The longest-running show in Manalapan is moving to West Palm Beach.

After a nearly two-decade run, Florida Stage is leaving its 250-seat theater in Manalapan’s Plaza del Mar to take up residence as the primary cultural tenant at the Kravis Center’s Rinker Playhouse, effective July 2010. The move is designed to bring new audiences to the nationally hailed theater company and to broaden the Kravis’ artistic offerings.

“It’s time to be in the center of the community,” said Florida Stage founder and Producing Director Louis Tyrrell, speaking at a Kravis event tonight to announce the move.

It’s no secret that Tyrrell and others connected with Florida Stage have long sought the opportunity to relocate to West Palm Beach or Palm Beach, hoping that would allow the theater to tap a slightly younger – and potentially more philanthropic-minded – audience to the north of its Manalapan base.

At the same time, Florida Stage has also been stymied by the fact its current facility has limited space and technical amenities, including a true spotlight. At the Rinker, the company will be able to take advantage of a theater that’s 30-feet high and comes with advanced lighting and projection systems.

“Now, we can do a play that has a balcony scene,” said Florida Stage Managing Director Nancy Barnett.

As for the Kravis, it gains a high-profile tenant that will not only add approximately $200,000 in rental fees annually to the center’s bottom line, but that will also bring a mix of contemporary American dramas to the center’s lineup. Other than touring musicals, the Kravis has featured only an occasional theatrical production on its schedule.

“It really adds to the overall offerings we have for the community,” said Kravis Chief Executive Judy Mitchell.

Not that the move couldn’t have potential complications. In particular, Florida Stage risks losing many long-standing patrons who appreciate the theater’s warm, intimate setting. By contrast, the Kravis’ Rinker Playhouse is a multipurpose space – a “black box,” in theater parlance – that’s used for everything from classical recitals to comedy nights.

But Florida Stage officials say they are addressing such concerns with seating configurations that will make the space, which holds up to 275 patrons, more comfortable and cozy. They’ve also purchased high-quality folding chairs, replete with armrests.

One satisfied Florida Stage regular: West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel, an avid theatergoer who has lobbied to bring the company to downtown since taking office in 2003.

“This is a special night for the city,” said Frankel.