Barter Theatre, located in Abingdon, Virginia, opened on June 10, 1933. It is one of the longest running professional theatres in the nation. In 1933, when the country was in the middle of the Great Depression, most patrons were not able to pay the full ticket price. Robert Porterfield, founder of the theatre, offered admittance by letting the local people pay with food goods, hence the name "Barter". The original ticket price for a play was 40 cents, or the equivalent in goods. In 1946, Barter Theatre was designated the State Theatre of Virginia. Today, Barter is one of the last year-round professional resident repertory theatres remaining in the United States.
After Porterfield's death in 1971, Rex Partington was named the artistic director, serving from 1972-1992. Since 1992, Richard Rose has served as the Barter Theatre's third artistic director.
Many well-known stars of stage, screen and television have launched their careers at Barter, including Gregory Peck, Ernest Borgnine, Patricia Neal, Ned Beatty, Hume Cronyn, Gary Collins, Frances Fisher, Kevin Spacey, Larry Linville and Wayne Knight. On The Lot winner Will Bigham acted at Barter Theatre for many years before pursuing a film career alongside his wife Catherine Gray.
Read more about Barter Theatre: 2010 Season
Famous quotes containing the words barter and/or theatre:
“The first place he went into was the Royal Exchange .... where men of all ages and all nations were assembled, with no other view than to barter for interest. The countenances of most of the people showed they were filled with anxiety; some indeed appeared pleased, but yet it was with a mixture of fear.... [David] resolved to stay no longer in a place where riches were esteemed goodness, and deceit, low cunning, and giving up all things to the love of gain were thought wisdom.”
—Sarah Fielding (1710–1768)
“To save the theatre, the theatre must be destroyed, the actors and actresses must all die of the plague. They poison the air, they make art impossible. It is not drama that they play, but pieces for the theatre. We should return to the Greeks, play in the open air; the drama dies of stalls and boxes and evening dress, and people who come to digest their dinner.”
—Eleonora Duse (1859–1924)