5th Annual SHINE: Illuminating Black Stories
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH, 7:30PM ON GILLIAM STAGE
SHINE: Illuminating Black Stories is an annual event of powerful theatrical storytelling celebrating the Black experience in Appalachia, curated by Barter Theatre's Black Stories Black Voices initiative. Inspired by the local Black community and the Appalachian landscape, the event features original monologues and scenes by Black playwrights from across the nation. Performed and directed by Barter's artists, these works provide a platform for voices that are often unheard. We hope you'll join us!
Content Advisories: (IL) – Intense language. More information.
Meet the Playwrights
India Nicole Burton
India Nicole Burton is a Chicago-based director, playwright, deviser, and producer. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2022. India’s work has been recognized nationally through programs such as the National New Play Network (NNPN) Producer in Residence program, which she completed over two years at Cleveland Public Theatre, and the NNPN Bridge Program grant in 2021.
One of her most celebrated works is the choreopoem Panther Women: An Army for the Liberation, which received a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. The production earned critical acclaim and was nominated for two Jeff Awards in 2024, as well as two Chicago Black Excellence Awards.
India’s play Safronia’s Daughter was featured as part of The New Harmony Project’s IndyFest, hosted by The Phoenix Theatre Indy in 2026. She was also selected for The New Harmony Project’s prestigious playwright residency in 2024, located in New Harmony, Indiana.
As a performer, India was part of American Dreams, which received a Drama League Award nomination in 2021. She was named Best Local Playwright by Cleveland Scene Magazine in 2023 and was The Chicago Reader’s 1st Runner-Up for Best Playwright in 2024. India is a 2024/25 participant in the Theatre Communications Group Rising Leaders of Color program and was a semifinalist for the Princess Grace Award in 2024.
In the summer of 2025, her trilogy The Ascension Plays was featured in the National New Play Network’s New Play Showcase. She currently serves as a Board Member of the National New Play Network.
India has directed for The Karamu House Inc., Company One, Cleveland Public Theatre, Dobama Theatre, The Playwrights’ Center, and more. She is a resident playwright at Chicago Dramatists and a NNPN board Member. India is also an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Chicago State University, and a Teaching artist at Court Theatre
Darius Ahmond Cabell
Darius Cabell was born on February 27th 2006. He grew up in Clarksville Tennessee, later moving to Panama City Florida at 15 years of age where he found his love for the Performing Arts at Rutherford High School. While he was there he managed to be cast and perform in 9 shows in 3 years in his local high school. From there he began competing in various competitions with Florida Thespian Festival, Bay Arts Alive, Solo and ensemble, Florida vocal association ranking one of the highest scoring students in the county. Which allowed him to be inducted into the International Thespian society. Over the course of his time he has written a total of 5 plays. He then began to further his education at Troy University, where he is currently seeking a degree in the theatre. His latest accomplishment is becoming an official member of The National Honor Theatre Society Alpha Psi Omega. Darius is continuing to work hard at his craft and believes "this is just the beginning.”
Brenda Fulmore
A seasoned leader with a wealth of experience across corporate, public, and nonprofit sectors, Brenda earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and spent 27 years in corporate America, primarily within the financial sector. Later, she worked at Winston-Salem State University, a nationally recognized HBCU, for 12 years, before retiring in 2022. One of her most notable contributions was her role as a leader in the Winston-Salem Creative Corridors Coalition, Inc., a non-profit, where she served eleven years on the executive board, design steering committee, and as fifth chair of the organization for two years which produced three iconic bridges over the Salem Parkway through Winston-Salem: the Twin Arches, Strollway Bridge, and the Green Street Pedestrian Bridge. Through this work, she decided to publish two books, a children’s coloring book and the main historical book about iconic bridges
entitled “Highways Divide, Bridges Connect Communities” and their impact on communities.
Her dedication to community engagement continues as she serves as vice chair on the Winston- Salem Community Appearance Commission Board.A passionate volunteer, Brenda enjoys partnering with local and regional city officials to foster
collaborative initiatives. Her deep love for community and family, along with her experience in leadership, inspires her to share her journey and insights.
Born in Lumberton, North Carolina, and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Brenda is the youngest of fifteen children. She moved to Winston-Salem in 1993 and is a proud single parent of two adult daughters and a grandmother of eight. In her free time, Brenda enjoys playing an electric bass guitar, a certified Pickleball instructor, and continues to be an active member of her community. Brenda serves on the board of Winston-Salem Writers.
Jerry L. Jones
A native of Glade Spring, Jerry L. Jones grew up in southwestern Virginia during the era of segregation. For grades one through seven, he attended the Rosenwald-built Black elementary school in his home town and was bused to the all-Black Douglass High School in Bristol, Virginia, where he graduated as valedictorian in 1965. His bachelor’s and master’s degrees are from the historically-Black Virginia State University and his doctorate is from Virginia Tech.
Beginning as a high school business instructor in Baltimore, Jones’s teaching career continued for twenty-seven years as a professor of computer information systems at Reynolds Community College in Richmond, followed by twenty years at Emory & Henry College.
His first book, Structured Programming Logic, was a computer programming logic textbook which ended up being used at various colleges in Virginia and other schools during the 1980s. His second book, a memoir, was Go and Come Again: Segregation, Tolerance, and Reflection; and his third book, another memoir, was They Included Me: A five-Decade Teaching Career.
