2023 Season
Fall
ON SALE NOW
Content Advisories: (IL, V) – Profanity, strong onstage violence, gun shots. More information.
Misery
August 24th – November 4th at Barter’s Smith Theatre
Adapted by William Goldman, from the novel by Stephen King
Misery follows successful romance novelist Paul Sheldon, who is rescued from a car crash by his “number one fan,” Annie Wilkes, and wakes up captive in her secluded home. While Paul is convalescing, Annie reads his latest book and becomes enraged when she discovers the author has killed off her favorite character, Misery Chastain. Annie forces Paul to write a new Misery novel, and he quickly realizes Annie has no intention of letting him go anywhere. The irate Annie has Paul writing as if his life depends on it…. and it does.
Related Events:
Barter Connects Misery – A SPOOKY LITTLE GIRL LIKE YOU
In Misery, a novelist is kidnapped by a crazed fan and held hostage until he writes her the book of her dreams… the perfect Halloween story! Come connect with us after the show as we continue the theme with another spooky story told by one of our region’s finest! Dr. Flora Joy is described as the “mother” of storytelling in our region, and is responsible for creating the Master’s in Communication and Storytelling Program at ETSU. Dr. Joy will extend your Halloween horror with a short tale guaranteed to send shivers up your spine, followed by a discussion with Betty Ann Polaha from the Jonesboro Storytelling Guild of why the art form of storytelling is so important to our area. So, bring your candy and bring a date for a Halloween you will never forget!
Tuesday, October 31st, immediately following the 7:30pm performance at Barter’s Smith Theatre.
Pictured in artwork: Nicholas Piper
Content Advisories: P, ML, S, V, O – Racial slurs, discussion of sexual situations, onstage violence, gun shots. More information.
To Kill a Mockingbird
September 2nd – November 4th on Gilliam Stage
Adapted by Christopher Sergel, from the novel by Harper Lee
Young Scout and her brother Jem live in the sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama with their widowed father, the lawyer Atticus Finch. Life is wonderful – until the facade of the seemingly peaceful town begins to crack when a young Black man is accused of a terrible crime. Driven by an unshakeable moral conviction, Atticus defends the man in a trial that sends waves of violence through the community. This hard-hitting work explores prejudice, compassion and the courage to do what is right.
Related Events:
Barter Connects To Kill a Mockingbird – HARPER LEE AND ME
As soon as she won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, stories and rumors began to circulate about Alabama’s most famous writer, Harper Lee The time has come to set the record straight. Join Producing Artistic Director Katy Brown as she talks with Dr. Wayne Flynt, Auburn University Professor Emeritus of History and author of Afternoons With Harper Lee, his latest book detailing his friendship with this beloved author. Dr. Flynt will be sharing stories and memories of one of the most fascinating personalities of all time. This is a conversation you don’t want to miss!
Tuesday, October 10th, immediately following the 2pm performance on Gilliam Stage.
Pictured in artwork: Hannah Ingram
Content Advisories: (V)– Murder and murder attempts, generally handled comedically. More information.
Clue
September 15th – November 5th on Gilliam Stage
Written by Sandy Rustin, based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn / Additional Material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price / Based on the Paramount Pictures Motion Picture and the Hasbro board game CLUE / Original Music by Michael Holland
Based on the iconic 1985 Paramount movie and classic board game, Clue is a hilarious comedy-meets-murder mystery. The tale begins at a remote mansion, where six mysterious guests assemble for an unusual dinner party where murder and blackmail are on the menu. When their host turns up dead, they all become suspects. Miss Scarlett, Professor Plum, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock and Colonel Mustard race to find the killer as the body count stacks up. Clue is the comedy whodunit that will leave both cult-fans and newcomers in stitches as they try to figure out…WHO did it, WHERE, and with WHAT!
Related Events:
Barter Connects CLUE – WHODUNNIT COSTUME CONTEST
What’s Halloween season without a costume contest? Barter Connects invites this September 23rd matinee audience to come to the show dressed as their favorite CLUE character and stay for a post-show discussion with Barter Resident Costume Designer Lee Martin as he describes the why and how of his design for the show. Lee will be joined by Anna Buchanan, Curator of Contemporary Fine Art & Craft for William King Museum, who will discuss how she picked the costumes displayed in their recent “Best of Barter” exhibit. Afterwards, the costumed characters will join our panelists on the stage, where Lee & Anna will judge the winner and present them with their own Clue board game signed by the cast. A guaranteed fun evening for everyone!
Saturday, September 23rd, immediately following the 2pm Gilliam Stage performance across the street at Barter’s Smith Theatre Lounge.
Holiday
ON SALE NOW
Miracle on 34th Street
November 16th – December 27th on Gilliam Stage
Music by Doug Smith, Book and Lyrics by Vern Stefanic
It’s the story of the year when Macy’s Santa Claus claims to be the real Kris Kringle. When he is put on trial to prove it, it’s up to a little girl’s belief in miracles, a kindly lawyer, and a lot of Christmas spirit to save the day. Join us for the musical of one of the most beloved Christmas stories of all time!
