Opportunities

We're Currently Seeking...

Production Assistant

Barter Theatre (founded 1933) – a year-round LORT – AEA resident repertory company located in the mountains of Southwest Virginia is seeking a full-time Production Assistant. Production Assistants serve as assistants to the AEA Stage Manager and Deck Manager for productions. They will be involved in the daily change over of sets and will be called upon to fill several different run crew roles. They will also be integral in helping with rehearsals. Ideal candidates will have strong leadership skills, ability to work well with others and solid stage management skills. This position involves six days of work per week including nights, weekends and occasionally holidays. Relevant experience and/or technical theatre degree is required. Possible EMC credit.

Send resume and references to stagemgt@bartertheatre.com
Start Date: March 2020
Pay: $245/wk week plus housing and benefits

Audition for Barter Theatre

Barter Theatre announces local auditions for the 2020 season on December 1-2, 2019. After you have read the following information carefully, please sign up for an audition slot. You must sign up for these auditions in order to be seen.

Schedule

Sunday, December 1, 2019
10:00am – 12:30pm Acting and Singing Auditions
1:00pm – 3:00pm Dance and Movement Call
3:30pm – 6:00pmActing and Singing Auditions
6:30pm – 8:30pm Barter Player Interviews

Monday, December 2, 2019
10:00 am – 12:30 pm Acting and Singing Auditions
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Dance and Movement Call
3:30 pm – 6:00 pm Acting and Singing Auditions
6:30pm – 8:30pm Barter Player Interviews

Auditions will take place at Barter’s Rehearsal Halls at 201 Trigg Street, Abingdon, VA. Please park in the back lot, behind the building, and you will be let into the glass door by an attendant.

Acting and Singing Auditions

We would like to see either one or two monologues no more than ninety seconds each. If you will be doing two monologues, please make sure that they contrast in some way.

If you sing, we would like to hear one verse and one chorus of a song, or, sixteen bars of a song. Occasionally we ask for additional, contrasting songs so we suggest you come prepared for that possibility. An accompanist will be provided. No recorded accompaniment or a cappella singing. You must bring your own sheet music with full piano accompaniment part – no lead sheets or vocal only sheet music. All music should be written in key in which you plan to sing it. No on-site transposing.

Please bring three copies of your picture and resume.

Dance and Movement Call

We encourage anyone interested in the Resident Acting Company, The Barter Player Company, or any musical to attend the dance and movement audition, even if you do not consider yourself to be a dancer.
A dance and movement audition warm-up space will be open half an hour before the scheduled audition time on each day for warm-up and changing. Please be prepared to stay through the entire dance and movement audition time. Please wear shoes and clothing appropriate for a dance audition. If you tap, please bring tap shoes as well.

Teaching of the first dance combination will begin promptly at 1:00pm.

The dance and movement auditions will be broken down into three levels:
1. Choreographed Dance and Movement: EVERYONE ATTENDING THE DANCE AUDITIONS WILL DO THIS COMBINATION after which we will ask the more experienced dancers to stay and learn a second combination
2. Dance combination for dancers, including actors and singers who also consider themselves dancers. Only those requested to do the second combination will learn it.
3. Tap combination for tap dancers.

If you are a dancer who plans to attend the dance and movement auditions but do not plan to attend the acting and singing auditions, that is okay, but please inform the audition monitor.

The following information describes what we will be looking for in these auditions.

AEA and Non-AEA actors for a series of six readings and staged productions during the Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights.
The Barter Players: Non-AEA; College graduates or equivalent experience; Pay, insurance, and housing provided; Year-round; Brochures available.
Apprentice Company: Non-AEA; College undergraduates or equivalent experience; No pay but housing is provided; Summer only; Brochures available.

AEA Actors will be given priority in scheduling requests for audition slots, and any AEA member who arrives for an audition without having signed up will be seen as soon as possible.

We will not be seeking any actors under 18 at this audition.
Barter Theatre encourages and supports non-traditional and minority casting; we highly encourage actors of color and diverse races to audition.
If you are not available for the 2020 season, we prefer that you wait until our December 2020 auditions to be seen.

The following is Barter’s 2020 Season. At this time, all the roles have been filled by Barter’s resident acting company. We’re happy to see your audition, and would still like to see you if you’re interested in auditioning for The Barter Player Company.

Please note: All titles and dates are subject to change due to availability of rights and licenses. For more information on each show, click here.

Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhry
Gilliam Stage | April 2-25, 2020

Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Smith Theatre | March 26 – April 18, 2020

9 to 5: The Musical
Music & Lyrics by Dolly Parton, Book by Patricia Resnick
Gilliam Stage | May 1-30, 2020

Grace and Glorie by Tom Ziegler
Smith Theatre | May 21 – August 22, 2020

The Wizard of Oz
Adapted from the motion picture screenplay by John Kane, with music & lyrics from the motion picture score by Harold Arlen & E.Y. Harburg, background music by Herbert Stothart
Gilliam Stage | June 6 – August 23, 2020

The Charitable Sisterhood of the Second Trinity Victory Church by Bo Wilson
Gilliam Stage | June 18 – August 22, 2020

Winter Wheat
Book & Lyrics by Catherine Bush, Music by Ben Mackel
Smith Theatre | June 24 – August 22, 2020

Frankenstein Adapted by Catherine Bush
Gilliam Stage | September 4 – November 14, 2020

Country Girls by Stephen Brown
Smith Theatre | August 28 – November 14, 2020

We’ll Meet Again
Book by James Harris & Musical arrangements by Mark Hayes
Gilliam Stage | September 17 – November 14, 2020

The Girl on the Train by Rachel Wagstaff & Duncan Abel
Smith Theatre | September 16 – November 15, 2020