Gifted with the ability to pay the piano without any music training, Jones has been a musician for more than 65 years. He has played piano at numerous area churches, events on the campus of Emory & Henry, and Abingdon’s Highlands Festival. Additionally, he has been a member of the Glade Spring Town Council, certified Methodist lay speaker, member of William King Museum Board, and a public speaker as well as Commencement speaker at Emory & Henry.
For several years, Jerry Jones’s mother, Mary Waugh Jones, worked in the Glade Spring home of Robert Porterfield, founder of the Barter Theatre.
Chandra Thomas
Chandra Thomas is an award-winning multihyphenate storyteller and proud New Yorker. As a playwright, her work has been presented at Primary Stages, McCarter Theatre, Barrow Group, Naked Angels, Echo Theater, Road Theater, Athena Arts Theater, Downtown Urban Theatre Festival, Vivid Stage, Passage Theatre, among others. Chandra's full-length plays, rom-com-drama THE BUZZER and multigenerational-family circus play ...OF CHAMPIONS, were named Finalists in the Blue Ink Playwriting Award. She was also a nominee for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.
Chandra's also a writer of television, film and narratives (Emmy Award-winning comedy MOM) as well as a performer (New York Theatre Workshop, LAW & ORDER: SVU). She earned BA degrees in Theatre and Sociology from Vanderbilt University, and holds an MFA from Columbia University. In the tradition of her vibrant immigrant family, Chandra's storytelling centers characters who are pushed to the margins while blending humor with emotional heart and social bite.
SHINE: Illuminating Black Stories is sponsored by Joe & Donna Levine, Ty & Julann Warren and partially funded by Larry & Leanne Mitchell.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
77th Annual Abingdon Rotary Frolics
7:30 pm Friday January 30th and Saturday the 31st
Enjoy a night of fun and laughter at the Barter Theatre while together we raise money that goes back into our community supporting children’s needs. $100,000 donated from Abingdon Rotary Club for the Rotary Splash Pad at the Meadows Sports Complex? Frolics helped make that happen. Support of Isaiah 1:17 House? Frolics. Children’s Christmas through Washington Social Services? Frolics. Backpack weekend food program for school children? Frolics. Together through Rotary Frolics, we make our community better, especially for children!
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Trains
By Quinton Cockrell
FEBRUARY 13 – 28 AT BARTER’S SMITH THEATRE
On October 31, 1919, an angry mob in Corbin, Kentucky, drove 200 Black citizens from town on railcars. Thirteen years later, Travis Hampton and his father, Lester, now living in Knoxville, are still dealing with the memories of that night. One night, Travis’ former friend, a white man named Junior Greevy, shows up at their door with a business proposition. Can Junior be trusted? Or does his presence present an even greater threat than before? Don’t miss this world premiere, the first work to be fully developed through Barter’s Black Stories Black Voices Initiative.
Content Advisories: (IL, P) – Intense language and themes of prejudice. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Arbor
Thursday, February 19th, 7:30pm at Barter's Smith Theatre
Set in an arboretum over the course of one summer and fall, Arbor follows a group of workers wrestling with a range of dilemmas: Marge is estranged from her daughter and desperate to connect, Bill can’t get visitors to follow the simple, clearly posted rules, and Carol Ann just wants to take a swim in the pond. As the seasons shift and the workers’ conflicts grow no closer to resolving, the play examines how we all navigate uncertainty, growth, and transformation.
Written by: Catherine Epstein
Catherine Epstein is a playwright based in Virginia. Her plays include ARBOR (Finalist for the 2024 Princess Grace Award in Playwriting; Huntington Theatre Company's 2022 Breaking Ground Festival of New Work; Grand Prize Winner of the 2023-2024 Emerging Artists New Play Festival at the Renaissance Theatre), OXBOW (Huntington Theatre Company's 2023 Summer Workshop), ALLEMANSRÄTTEN (Forward Theater's 2023 Monologue Festival), and ORCHARD (2022 Dream Boston Commission). Catherine was awarded a 2025 Interdisciplinary Residency from the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, a 2023 Tennessee Williams Playwriting Scholarship at the Sewanee Writers' Conference, and a 2022 residency from the Catwalk Art Institute. She is a Huntington Playwriting Fellow from the 2019-2022 cohort, and she is a member of the Dramatists Guild.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
This is What the Days Are
Friday, February 20th, 11am at Barter's Smith Theatre
On a rural homestead in North Carolina, a group of grievers has formed a smaller, self-sustained world to live and work in. They slaughter pigs, celebrate birthdays, wait for the asparagus to mature. Seasons pass, gardens grow. The asparagus still isn't ready yet. THIS IS WHAT THE DAYS ARE is a new play about the strange task of living as the left-behind.
