Barter Theatre recently awarded scholarships for young actors to take part in The Barter Players' program. Scholarship recipients, from left to right, are Ezra Colon, Ryan Henderson, Julia VanderVeen, David McCall, and Philena Gilmer.
ABINGDON, Va.-- Five members of the young actors company at Barter Theatre, The Barter Players, have been awarded scholarships to help fund their training at the historic theatre in Abingdon.
The scholarships, provided by kind donors and Barter Theatre alums, make it possible for Barter to provide world-class training for The Barter Players and for them to present programming for kids of all ages. The Barter Players are young professional actors crafting their skills in the environment of the professional residential theatre in southwest Virginia and on tour on the East Coast each year.
This year's winners include Philena Gilmer, the Owen and Ruth Phillips Scholarship; Julia VanderVeen, the Patricia Neal Scholarship; David McCall, the Richard H. Levin Memorial Scholarship; Ryan Henderson, the I.B. Dent Scholarship; and Ezra Colon, the Ernest Borgnine Scholarship. Awards are presented based on various criteria including acting experience, desire of training, local residency and audition performance.
The Barter Players perform plays for audiences of all ages. They perform in up to 15 shows in a contract, work with directors and actors at the top of their field, help to develop new work, get a taste for technical aspects of theater, have opportunities to design, write and direct and tour the East Coast to perform for audiences. Players do it all ? acting, building sets, costumes and props, changing sets up to three times a day, laundry, touring, teaching workshops, putting posters up around town, running lights or sound, and most of all, growing as professionals. Many Barter Players continue their careers in the Barter Theatre resident acting company or go on to have successful careers in theatres across the globe.
Barter Theatre congratulates these fine young actors and applauds their dedicated work with the Barter family. For more information about The Barter Players, contact Artistic Director Katy Brown at barterplayers@bartertheatre.com.
For tickets or more information, call (276) 628-3991 or visit www.bartertheatre.com.