Related Events:
Barter Connects Miracle on 34th Street – THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD
Doris’s daughter Susan doesn’t believe in Santa Claus… and then Susan meets Kris Kringle, the new Santa at Macy’s Department Store. Kris and his goodness slowly chip away at Susan’s cynicism until her faith is restored, just part of the Miracle on 34th Street. Barter loves the joy Santa brings to children at Christmas, and to that end, we are proud to welcome to our stage Mr. Don Royston, a.k.a. Santa Claus from the Appalachian Santa Train. The Appalachian Santa Train is sponsored by the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce. This year makes Don’s 25th portraying the jolly old elf, distributing toys, food, clothing, and candy to thousands of people along the train’s 14 stops from Pikeville, KY to Kingsport, TN. Join us as Don shares memories and stories from his time on the most wonderful train of all.
Sunday, December 9th, immediately following the 2pm performance on Gilliam Stage.
I’ll Be Home for Christmas
November 22nd – December 24th at Barter’s Smith Theatre
Written by Catherine Bush
It’s December 24th in a busy airport, and newly-divorced gate agent Cheryl Dean is desperately trying to keep her Christmas spirit as she deals with a host of zany characters flying home for the holidays. An opinionated grandmother, a young man with big dreams, a champion turkey caller, and more are stuck in the airport as the night wears on. People will fall in love, get on each others’ nerves, and maybe even end up with the happiest Christmas they’ve ever had in the unlikeliest of places.
"I'll Be Home For Christmas" Preview | 2023 Season Announcement Event
Related Events:
Barter Connects I’ll Be Home for Christmas – THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Whether by land, by sea, or by air, every Christmas, millions of Americans find themselves traveling to the place they love best – Home – and the characters in I’ll Be Home for Christmas are no exception. Join Barter Connects director Terrance Jackson and resident actor Hannah Ingram as they talk with local travel agents about the challenges faced by these characters. These travel experts will also share tips for staying stress-free while traveling during the holiday season. At the end of the session, there will be time for you to share stories of your own traveling nightmares… just be prepared for the rest of us to ho-ho-ho!
Friday, December 22nd, immediately following the 8pm performance at Barter’s Smith Theatre.
Past Productions (2023)
NOW CLOSED
The Last Romance
March 25th – April 15th on Gilliam Stage
Written by Joe DiPietro
On an ordinary day in a routine life, 80 year-old widower Ralph decides to take a different path on his daily walk, and discovers the beautiful-yet-distant Carol on a bench at a dog park. Relying on his boyish charm and a fictional dog named Rex, Ralph begins to woo Carol, thus embarking on a hilarious and heartwarming journey that proves it’s never too late for romance.
Pictured in artwork: Justin Tyler Lewis
Content Advisories: S, V, O – Mild sexual situations, war and murder, suicidal ideation. More information.
Macbeth
April 8th – May 2nd at Barter’s Smith Theatre
Written by William Shakespeare
“Something wicked this way comes…” Returning home from battle, the victorious Macbeth meets three witches on the heath. Driven by their disturbing prophecies, he sets out on an ambitious path to take the crown – a plan that leads to murder and madness. Don’t miss this action-filled adaptation specifically tailored for Barter’s Smith Theatre.
This project is part of Shakespeare in American Communities, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
Keep On the Sunny Side
April 22nd – May 20th on Gilliam Stage
Conceived and Written by Douglas Pote / Music and Lyrics by The Original Carter Family / Vocal Arrangements by Eugene Wolf / Musical Arrangement by Doug Dorschug
Come celebrate the original musical tale of America’s First Family of Country Music. When A.P. Carter convinces his wife Sara and his sister-in-law Maybelle to record with him at the Bristol Sessions, he has no idea he is about to change his life – and the world – forever. You’ll tap your toes to Carter Family favorites like Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow, Keep On the Sunnyside, Wildwood Flower, and Will the Circle Be Unbroken.
Pictured in artwork: Terrance Jackson
Content Advisories: S, IL, O – Discussion of sexual situations, strong profanity, smoking. More information.
Skeleton Crew
May 20th – June 4th at Barter’s Smith Theatre
Written by Dominique Morisseau
What do you do when the industry that has supported you, your family, and your entire region threatens to close up and go away? Skeleton Crew is set in 2008 Detroit, where a small automotive factory is on the brink of foreclosure and the livelihoods of a tight-knit family of workers hangs in the balance. This powerful play explores how loyalties and survival collide when a world changes.
Footloose
June 3rd – August 20th on Gilliam Stage
Stage Adaptation by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie // Music by Tom Snow and Lyrics by Dean Pitchford
Join us for the high-energy musical based on the 80’s movie. When Ren and his mother leave Chicago and move to the rural community of Bomont, Ren finds himself at odds with most everyone, including the powerful Reverend Moore. As a result of a recent tragedy, Moore has convinced the town fathers to outlaw dancing. With the help of Ariel (Moore’s daughter) and Willard (his new friend), Ren convinces the Reverend to let teenagers dance again, and in the process, helps to heal the whole town.
Sense and Sensibility
June 17th – August 19th on Gilliam Stage
Based on the novel by Jane Austen
Playwright Kate Hamill gives us a fresh, comic take on this beloved novel. This wildly theatrical adaptation follows two radically different sisters—sensible Elinor and emotional Marianne—in the wake of their father’s death, as they face wave after wave of dance partners, dinner parties and great loves amid an English society mad for gossip.
Country Girls
June 23rd – August 12th at Barter’s Smith Theatre
Written by Stephen Brown
Megan hates country music singer Rick Montgomery, and she and her best friend Kimmy have decided tonight’s concert will be his last. The two teens hatch an ill-conceived plot to kidnap the country music star in this laugh-out-loud, offbeat comedy. Songs will be sung, shots will be fired, and the girls will discover that revenge ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.