Written by: Madison Fiedler
Madison Fiedler is a playwright from Asheville, North Carolina. She lives in Brooklyn. Her plays include SPAY (produced by Rivendell Theatre Ensemble & American Lives Theatre; winner of the 2023 M. Elizabeth Osborn New Play Award; published and licensed with Concord Theatricals; Jeff Award & Susan Smith Blackburn Prize nominee; Princess Grace Playwriting Fellowship runner-up; National Showcase of New Plays; Kilroys List), HOMOFERMENTERS OR, THE PARK SLOPE CO-OP PLAY (Ars Nova’s ANT Fest), and THIS IS WHAT THE DAYS ARE (Atlantic Theater Company/tall poPpy, Bedlam; finalist: Weissberger Award, Terrence McNally New Works Incubator, The Civilians + Princeton University’s High Meadows Environmental Institute’s The Next Forever Initiative), SCREECH OWL (Studio Theatre), THE INCUBATORS (Westport Country Playhouse), and IF GOD CAME A CALLIN (Barter Theatre’s Appalachian Festival of Plays & Playwrights).
Her work has also been supported by residencies, fellowships, & writers’ groups at Willapa Bay AiR, Roundabout Theatre Company, the Lesbian Herstory Archives, Sewanee Writers’ Conference (2025 Walter E. Dakin Fellow), and The Playwrights Realm, where she is a 2025-2026 Writing Fellow.
Her debut short film FISHBOWL (directed by Isabel Perry & Adam Yates), a Vimeo Staff Pick, screened in 2024-2025 at Palm Springs International ShortFest, Hamptons Intl. Film Festival, Chicago Intl. Film Festival, Newfest (New York’s LGBTQIA+ Film Festival), Big Apple Film Festival, and Rooftop Films’ Summer Series.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Blowin' Fire
Friday, February 20th, 3pm at Barter's Smith Theatre
When rebellious teenager Compton Edwards gets into trouble on the streets of Chicago, his father brings him South to be ‘straightened out’ by his great-aunt Mama Sojourn, a conjure woman and matriarch of the family. Love, lies, and betrayal lead to Compton being held prisoner in her home—a former Underground Railroad Station. There, Compton is forced to face Shadrack and Meshack, two ghosts trapped in the house since slavery. In an intense physical and emotional battle, Compton struggles for his life, as the ghosts force the Edwards’ family to redefine their lives in the modern world.
2026 AFPP Black Stories Black Voices Selection
Written by: Gloria Bond Clunie
Gloria Bond Clunie is an award-winning playwright, director, and educator. Ms. Clunie is a founding member of the Playwriting Ensemble at Chicago’s Regional Tony Award winning Victory Gardens Theater where her plays North Star, Living Green and Shoes premiered. She is also the founding Artistic Director of Evanston’s Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre where she directed scores of productions including Ain't Misbehavin', Purlie Victorious, Ceremonies in Dark Old Men, Home, and Raisin. Her other plays include Sweet Water Taste, SMOKE, Sing, Malindy, Sing!, BLU, Buck Naked, DRIP, Patricia McKissack’s Mirandy and Brother Wind, Bankruptcy, Merry Kwanzaa, Mercy Rising and QUARK. She is published by Dramatic Publishing and in the anthologies Seven Black Plays, Reimagining A Raisin In the Sun, I Have A Story, and The Bully Plays. Her plays have been produced and workshopped in theaters across the country including Victory Gardens Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre, ETA, Alliance Theatre, Triad Stage, Her Story Theatre, MPAACT, Chicago Children’s Theatre, American Blues Theatre, Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre, Penobscot Theatre and Orlando Shakespeare Theater. Originally from Henderson, North Carolina, she and her husband Basil live in Evanston, Illinois and are the proud parents of Aurelia, an amazing daughter and theater artist.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Decoration Day
Saturday, February 21st, 11am at Barter's Smith Theatre
On Decoration Day in upper East Tennessee, Kate Hughes and her aunt, June Rankin, visit the Rankin family cemetery to clean the graves and remember their dead. As a girl, Kate and her mother, Cordie, moved away after her father, Boyd, was sent to prison. Boyd is haunted by a childhood accident that has split the Rankin and Hughes families. With Aunt June as her guide, Kate must come to her own understanding of her mother’s accident, her father’s involvement and sacrifice, her parents’ tumultuous relationship, and ultimately the meaning of family, home, and tradition. Just as they sidestep the graves of their ancestors, they must learn to navigate the unsettled and unsettling terrain of the here and now and move forward together.
Written by: Linda Parsons
Linda Parsons is the Poet Laureate of Knoxville, Tennessee. She is also the poetry editor for Madville Publishing and the copy editor for Chapter 16, the literary website of Humanities Tennessee. She is published widely, and her sixth collection is Valediction: Poems and Prose. Her plays have been produced by Flying Anvil Theatre, Maryville College, Tennessee Wesleyan University, and Western Carolina University. She is an eighth-generation Tennessean.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Dickie's Got His Hans Full
Saturday, February 21st, 3pm at Barter's Smith Theatre
It's the summer of 1857 and not all is right in Charles Dickens' country home. His frazzled wife struggles with their 10 kids, he's rehearsing a play in their living room in preparation for a royal performance, and he can't seem to begin a new novel about the French Revolution. Into this chaos comes an unexpected visitor: Denmark's famous Hans Christian Anderson, complete with eccentric personality, quirky social skills, and bizarre Danish traditions for every occasion. Announcing his wish to stay "only a fortnight", Hans ends up staying five unpredictable, odd-ball weeks. Based on true events, DICKIE'S GOT HIS HANS FULL is a farcical clash of cultures about literature, lovers, and cake.
