Barter Theatre
The State Theatre Of Virginia, Designated By The General Assembly In 1946; Founded 1933 And Among The Longest Running Professional Repertory Theatres In The United States · Abingdon, Virginia
The State Theatre of Virginia, in a town of eight thousand in the far south-west, and it exists because of an idea that should not have worked. In 1933 an actor called Robert Porterfield looked at a New York full of unemployed performers and a Virginia full of food and no cash, brought a company down to Abingdon and opened a theatre where the price of admission was forty cents or the equivalent in produce. People paid in ham, vegetables, eggs and, on at least one recorded occasion, a live pig. The slogan was "with vegetables you cannot sell, you can buy a good laugh". It worked, the company ate, and the Barter has run ever since - one of the longest-operating professional repertory theatres in the United States, with a roster of actors who passed through that includes Gregory Peck, Patricia Neal, Ernest Borgnine and Larry Linville. There are two stages now, a main house and a smaller experimental one across the street, running a full season of drama, comedy and musicals to a standard that has nothing to do with the size of the town.
127 West Main Street, Abingdon, Virginia, 24210, United States
Performances run most of the year across two stages, with the fullest programme spring to autumn and a Christmas production in December that sells out early. Several shows run in ROTATION, so check what is playing on your date rather than assuming. Box office hours are shorter than performance times. Midweek and matinee tickets are cheaper. Accessible and companion seating should be booked by telephone.