Source: Sussex Academy
Sussex Academy’s theater floor has a new shine to start the school year, thanks to a generous donation from Zorzi Creations.
Teacher Erin Bobby said Zorzi Creations came to the rescue in the fall of last year when she was directing school thespians in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which would feature an on-stage audience experience.
“Our stage had endured all kinds of scratches and paint stains after a decade of productions,” Bobby said. “It was not suitable for an audience to see up close.”
A coworker suggested she contact Mike Zorzi of Zorzi Creations for help.
“Mike generously offered to not only redo the entire floor gratis, but to do it in two phases,” Bobby said. “One, to get the visible sections ready for the Fall 2025 play and the other to thoroughly redo the entire stage over Summer 2026.”
Zorzi said he and his crew cleaned the stage, applied a fresh coat of finish, knocked the sheen down, hid floor scratches and cleaned up the paint.
“There was no time to refinish because production was coming up,” Zorzi said.
Bobby said she was thrilled – the beautifully refurbished surface offered the Fall 2025 audiences a clean show, giving students the sense that they were putting on a professional product in a suitable environment.
In the summer, the crew returned to sand off and refinish the 4,000-square-foot floor, a project with labor costs estimated at about $40,000. Zorzi said his distributors responded to the call for material donations as well.
“My wife suggested we do it for the kids,” he said. “You can’t go wrong with a donation if it’s helping kids. We like to give back to the community. It makes me feel good and I sleep easy at night.”
After this summer’s full overhaul, the stage is stunning, Bobby said.
“I have no doubt that students will beam with pride to perform in a space that feels brand new,” she said. “I’m so happy that our new Performing Arts Director Christopher Decker gets to start his tenure with a fresh canvas for his productions at Sussex Academy.”
Head of School Kyle Bentley said the generosity of Zorzi Creations is an incredible investment in students and the future of Sussex Academy.
“This donation directly supports our strategic planning commitment to expand the performing arts K-12 and create opportunities for students to experience the arts for years to come,” Bentley said.
Zorzi Creations is a hardwood flooring, custom cabinetry, home renovations and custom home building company serving Sussex County and the Delaware beaches since 2002.
Sussex Academy is a tuition-free, public charter K-12 school in Georgetown, Del. Its mission is to create a supportive school environment with accelerated learning opportunities that prepare students to explore, experience, and excel.
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Photo cover (Courtesy of Sussex Academy): Over the summer, Zorzi Creations completely refinished the stage floor at Sussex Academy, at no charge to the charter school. Gathered on the newly refinished theater stage are (l-r) Tyler Smith, Dave Bryan, Head of School Kyle Bentley, Lindsay Zorzi, Mario Zorzi, Mike Zorzi and Ryan Beard.