Written by: Todd Olson
Todd Olson's produced plays include I Left My Heart (Milwaukee Rep), Casa Blue, the last moments in the life of Frida Kahlo (American Stage), and My Way (Actor’s Theatre of Louisville). His Beatle Girls enjoyed its world premiere last season at the Blue Ridge Community Theater. Althea & Angela toured North Carolina and Tennessee with WordPlayers in 2022; it will have productions this season in New Jersey and Florida. Joe Corso Re-Enters from the Wings won the Holland New Voices Playwright Award at the Great Plains Theatre Conference.
Todd’s new adaptations include Lysistrata, War of the Worlds, Dracula (premiered at the Arkansas Shakespeare Festival), and Agatha Christie’s The Secret of Chimney’s, Murder on the Links, The Murder of Roger Akroyd, and Hercule Poirot and the Mystery of the Christmas Ruby.
Todd received his M.F.A. from The University of North Carolina, and is a graduate from the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard where he took classes with David Mamet, Peter Sellars, Andrei Serban, Robert Scanlan, Robert Woodruff, Anna Deveare Smith, and Robert Brustein, among others. Todd has been a Teaching Fellow at Harvard, and taught classes at Vanderbilt, Boston University, and the University of North Carolina.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Book Woman
Sunday, February 22nd, 11am at Barter's Smith Theatre
The year is 1935 and the citizens of Reinhardt, a small hamlet in eastern Kentucky, find themselves firmly in the grip of the Great Depression. Iris Prue and her family are especially hard hit and are in danger of losing the family farm. Then the WPA announces the formation of the Pack Horse Library, an initiative to hire area woman to deliver books to remote locations on horseback. Iris believes she’s found a way to save her family, but will have to overcome many obstacles, including the toughest – her father.
Written by Catherine Bush and Dax Dupuy
Catherine Bush is Barter Theatre’s playwright-in-residence. Her plays produced at Barter include: The Other Side of the Mountain, The Quiltmaker, Comin’ Up A Storm, Wooden Snowflakes, Tradin’ Paint, Where Trouble Sleeps, The Road to Appomattox, Walking Across Egypt, I’ll Never Be Hungry Again (book & lyrics), The Controversial Rescue of Fatty the Pig, The Three Musketeers, Winter Wheat (book & lyrics), Ghost, Ghost, Come Out Tonight, Great Expectations, Kentucky Spring, and It’s A Wonderful Live. Catherine has also written over twenty-five plays for the Barter Players, whose work serves the younger members of Barter’s audience. She is a proud member of Dramatists Guild.
Dax Dupuy (she/her) is an Asheville based songwriter. She has written a total of twelve musicals, many of which premiered at the Barter Theatre (Kentucky Spring, I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, Frosty, Jingle All the Way, Old Turtle and the Broken Truth, Clementine: The Musical, Alice in Wonderland). She has also composed countless incidental scores for plays. She would list them if she could remember them all. Dax was recently awarded an Artist Support Grant from the Asheville Arts Council, which she is using to develop her musical Evangeline.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Brother Boys
Tuesday, February 24th, 7:30 pm at Barter's Smith Theatre
For nearly 4 decades, Ed Snodderly and Eugene Wolf have been on the leading edge of homegrown Americana music as the Brother Boys. Their latest CD, On the Honky Tonk Highway with The Brother Boys: New Hillbilly Music from Germany’s Bear Family is a compilation of studio recordings from Sugar Hill Records, self-produced albums and live recordings from the WETS-FM radio show, Studio One and The Down Home in Johnson City. They’ve appeared on TNN’s American Music Shop, Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop’s Midnight Jamboree and were the first American artists to perform in the former Soviet satellite, Bashkortostan. They were winners of an International Bluegrass Music Award for Best Recorded Event for their appearance on the Jerry Douglas album, Slide Rule. People Magazine said they were “the scraggliest looking hombres ever to grace an album cover, but their music is as pretty as can be!”
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Deera’s Country Funeral
Wednesday, February 25th, 7:30pm at Barter's Smith Theatre
Ray Sally wants to have a funeral for his tractor. The old machine has played Santa’s sleigh in many a Christmas Parade, helped rescue folks during a flood, hard-worked too many harvests to count and she even met the Governor once. But this farmer can’t find parts anymore and it’s time for her to meet her maker. Troubled by his inability to keep her running and drowning in his grief, Ray Sally wishes he was the one on the short road to the great beyond. Questions about destiny, the role our communities play in holding us up and the measure of a useful life are themes in this humble dark comedy about a legendary tractor.
Written by: Ned Dougherty
Ned Dougherty is an award-winning teacher and playwright who was named a 2024 semifinalist for the O’Neill. His work has been staged for festivals or independent productions from Albuquerque to Ireland. He’s a two-time Fund For Teachers fellow, the 2015 Teacher of the Year for New Mexico Charter Schools and has facilitated writing workshops for conferences and students across the country. He created the Appalachian Ode Project which brings free community writing workshops to foster improved population retention and ignite new artistic forms of civic rejuvenation. He teaches middle and high school students navigating the juvenile justice system in Pocahontas County, WV where he lives with his family.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
The Three Musketeers
Adapted from Alexandre Dumas by Catherine Bush
MARCH 14 – APRIL 4 ON GILLIAM STAGE
All for one and one for all!
