Regional Theater of the Week: Barter Theatre, VA

BroadwayWorld.com, the largest theatre site on the Internet, is excited to announce a new feature to its comprehensive regional coverage - the Featured Regional Theater of the Week! Each week, BWW will introduce its readers to a regional theater located in one of our (over 130!) coverage cities. By exploring these different venues, their history and showcasing the production seasons, BWW continues its commitment to expand our presence in communities and cities across the United States.

This Week's Featured Regional Theater: The Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia!

Barter Theatre was founded during the Depression by an enterprising young actor named
Robert Porterfield. He and his fellow actors found themselves out of work and hungry in New
York City. Porterfield contrasted that to the abundance of food, but lack of live theatre, around
his home region in Southwest Virginia. He returned to Washington County with an extraordinary
proposition: bartering produce from The Farms and gardens of the area to gain admission to see a play.

Barter Theatre opened its doors on June 10, 1933 proclaiming, “With vegetables you cannot sell, you can buy a good laugh.” The price of admission was 35 cents or the equivalent in produce, the concept of trading “ham for Hamlet” caught on quickly. At the end of the first season, the Barter Company cleared $4.35 in cash, two barrels of jelly and enjoyed a collective
weight gain of over 300 pounds.

Playwrights including Noel Coward, Tennessee Williams and Thornton Wilder accepted Virginia ham as payment for royalties. An exception was George Bernard Shaw, a vegetarian, who bartered the rights to his plays for spinach.

There are many firsts in the history of the Barter Theatre. In 1946, Barter was designed The State Theatre of Virginia, the first theatre to receive a form of recognition that is now in practice nationwide. In 1949, when Barter took a production of Hamlet to Denmark, it was funded in part by the federal government through the Department of the Interior, now the National Endowment for the Arts. Barter was a founding member of the League of Resident
Theatres, a national association of resident theatres. After celebrating its 73rd birthday in 2006, Barter is now the longest running professional Equity theatre in the nation.

Today, Barter Theatre has a reputation as a theatre where many actors performed before gong on to achieve fame and fortune. The most recognized of these alumni include Gregory Peck, Patricia Neal, Ernest Borgnine, Hume Cronyn, Ned Beatty, Gary Collins, Larry Linville and Kevin Spacey. and Frances Fisher. The list also included James Burrows, creator of Cheers, Barry Corbin, and the late Jim Varney

Barter represents three distinct venues of live theatre: Barter Theatre, Barter Theatre Stage II and The Barter Players. Barter Theatre, with over 500 seats, features traditional theatre in
a luxurious setting. Stage II, across the street from the theatre and beyond Stonewall Square, is perfect for more adventurous productions. Stage II offers seating for 167 around a thrust stage in an intimate setting. The Barter Players is a talented ensemble of actors, producing plays for young audiences throughout the year.

Throughout the year, Barter presents morning performances for students who are brought in from many states around the region, some up to 200 miles away. Barter also continues a
tradition of touring that dates back to 1933, performing throughout Virginia, Tennessee, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Maryland, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, West Virginia and Kentucky.

Upcoming shows at Barter include SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE CHRISTMAS GOOSE, A CHRISTMAS STORY AND Santa Claus IS COMING TO TOWN. For more information or to buy tickets, click here.

To learn more about Barter Theatre, click here. 

Know of a theater we should feature? Send your suggestion to christina@broadwayworld.com.

Information and photos courtesy of Barter Theatre.