Barter Theatre main stage at night
Barter Theatre, Abingdon, Virginia, announces its 2022 season. The season includes comedy, Shakespeare, Agatha Christie, musicals and more. It is staged on the Gilliam Stage and in the Smith Theatre.
The spring season includes.
“Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare is on the Gilliam Stage and begins March 31. When Romeo first sees Juliet, he has no idea that she is a Capulet, whose family is a bitter enemy of his own. Determined that love shall conquer all, the young lovers attempt to escape the prison of their families’ dispute, only to be met with tragedy.
“Kentucky Spring,” is a new Appalachian musical written by Catherine Bush with music by Dax Dupuy, which opens on the Gilliam Stage April 23. Becky has worked all her life to get out of the mountains, but when it comes time for her grandmother Maud to sell the family farm, Becky comes face to face with who she was and who she wants to be. This musical fable flashes between the past and the present, telling us the story of Maud’s ‘what might have been’ and Becky’s own path to finding out where she belongs. A story of love, longing and second chances set in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains.
The summer season begins on the Gilliam Stage June 3 with “9 to 5: The Musical.” Pushed to the boiling point, three female coworkers who think they have nothing in common join forces to make their dreams come true. In a hilarious turn of events, Violet, Judy and Doralee live out their wildest fantasy – giving their terrible boss the boot. While he remains “otherwise engaged,” the women give their workplace a makeover, take control of the company that had always kept them down and find that they are unstoppable when they work together.
“Every Brilliant Thing” begins May 20 in the Smith Theatre. Could you name a hundred things that make life wonderful? A thousand? How about a million? When he was 7, a boy started a list of things to live for in an attempt to save his mother. As he grows up, the list takes on a life of its own. From “Ice Cream” (#1 on the list) to “the Alphabet” (#999,997), “Every Brilliant Thing” shines a hilarious and compassionate light on dark corners of the human condition. A play about the lengths we will go to for those we love—told in collaboration with the audience.
“Always a Bridesmaid” begins June 17 on the Gilliam Stage. In this hilarious comedic romp, four friends - Libby Ruth, Deedra, Monette and Charlie- have sworn to keep the promise they made on the night of their senior prom: to be in each other’s weddings ... no matter what. More than 30 years later, these Southern friends-for-life are still making “the long walk” for each other, determined to honor that vow. ‘For better or for worse’ takes on a whole new meaning in this comedy about old friends.
“Airness” begins June 30 in the Smith Theatre. When Nina enters her first air guitar competition, she thinks winning will be easy. But as she befriends a group of charismatic nerds all committed to becoming the next champion, she discovers that there’s more to this art form than playing pretend; it’s about finding yourself in your favorite songs and performing with raw joy. Will Nina be able to let go and set herself free onstage? Following her mission to shred or be shredded, “Airness” is an exuberant reminder that everything we need to rock is already inside us.
The fall season begins Sept. 3 with “Murder on the Orient Express” on the Gilliam stage. Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Isolated and with a killer in their midst, the passengers rely on detective Hercule Poirot to identify the murderer – in case he or she decides to strike again.
“Ripcord” begins Sept. 16 on the Gilliam Stage. This is a high-stakes comedy about two women of a certain age locked in a no-holds-barred battle. A sunny room on an upper floor is prime real estate in the Bristol Place Assisted Living Facility, so when the cantankerous Abby is forced to share her quarters with new-arrival Marilyn, she has no choice but to get rid of the infuriatingly chipper woman by any means necessary. A seemingly harmless bet between the women quickly escalates into a game of one-upmanship that reveals the tenacity of these worthy opponents, as well as the adventures that await us at any age, if only we will leap.
“The Royale” is on stage Sept. 29 in the Smith Theatre. Jay “The Sport” Jackson dreams of being the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. But it’s 1905, and in the racially segregated world of boxing, his chances are as good as knocked out. When a boxing promoter hatches a plan for “the fight of the century,” “The Sport” just might land a place in the ring with the reigning white heavyweight champion. An incredibly theatrical look at what it is to climb into the ring with destiny.
This year’s holiday performances begin Nov. 12 with “It’s a Wonderful Life” on the Gilliam stage. This is the story of George Bailey, the Everyman from the small town of Bedford Falls, whose dreams of escape and adventure have been hemmed by family obligations and civic duty, and whose guardian angel has to descend on Christmas Eve to save him from despair, and to remind him – by showing him what the world would have been like had he never been born – that he has had, after all, a wonderful life.
“Over the River and Through the Woods” begins Nov. 19 in the Smith Theatre. Nick, a single, Italian-American guy from New Jersey, has a standing date with both sets of his grandparents every Sunday for dinner. When Nick is offered a fantastic job that would take him to the west coast, his grandparents begin a series of schemes to keep him around. As Frank, Aida, Nunzio and Emma plot their next move, they eventually discover that the greatest gift a grandparent can give is the freedom to pursue a dream.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.bartertheatre.com or call 276-628-3991.
