Katy Brown
As producing artistic director, Katy Brown has led the Barter Theatre through one of the most challenging times in its nearly 90-year history. Nick Piper, an associate director at Barter, says that “Katy’s tireless work ethic, creativity, and most importantly, her compassion, have kept not just the people of Barter whole, but the people of our community as well.”
Brown came to Barter Theatre in 1998 to study acting under John Hardy. There was an opening in the touring company soon thereafter, and she toured the east coast with Barter’s First Light Theatre.
Brown started directing in 1999 and found her true calling. She took over the touring company, renamed it The Barter Players, and started producing theater for young audiences year-round at the theater. The Barter Players became one of the most sought-after training grounds for young actors, with alum going on to Broadway, artistic directorships and other theater careers around the country, both professional and academic.”
In 2006, Brown was named associate artistic director of Barter Theatre and head of casting. Over the years, she ran the education focus, directed and choreographed well over 100 shows, directed and produced national and international tours, dramaturged, shepherded world premier plays and musicals and helped nurture the careers and skills of actors from all over the country.
“In 2019, I became producing artistic director, and, with an incredible team, faced the pandemic that shut down theaters worldwide. With a lot of love and support from the community, we moved the theater to the Moonlite Drive-In, and were one of the first theaters in the world to be producing live theater again after the shutdown, giving people somewhere to safely gather and see the stories they loved. Barter has been my training ground, my home, and my great joy since I was in my early 20s and has shaped who I am in every way,” Brown says.
Brown’s father is responsible for her exposure to the arts. A professor, he took her to shows at the college where he worked when she was a child. She learned to dance, sing in choirs, play the piano, and read and wrote voraciously.
“There was never a separation between art and life for me; even my love for mathematics felt like art. I am lucky that they were a part of my family. We held a square dance in our living room, learned Native American basketry, played instruments and sang. I am also grateful that the public schools I grew up attending had an enormous focus on the arts. There was never a time I wasn’t immersed in music, movement, drawing and performance. I remember so clearly moments in plays that I saw, or fine art that moved me — but I don’t remember discovering the arts because, for me, they were always everywhere, in everything around me.
“The creation and celebration of life as we are living it is why we are alive. Human beings since the beginning of history have craved beauty and have created art that reflects and responds to the world. We seek elevation; our imaginations are part of what makes us the creatures that we are. Studies show that ability to feel wonder is one of the most important markers of people who can withstand great hardship. We need it to be fully human.
“Barter tours to some of the poorest counties in the nation, and there is nothing more inspiring than connecting with the young people there with art. Anything is possible in the imagination of a child. Hope, bravery, empathy — all of these are seeded in their imaginations when they interface with art. There was a wonderful study that confirms the uptick in empathy in a child for months after seeing a play. I can’t think of anything the world needs more than empathy, especially in these times.
“It is humbling to be included in the list of incredible people who have received this award over the years. The arts and artists in this region have such a rich history, and to be a part of that history is the great joy of my life,” says Brown.
For more information about Barter Theatre, visit www.bartertheatre.com.
