The cast of 'The Wizard of Oz'
Friends are the people that know us the best. The ones that make us laugh when we can’t find our smile, believe in us when we can’t find the strength to continue, and that make life more full by being in it. Sometimes, these friends come in the most unexpected ways, and sometimes...that’s the best way ever.
When you come home to Barter in 2024, you can come meet and hang out with some of the best friends that ever told their story. Friendships that have stood the test of time and lasted for many years.
“The Wizard of Oz” is one of the most well-known stories of the power of friendship and meeting the right people at the right time along our own Yellow Brick Road. Despite their differences, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tinman and the Cowardly Lion all have a common goal - to seek and find their deepest desires. Together, these four strangers turned companions find that sometimes what we are looking for has been with us and beside us all along.
Friendship can be found in even the darkest corners of our hearts. When everything seems to be going wrong and we are clingy desperately to hope. In “The Shawshank Redemption,” Andy DuFrense is convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. There he meets Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding, a longtime inmate at Shawshank. Together these unexpected friends navigate their way through each day behind bars, while helping each other find hope and resilience in the harsh realities of prison life.
The struggles of motherhood can be some of the hardest, especially when you feel like you are going through it alone. But in “Cry it Out,” new mothers Jessie and Lina rely on each other to get through the overwhelming moments of being a mother, while reaching inside themselves to harness the power of womanhood to prove their capability. Through the tight knit camaraderie they form, they find that being a mother is the most beautiful experience next to female friendship.
“Snow White” is never short on friends, that’s because she has seven dwarves to keep her company and look out for her. In the timeless tale of Snow White, a princess realizes that singing and dancing is sometimes the best way to get things done - and that sometimes friends are giving you advice for your own good. Snow White discovers what it means to have people who will stay by you through life and death, and how sweet it can be to be surrounded by true friends.
It’s no mystery that friendship is one of the most important things in life. And no matter the case, you need someone there beside you to help you discover the answers you seek. In “Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily,” Sherlock and his best friend Dr. John Watson set out to solve the mystery of one of the most sinister cases they’ve come upon. By using their know-how and quick-wit, the two friends once again prove that solving problems is a lot easier with a friend by your side.
When life becomes a HUM-BUG, Ebenezer Scrooge learns that the spirit of Christmas was in him all along. In Charles’ Dickens classic holiday tale, Scrooge makes his way through Christmas past, present and future, discovering the truth about friends he once had and the ones still by his side through it all. “A Christmas Carol” shines a nostalgic light on the importance of how you treat those you love and how the friendships forged throughout your life make it worth changing your holiday tune.
Barter Theatre and The Barter Players look forward to seeing some old friends and making new ones with these treasured stories in 2024 – and can’t wait to share them with you.
For more information on these shows and more, visit www.bartertheatre.com.
