Barter Theatre, Theatre building on Main Street, Abingdon, United States.
Barter Theatre is a theatre building on Main Street in Abingdon that houses two performance spaces. The Gilliam Stage presents traditional productions, while the Smith Stage showcases contemporary works.
The theatre was founded in 1933 during the Great Depression, when visitors could trade food and produce for admission. This unusual payment method helped make culture accessible to many people while the economy struggled.
The theatre maintains a strong connection to Appalachian culture by regularly staging works that tell the region's stories and traditions. Visitors can see how local themes come alive on stage as the community reflects its own narratives.
The theatre offers performances from February through December, with shows scheduled several days per week across both spaces. It helps to check ahead for current schedules since the program varies throughout the year.
The building itself dates to 1833 and was originally constructed as Sinking Springs Presbyterian Church. This makes it one of the oldest theatre buildings in America and shows how a house of worship was transformed into a place for artistic performance.
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