This witty and action-packed adventure follows the friendships of young D’Artagnan and his band of swashbuckling Musketeers as they fight to protect the ones they love from the evil Cardinal Richelieu. It’s a story of double crossings, kidnappings, and carefully guarded secrets, complete with lavish sword fights and sweeping romance, set in a time when love and honor ruled the world. This production has been specially adapted for Barter’s Resident Acting Company. An adventure for the whole family!
Content Advisories: (V) – Theatrical violence. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
PICKLEBALL
By Jeff Daniels
MARCH 21 – APRIL 26 AT BARTER’S SMITH THEATRE
In America’s fastest-growing game, there’s no place for apologies or excuses, but there is a lot of room for comedy. When four below-average players have an opportunity to compete in a local tournament, they must learn to overcome their limitations and dig deep to find the greatness that lies within. This hilarious new comedy by Jeff Daniels shows us all the possibilities of middle-aged athleticism when combined with the unconquerable human spirit. Join us for the fun!
Content Advisories: (ML) – Mild language. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Peter Pan
Adapted by Catherine Bush from the novel by J.M. Barrie
March 24th - May 12th on GILLIAM STAGE
Wendy and her brothers love to play make-believe in their nursery. Then one night, a young boy named Peter Pan and his fairy friend Tinkerbell fly into the nursery window and whisk them away to a Neverland filled with Lost Boys, pirates, and a man-eating crocodile. Brought thrillingly to life with six quick-changing actors, the Barter Players make this an adventure you will never forget.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Always... Patsy Cline
Written and originally directed by Ted Swindley
APRIL 17 – MAY 10 ON GILLIAM STAGE
Based on a true story, this heartfelt musical celebrates the life and career of country music legend, Patsy Cline. Told through the eyes of her biggest fan and unlikely friend, Louise Seger, this show includes many of Patsy’s unforgettable hits such as “Crazy,” “I Fall to Pieces,” “Sweet Dreams” & “Walking After Midnight.” Complete with down-home country humor, true emotion, and even some audience participation, this musical is a joyful tribute to one of music’s most beloved voices!
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Savannah Sipping Society
Written by Jones Hope Wooten
MAY 12 – AUGUST 8 AT BARTER’S SMITH THEATRE
In this delightful comedy, four very different Southern women, all strangers, are drawn together by an impromptu Happy Hour, and decide it's high time to reclaim the excitement their lives once held. Over the next six months, with the help of several hilarious misadventures and the occasional liquid refreshment, these ladies discover that it’s never too late to make new old friends. A guaranteed good time for all!
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
The Da Vinci Code
Adapted by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel / Based on the novel by Dan Brown
MAY 23 – AUGUST 8 ON GILLIAM STAGE
While visiting Paris, Professor Robert Langdon is called to the Louvre Art Museum in the dead of night, where he unwittingly becomes the center of a murder investigation. When cryptologist Sophie Neveu arrives at the scene, she alerts Robert that, not only is he being asked to solve the crime, he is also the prime suspect. Soon they are in a race against time to clear Robert’s name and decipher a labyrinthine code before a shocking historical secret is lost forever. Based on Dan Brown’s thrilling international best-seller, this is one you don’t want to miss!
Content Advisories: (ML,V, O) – Mild language, violence, other. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
The Sword in the Stone
Adapted by James Hendley
June 9th - July 3rd at BARTER'S SMITH THEATRE
For years, the sword has stood in the stone, waiting for the day that it will be drawn by the one true King of England. But could that king be an absent-minded squire named Arthur? Join Arthur and his mentor, the wizard Merlin, on a series of adventures where they face magical beasts and powerful knights as Arthur learns what it truly means to be king.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Guys & Dolls
Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows / Based on a story and characters by Damon Runyon / Music and lyrics by Frank Loesser
JUNE 9 – AUGUST 9 ON GILLIAM STAGE
Flawlessly blending a fantastic story with unforgettable music- it’s no wonder that Guys and Dolls is often called “the perfect musical.” The show follows the high stakes games of a motley crew of gamblers and the women who unexpectedly steal their hearts. This great American musical comedy features hits like "A Bushel and a Peck" and "Luck Be a Lady," and tells a story of romance, adventure, second chances, and the transformative power of love. Don’t miss this quintessential golden age musical performed by the quintessential American theatre company.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Cinderella
Adapted by Kailey Kyle from the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm
July 7th - August 8th at BARTER'S SMITH THEATRE
This classic story is brought to life in a brand new adaptation written especially for The Barter Players. Cinderella dreams of a different life, far away from the ceaseless demands of her cruel stepmother and mean-spirited stepsisters. Then the Palace announces that a Royal Ball will be given in honor of the King's son, Prince Anthony. Could it be that happily-ever-after awaits her there? A delightful tale that will make you believe once again in the magic of Love.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Come From Away
Book, music & lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Heinook
AUGUST 26 – NOVEMBER 1 ON GILLIAM STAGE
When the world stopped on Sept. 11, 2001, kindness soared in an isolated Canadian town. In Come From Away, a big-hearted musical based on a remarkable true story, 38 commercial flights from around the globe are diverted for days to tiny Gander, Newfoundland. Unfazed by the arrival of nearly 7,000 surprise guests, the residents provide light in a dark time, welcoming the stranded travelers with music, open doors, and hope.
