a live show in your own state? If you can’t remember, you have been missing out.
The Delaware Arts Scene Is Bigger Than You Think
Start with the money. The state just announced $5,055,797 in arts grants across 127 awards, reaching all three counties. That includes three new groups in the state’s StartUp program: the Nanticoke Indian Association, the Imperial Dynasty Arts Program, and the Resolution Steel Orchestra.
Access is the whole point. The reach of this funding is what sets it apart.
Jessica Ball, Director, Delaware Division of the Arts
Here is why that matters to you. Delaware’s nonprofit arts sector drives more than $200 million in yearly economic activity and supports over 3,300 jobs. I will be straight with you: the arts are not a side dish in this state. They pay people, fill restaurants before showtime, and keep downtowns alive.
Who Is Behind the Applause?
Every great show has people working behind the curtain. The Delaware Arts Alliance is a statewide nonprofit that speaks up for the arts and arts education. Its motto is “Inform. Empower. Mobilize.” The Alliance backs the CREATE Plan, a shared vision for an inclusive creative economy.
Its partner is the Delaware Division of the Arts, which funds artists and organizations statewide. Together they host Futures in the Arts, a yearly celebration honoring graduating seniors who are headed into arts careers. Supporters like the Longwood Foundation, the Welfare Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts help keep the momentum going.
Their goal is simple: make the arts as familiar to Delawareans as the DSU Hornets, Blue Hens, the beaches, and Saturday farmers markets.
Every Seat at the Table
Look around the audience and you will see the whole state. Classic drama shares the calendar with musicals, comedy, opera, ballet, symphony, and Shakespeare in the park. Delaware also just honored 27 individual artist fellows, its largest class ever. When more voices get funded, more stories get told, and more neighbors see themselves on stage.
Follow the Lights Across the Delaware Arts Scene
Where should you go? Start in Newark, where the Resident Ensemble Players are in their 19th season at the University of Delaware. They opened with August Wilson’s How I Learned What I Learned. Next up are Fireflies, Slow Food, and Gaslight, and student tickets start at just $15.
Head south to Dover, where Delaware State University, home of the DSU Hornets, is growing its arts footprint and has teamed up with the Biggs Museum on programming at the historic Schwartz Center. For visual art, the Delaware Art Museum, the Biggs Museum of American Art, and The Delaware Contemporary keep the walls full all year.
Wilmington is packed. The Grand Opera House has been delighting audiences for more than 140 years and presents more than 120 performances a year. The Playhouse on Rodney Square and Delaware Theatre Company keep the riverfront and downtown lit up, and the Wilmington Drama League has been a community theater home for generations.
Want something outdoors? Delaware Shakespeare performs at Rockwood Park each summer. Bootless Stageworks gives emerging artists a stage, and The Candlelight Theatre in Arden pairs dinner with musicals. The Delaware Symphony Orchestra, OperaDelaware, and First State Ballet Theatre round out the calendar.
Bring the Kids
The next generation belongs in the seats, too. The Playhouse on Rodney Square runs a children’s series, and the state just funded 16 Education Resource grants worth $164,060 to put arts learning in front of students from Pre-K through 12th grade. Kids who see a live show today become the artists, teachers, and ticket buyers of tomorrow.
This Week’s Curtain Call
Here is the part where the clock starts ticking. Delaware Theatre Company‘s funny, heartfelt musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, closes on October 4. If you want to catch it, do it this week.
Then keep the calendar open. Delaware Theatre Company’s 2026/27 season also brings Sam Kissajukian: 300 Paintings on October 21, Steel Magnolias on December 2, Other World on February 17, and Clyde’s on April 14. Comedy, drama, romance, thrillers, and musicals: you can see it all without leaving the state.
Then DETV Turned Up the Volume
That is where we come in. DETV Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and Delaware’s largest independently owned broadcast and digital media company. We tell Delaware’s stories on Comcast Channel 190 and across our streaming and social platforms at detvmedia.org. Now we are putting the Delaware arts scene front and center.
Inspired by the hit improv show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, DETV created Give’em Props, a fast, funny, high-energy show built around Delaware’s own performers. Local actors, comedians, and theater artists get the spotlight, and viewers get a reason to buy a ticket.
Our plan is simple: partner with Delaware theater companies to bring more eyes to local talent. We will spotlight casts, preview productions, and send new audiences to your box office. Look for previews on Good Morning Delaware and Arts Alive.
Are You a Theater Company? Let’s Work Together.
Ask yourself something. Is your next show in front of everyone who would love it? If your theater, arts group, or performing company wants to take part, contact DETV today.
- Email: ithomas@detvmedia.org
- Phone: (302) 983-6703
- Web: detvmedia.org
Add Your Shows to Our Free Community Calendar
DETV also runs a free community events calendar, and theaters are welcome to upload their shows and events. It is a simple way to reach more Delaware audiences at no cost.
- Calendar: detvmedia.org/events-calendar
- Address: DETV Foundation, 1105 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801
So here is my question for you: what will you go see first? The Delaware arts scene is rising, and it is time we all showed up. DETV will keep following this story.
