Opened in the summer of 1933, the Barter Theater is based in Abingdon, VA and is currently expanding its digital presence with a subscription-based system called "Barter on Demand." Their latest production is Catherine Bush's adaptation of Twain's Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
Click here to watch the preview of Barter Theater's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, adapted by Catherine Bush.
From the theater's website:
June 10, 1933
Barter Theatre opened its doors, proclaiming “With vegetables you cannot sell, you can buy a good laugh.” The price of admission was 40 cents or an equivalent amount of produce. Four out of five theatregoers paid their way with vegetables, dairy products and livestock. To the surprise of many, all the seats for the first show were filled. 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 a collective weight gain of over 300 pounds. Today, at least one performance a year celebrates Barter’s history by accepting donations for Feeding America Southwest Virginia. Barter Days happen in the month of June as a birthday celebration for Barter Theatre, and we will list those performance times on our Ways to Save page.