Content Advisories: (ML, O) – Mild language, other. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Dracula
Adapted from Bram Stoker’s novel by Kate Hamill
SEPTEMBER 10 – OCTOBER 31 ON GILLIAM STAGE
When your survival is at stake…will you be able to distinguish the monster from the man? Both terrifying and riotous, Kate Hamill’s imaginative adaptation is like no Dracula you’ve ever seen, exploring the nature of predators and reinventing the story as a smart, darkly comic drama. Hamill’s signature style upends this familiar tale of Victorian vampires, driving a stake through the heart of the familiar and giving us a play we can sink our teeth into. Perfect for the Halloween season!
Content Advisories: (V, S) – Violence, sexual situations. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Kings Mountain
By Catherine Bush
SEPTEMBER 17 – OCTOBER 31 AT BARTER’S SMITH THEATRE
Kings Mountain -- the battle that turned the tide of the Revolutionary War and eventually led to American Independence. But how did we get there? Barter actors in a theatrical tour-de-force lead us through the events that surround that fateful day, giving us a glimpse into the world of Overmountain Men and the women who loved them, English kings and the soldiers who served them, and enslaved Americans who wondered what Liberty could possibly mean for them. Commissioned by VA250, this is an experience you don’t want to miss.
Content Advisories: (ML) – Mild language. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Adapted by Catherine Bush from the novel by Mark Twain
September 22nd - November 6th at BARTER'S SMITH THEATRE
Whether it’s fishing with Huckleberry Finn or convincing his friends to whitewash Aunt Polly’s fence, nobody loves life more than the irascible Tom Sawyer. Then one night in a spooky graveyard, Tom and Huck stumble upon a deadly secret. Will they be able to save Muff Potter before it’s too late? Join Tom and Huck on the most exciting adventure of their lives, where they learn that man’s greatest treasure is the gift of friendship.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Elf the Musical
Book by Thomas Meehan & Bob Martin / Music by Matthew Sklar, Lyrics by Chad Beguelin / Based on the New Line Cinema film by David Berenbaum
NOVEMBER 14 – DECEMBER 27 ON GILLIAM STAGE
The hilarious tale of Buddy, an orphan baby who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and winds up being raised at the North Pole. When Buddy discovers that he is actually human, he embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father, discover his true identity, and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas. This modern-day Christmas classic is sure to make everyone embrace their inner “elf.”
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Wooden Snowflakes
By Catherine Bush
NOVEMBER 22 – DECEMBER 27 AT BARTER’S SMITH THEATRE
Certain events have left their mark on Eve Lawson. She has renounced her faith in Love and anything to do with America’s favorite winter holiday. Then, on December 24th, Eve’s car slides off an icy Kentucky road and she finds herself seeking shelter at the home of Simon Peter Whitaker, a woodcarver who wholeheartedly embraces the magic of the season. As the night unfolds, Simon and Eve, believer and skeptic, find themselves clashing time and time again as long-suppressed old wounds struggle to the surface, only to be healed by the Love that is Christmas.
Content Advisories: (ML, S) – Mild language, sexual situations. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Here Comes Suzy Snowflake
Book & Lyrics by Catherine Bush / Music by Dax Dupuy
November 24th - December 24th on GILLIAM STAGE
Of all the residents in Wintertown, no one looks forward to the first Christmas snow more than seven-year-old Maggie Rose Tuggle. The first snow means that her best friend - a snowflake named Suzy - will be coming to play all Christmas long. Then tragedy strikes when Maggie Rose's parents decide to spend the holiday season in sunny Florida. Will Maggie Rose and Suzy survive being apart during the most wonderful time of the year? This brand new musical tale of an unlikely friendship will set your heart aglow.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
77th Annual Abingdon Rotary Frolics
7:30 pm Friday January 30th and Saturday the 31st
Enjoy a night of fun and laughter at the Barter Theatre while together we raise money that goes back into our community supporting children’s needs. $100,000 donated from Abingdon Rotary Club for the Rotary Splash Pad at the Meadows Sports Complex? Frolics helped make that happen. Support of Isaiah 1:17 House? Frolics. Children’s Christmas through Washington Social Services? Frolics. Backpack weekend food program for school children? Frolics. Together through Rotary Frolics, we make our community better, especially for children!
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Trains
By Quinton Cockrell
FEBRUARY 13 – 28 AT BARTER’S SMITH THEATRE
On October 31, 1919, an angry mob in Corbin, Kentucky, drove 200 Black citizens from town on railcars. Thirteen years later, Travis Hampton and his father, Lester, now living in Knoxville, are still dealing with the memories of that night. One night, Travis’ former friend, a white man named Junior Greevy, shows up at their door with a business proposition. Can Junior be trusted? Or does his presence present an even greater threat than before? Don’t miss this world premiere, the first work to be fully developed through Barter’s Black Stories Black Voices Initiative.
Content Advisories: (IL, P) – Intense language and themes of prejudice. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Show Title
Dates show will play
credits
long form Show description goes here.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Barter at the Moonlite FAQ's
How can I stay up to date about weather related changes to my reservation?
