Barter Theatre

Robert Porterfield was an Abingdon-area native trying to make it as an actor in New York when the Depression left him and scores of fellow performers out of work and hungry. Looking back at his home country, where cash was scarce but food was not, he hatched a plan to bring unemployed actors south and let mountain audiences pay for their entertainment in whatever the land produced. The theater opened on June 10, 1933.

The going rate was set at about forty cents, or its equivalent in produce, and people paid in hams, live chickens, milk, eggs, and homegrown vegetables. The playwright George Bernard Shaw, a vegetarian, reportedly asked to be paid in spinach rather than the usual meat. Porterfield liked to say that four out of five actors got a better diet in Abingdon than they had in New York, and the theater's motto became, With vegetables you cannot sell, you can buy a good laugh.

Over its long history Barter has served as an early proving ground for a remarkable number of actors who went on to fame. Gregory Peck, Patricia Neal, Ernest Borgnine, Ned Beatty, and Hume Cronyn are among the performers who worked its stage in their early careers, and the theater has long been proud of the talent it launched and nurtured.

That legacy comes from Barter's identity as a genuine professional resident company, not a summer stock novelty. Actors, directors, and designers make Abingdon a working home, mounting a full season of plays and musicals year after year. The combination of serious craft and small-town intimacy gives the theater its particular flavor, big-league performances in a jewel-box house far from any city.

The main theater occupies a handsome historic building on Abingdon's Main Street that has served the town in various roles over the generations. Its intimate house puts every seat close to the action, so audiences feel the immediacy that larger theaters lose. Across the street, a second, more flexible space known as Barter Stage II hosts smaller and more experimental productions.

Together the two stages let Barter run an ambitious mix of classics, comedies, musicals, dramas, and new work throughout the year. The theater has weathered fires, wars, and lean seasons, and its endurance has made it a point of deep local pride, the institution that put a small mountain town on the national cultural map.

Barter would not be quite what it is without the town around it. Abingdon is one of the best-preserved historic towns in the southern mountains, its Main Street lined with brick storefronts, galleries, and inns, including the grand Martha Washington Inn directly across from the theater. The whole district invites a slow walk before or after a show.

The town is also the eastern terminus of the Virginia Creeper Trail, a rail-trail that climbs into the high country toward Mount Rogers, drawing hikers and cyclists. A visit to Barter fits easily into a day that mixes theater, mountain scenery, and small-town Appalachian charm, which is exactly the combination that keeps people coming back.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

The Barter Theatre, in the historic town of Abingdon in Southwest Virginia, is one of the oldest and most renowned professional theaters in the country, designated the State Theatre of Virginia. Founded during the Great Depression, it earned its name because struggling patrons could barter goods like produce for admission, and it launched the careers of many famous actors over the decades. Today the professional theater presents a full season of plays and musicals in its historic venues, drawing audiences from far and wide. With its rich history and professional productions, the Barter Theatre offers a distinguished cultural destination in Abingdon, Virginia.

The Barter Theatre earned its name because when it was founded during the Great Depression, many local people had little cash but plenty of farm goods, so the theater allowed patrons to barter produce, livestock, and other goods in exchange for admission to see a play. This ingenious idea kept the theater alive in hard times and gave it its memorable name and lasting charm. The theater went on to become one of the nation's most respected and launched many famous acting careers. This history makes the Barter Theatre a beloved and storied institution in Abingdon, Virginia.

You can see professional productions of plays and musicals, from classic dramas and comedies to contemporary works and family shows, performed by a resident company across the theater's historic venues throughout a full season. The high-quality productions in the historic setting are the draw, along with the theater's storied history. Because it is a working professional theater, checking the current season's schedule and buying tickets in advance is important, as popular shows sell out. With its professional productions and rich heritage, the Barter Theatre offers a memorable theatrical experience in Abingdon, Southwest Virginia.

The Barter Theatre presents productions through much of the year, so the best time to visit is whenever a show you wish to see is playing, which means checking the current season schedule and booking tickets in advance. As an indoor theater, it offers a great experience in any weather. The historic town of Abingdon and the surrounding mountains are especially pleasant to explore in spring through fall around a performance, with fall color lovely. For the best experience, plan your visit around the current show schedule at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia.

The Barter Theatre is in the historic town of Abingdon in Southwest Virginia, near the Virginia Creeper Trail and the town's historic district, within reach of Grayson Highlands State Park, the Blue Ridge Music Center and Rex Theater in the Galax area, and Natural Tunnel State Park. That makes the Barter Theatre a distinguished stop to combine with historic Abingdon, Grayson Highlands State Park, and the other attractions of Southwest Virginia on a visit to the state.