A Christmas Carol Adapted by Catherine Bush
Gilliam Stage | November 20 – December 27, 2020

Over the River and Through the Woods by Joe DiPietro
Smith Theatre | November 24 – December 27, 2020

The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Ginna Hoben
Smith Theatre | December 2-30, 2020

The Barter Players and Barter Theatre’s Apprentice Program

If you are interested in becoming a member of The Barter Players (Barter’s non-AEA company) or Apprentice Company we require that you act, sing and attend the dance and movement call, even if you do not consider yourself a dancer or singer. Please be available for a callback interview with Barrett Guyton, the Artistic Director of The Barter Players following the evening auditions. There will be callback list after each audition hour for those asked to stay. Brochures describing the Player Company and the Apprentice Program are available at the Smith Theatre or by emailing bartercastingasst@bartertheatre.com

We ask that you sign up for an audition slot for any part of this audition. AEA Members without appointments will be worked in throughout the day.

After you have read the above carefully, sign up for an audition slot by emailing our audition assistant at bartercastingasst@bartertheatre.com.

Please give us your name, telephone number, email address, the exact time and day you would like to audition and whether or not you will be attending the Dance and Movement Call. Please let us know if you are an Equity Member. If you do not have email, you can call and leave this information at our audition sign up number 276-619-5405, but if it is possible, please use bartercastingasst@bartertheatre.com

Local Auditions

Barter Theatre holds local auditions in early December each year. In 2019, our locals will be December 1st and 2nd, and a list of the roles we will be seeking and a sign up form will appear here in late October. We ask for 2 contrasting monologues and part of a song, and we also hold dance/movement auditions. This is the earliest audition we hold for the next season, so it is an excellent time to be seen for the most roles.

Regional Auditions

We also audition in New York early each year through Paul Russell Casting and at A1’s. We attend UPTAs in Memphis in February each year, and we alternate years in other area cities.

Youth Auditions

For actors under 18 years of age, we hold local youth auditions for youth roles. If you’d like to be on our youth audition list to hear about those calls, please email bartercastingasst@bartertheatre.com

What does it mean to be a Barter Player?

Barter Players are some of the finest young actors from across the country who come to Barter Theatre to further their training. We audition over a thousand actors each year for 6 year round positions, and we seek young artists who are committed to growth, who have strong enough skills to step into major roles, and who believe in theatre as a service to others. The Players are the acting apprentices at the theatre. They perform in at least 10 plays during their contract, but usually closer to 12 or 14. Barter Players perform for young audiences in their own shows, and also perform in Barter’s AEA shows in roles small and large. We use the same depth of acting tools on Hamlet and Charlotte’s Web. Because we believe in all theatre artists having an understanding and respect for all parts of theatre, all Barter Players will work backstage of at least one show during their time here, but the bulk of a Players’ experience here is in rehearsal and performances. Rehearsals have a master class feel, as we are constantly working together on each person’s strengths and weaknesses. If you enjoy learning with an ensemble of artists who care about theatre as much as you do, if you are excited to see how far you can push yourself as a theatre artist, if you work best when you are juggling lots of projects, if you don’t mind sweeping a stage before you act on it, if you believe that theatre can change a child’s life for the better, and if you want to see how much you can learn, you might be a Barter Player.

We audition at Barter in early December each year, attend A1’s in New York City in January, and UPTA’s in Memphis in February. For more information on the program, contact Barrett Guyton n at bartercastingasst@bartertheatre.com

This video is from Revel for Explore Theatre: A Backstage Pass by Michael M. O’Hara, Elizabeth A. Osborne, and Judith A. Sebesta.

https://www.pearson.com/us/higher-education/program/O-Hara-Revel-for-Explore-Theatre-A-Backstage-Pass-Access-Card-2nd-Edition/PGM2474243.html

Volunteer

Barter depends on its amazing group of volunteers! Our volunteers are essential to what we do here at Barter. There are many ways to help support Barter with your time.

Front of House Volunteers

Ushers assist patrons, take tickets, answer questions, sell concessions and ensure the safety and comfort of all of our guests. If you’ve ever seen a show here at Barter, you’ve interacted with some of our wonderful volunteers! For more information about ushering, contact Kenny Davis, House Manager volunteer@bartertheatre.com.

Intern with Barter

If you are interested in an internship with Barter Theatre, please send a resume and cover letter to the appropriate department.

Guidelines for the Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights (AFPP)
AFPP usually takes place in July and August, and play submissions are accepted through March. The next AFPP deadline will be in March 2018. Click here for more information on the AFPP.

Plays may be emailed to apfestival@bartertheatre.com

Or mailed to:
Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights
Barter Theatre
P.O. Box 867
Abingdon, VA, 24212-0867

Guidelines for Barter’s Shaping of America Initiative
America began as an idea. Who are we? Where did we come from? How did we get there? “The Shaping of America:” The stories you won’t find in history books. What’s your idea? Submit a proposal for Barter Theatre’s “Shaping of America” Series. Existing full-length scripts are not accepted.

Submissions may be emailed to shapingofamerica@bartertheatre.com

Or mailed to:
Shaping of America
Barter Theatre
P.O. Box 867
Abingdon, VA 24212-0867

Guidelines for other play submissions
Barter also accepts new play proposals that do not fit in to either of the above programs. Please note: Barter does not accept unsolicited manuscripts. Barter does not generally produce one-act plays nor plays with extremely urban themes. Barter does produce plays for Young Audiences, whether one-acts or full length. Plays with an Appalachian theme or by an Appalachian playwright are encouraged to submit via Barter Theatre’s Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights. To submit your play for consideration, please use the following guidelines.

Submissions may be emailed to dramaturge@bartertheatre.com

Or mailed to:
Dramatuge
Barter Theatre
P.O. Box 867
Abingdon, VA 24212-0867