In the event of weather related changes to your reservation, you will be contacted via the email address listed on your Barter Theatre account.
If you would like to opt-in to receive text message notifications, text your show date (in MM/DD/YYYY format) to (276) 262-8066. For example: to opt-in for weather notifications about the performance scheduled for July 31, text "7/31/2021" to (276) 262 - 8066
What if it is hot/cold?
Barter at the Moonlite productions are best experienced from inside your vehicle. If it is chilly or too hot, you are welcome to keep the motor running during these one act shows.
Can I watch from outside my car?
Patrons may sit directly in front of their vehicles during phase three of Virginia’s Phased Reopening.
How will I hear the show?
Patrons may access the audio for the performance though their car’s FM radio. Barter Theatre partnered with Broadcastvision Entertainment to enable this feature.
Premier Sponsors
Platinum Sponsors
Season Sponsors
Additional Supporters
Barter Theatre is supported, in part, by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Show Title
Dates show will play
credits
long form Show description goes here.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Barter at the Moonlite FAQ's
How can I stay up to date about weather related changes to my reservation?
In the event of weather related changes to your reservation, you will be contacted via the email address listed on your Barter Theatre account.
If you would like to opt-in to receive text message notifications, text your show date (in MM/DD/YYYY format) to (276) 262-8066. For example: to opt-in for weather notifications about the performance scheduled for July 31, text "7/31/2021" to (276) 262 - 8066
What if it is hot/cold?
Barter at the Moonlite productions are best experienced from inside your vehicle. If it is chilly or too hot, you are welcome to keep the motor running during these one act shows.
Can I watch from outside my car?
Patrons may sit directly in front of their vehicles during phase three of Virginia’s Phased Reopening.
How will I hear the show?
Patrons may access the audio for the performance though their car’s FM radio. Barter Theatre partnered with Broadcastvision Entertainment to enable this feature.
Premier Sponsors
Platinum Sponsors
Season Sponsors
Additional Supporters
Barter Theatre is supported, in part, by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Trains
By Quinton Cockrell
FEBRUARY 13 – 28 AT BARTER’S SMITH THEATRE
On October 31, 1919, an angry mob in Corbin, Kentucky, drove 200 Black citizens from town on railcars. Thirteen years later, Travis Hampton and his father, Lester, now living in Knoxville, are still dealing with the memories of that night. One night, Travis’ former friend, a white man named Junior Greevy, shows up at their door with a business proposition. Can Junior be trusted? Or does his presence present an even greater threat than before? Don’t miss this world premiere, the first work to be fully developed through Barter’s Black Stories Black Voices Initiative.
Content Advisories: (IL, P) – Intense language and themes of prejudice. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Trains
By Quinton Cockrell
FEBRUARY 13 – 28 AT BARTER’S SMITH THEATRE
On October 31, 1919, an angry mob in Corbin, Kentucky, drove 200 Black citizens from town on railcars. Thirteen years later, Travis Hampton and his father, Lester, now living in Knoxville, are still dealing with the memories of that night. One night, Travis’ former friend, a white man named Junior Greevy, shows up at their door with a business proposition. Can Junior be trusted? Or does his presence present an even greater threat than before? Don’t miss this world premiere, the first work to be fully developed through Barter’s Black Stories Black Voices Initiative.
Content Advisories: (IL, P) – Intense language and themes of prejudice. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Trains
By Quinton Cockrell
FEBRUARY 13 – 28 AT BARTER’S SMITH THEATRE
On October 31, 1919, an angry mob in Corbin, Kentucky, drove 200 Black citizens from town on railcars. Thirteen years later, Travis Hampton and his father, Lester, now living in Knoxville, are still dealing with the memories of that night. One night, Travis’ former friend, a white man named Junior Greevy, shows up at their door with a business proposition. Can Junior be trusted? Or does his presence present an even greater threat than before? Don’t miss this world premiere, the first work to be fully developed through Barter’s Black Stories Black Voices Initiative.
Content Advisories: (IL, P) – Intense language and themes of prejudice. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Trains
By Quinton Cockrell
FEBRUARY 13 – 28 AT BARTER’S SMITH THEATRE
On October 31, 1919, an angry mob in Corbin, Kentucky, drove 200 Black citizens from town on railcars. Thirteen years later, Travis Hampton and his father, Lester, now living in Knoxville, are still dealing with the memories of that night. One night, Travis’ former friend, a white man named Junior Greevy, shows up at their door with a business proposition. Can Junior be trusted? Or does his presence present an even greater threat than before? Don’t miss this world premiere, the first work to be fully developed through Barter’s Black Stories Black Voices Initiative.
Content Advisories: (IL, P) – Intense language and themes of prejudice. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Trains
By Quinton Cockrell
FEBRUARY 13 – 28 AT BARTER’S SMITH THEATRE
On October 31, 1919, an angry mob in Corbin, Kentucky, drove 200 Black citizens from town on railcars. Thirteen years later, Travis Hampton and his father, Lester, now living in Knoxville, are still dealing with the memories of that night. One night, Travis’ former friend, a white man named Junior Greevy, shows up at their door with a business proposition. Can Junior be trusted? Or does his presence present an even greater threat than before? Don’t miss this world premiere, the first work to be fully developed through Barter’s Black Stories Black Voices Initiative.
Content Advisories: (IL, P) – Intense language and themes of prejudice. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Arbor
Thursday, February 19th, 7:30pm at Barter's Smith Theatre
Set in an arboretum over the course of one summer and fall, Arbor follows a group of workers wrestling with a range of dilemmas: Marge is estranged from her daughter and desperate to connect, Bill can’t get visitors to follow the simple, clearly posted rules, and Carol Ann just wants to take a swim in the pond. As the seasons shift and the workers’ conflicts grow no closer to resolving, the play examines how we all navigate uncertainty, growth, and transformation.
Written by: Catherine Epstein
Catherine Epstein is a playwright based in Virginia. Her plays include ARBOR (Finalist for the 2024 Princess Grace Award in Playwriting; Huntington Theatre Company's 2022 Breaking Ground Festival of New Work; Grand Prize Winner of the 2023-2024 Emerging Artists New Play Festival at the Renaissance Theatre), OXBOW (Huntington Theatre Company's 2023 Summer Workshop), ALLEMANSRÄTTEN (Forward Theater's 2023 Monologue Festival), and ORCHARD (2022 Dream Boston Commission). Catherine was awarded a 2025 Interdisciplinary Residency from the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, a 2023 Tennessee Williams Playwriting Scholarship at the Sewanee Writers' Conference, and a 2022 residency from the Catwalk Art Institute. She is a Huntington Playwriting Fellow from the 2019-2022 cohort, and she is a member of the Dramatists Guild.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
This is What the Days Are
Friday, February 20th, 11am at Barter's Smith Theatre
On a rural homestead in North Carolina, a group of grievers has formed a smaller, self-sustained world to live and work in. They slaughter pigs, celebrate birthdays, wait for the asparagus to mature. Seasons pass, gardens grow. The asparagus still isn't ready yet. THIS IS WHAT THE DAYS ARE is a new play about the strange task of living as the left-behind.
Written by: Madison Fiedler
Madison Fiedler is a playwright from Asheville, North Carolina. She lives in Brooklyn. Her plays include SPAY (produced by Rivendell Theatre Ensemble & American Lives Theatre; winner of the 2023 M. Elizabeth Osborn New Play Award; published and licensed with Concord Theatricals; Jeff Award & Susan Smith Blackburn Prize nominee; Princess Grace Playwriting Fellowship runner-up; National Showcase of New Plays; Kilroys List), HOMOFERMENTERS OR, THE PARK SLOPE CO-OP PLAY (Ars Nova’s ANT Fest), and THIS IS WHAT THE DAYS ARE (Atlantic Theater Company/tall poPpy, Bedlam; finalist: Weissberger Award, Terrence McNally New Works Incubator, The Civilians + Princeton University’s High Meadows Environmental Institute’s The Next Forever Initiative), SCREECH OWL (Studio Theatre), THE INCUBATORS (Westport Country Playhouse), and IF GOD CAME A CALLIN (Barter Theatre’s Appalachian Festival of Plays & Playwrights).
Her work has also been supported by residencies, fellowships, & writers’ groups at Willapa Bay AiR, Roundabout Theatre Company, the Lesbian Herstory Archives, Sewanee Writers’ Conference (2025 Walter E. Dakin Fellow), and The Playwrights Realm, where she is a 2025-2026 Writing Fellow.
Her debut short film FISHBOWL (directed by Isabel Perry & Adam Yates), a Vimeo Staff Pick, screened in 2024-2025 at Palm Springs International ShortFest, Hamptons Intl. Film Festival, Chicago Intl. Film Festival, Newfest (New York’s LGBTQIA+ Film Festival), Big Apple Film Festival, and Rooftop Films’ Summer Series.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Blowin' Fire
Friday, February 20th, 3pm at Barter's Smith Theatre
When rebellious teenager Compton Edwards gets into trouble on the streets of Chicago, his father brings him South to be ‘straightened out’ by his great-aunt Mama Sojourn, a conjure woman and matriarch of the family. Love, lies, and betrayal lead to Compton being held prisoner in her home—a former Underground Railroad Station. There, Compton is forced to face Shadrack and Meshack, two ghosts trapped in the house since slavery. In an intense physical and emotional battle, Compton struggles for his life, as the ghosts force the Edwards’ family to redefine their lives in the modern world.
2026 AFPP Black Stories Black Voices Selection
Written by: Gloria Bond Clunie
Gloria Bond Clunie is an award-winning playwright, director, and educator. Ms. Clunie is a founding member of the Playwriting Ensemble at Chicago’s Regional Tony Award winning Victory Gardens Theater where her plays North Star, Living Green and Shoes premiered. She is also the founding Artistic Director of Evanston’s Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre where she directed scores of productions including Ain't Misbehavin', Purlie Victorious, Ceremonies in Dark Old Men, Home, and Raisin. Her other plays include Sweet Water Taste, SMOKE, Sing, Malindy, Sing!, BLU, Buck Naked, DRIP, Patricia McKissack’s Mirandy and Brother Wind, Bankruptcy, Merry Kwanzaa, Mercy Rising and QUARK. She is published by Dramatic Publishing and in the anthologies Seven Black Plays, Reimagining A Raisin In the Sun, I Have A Story, and The Bully Plays. Her plays have been produced and workshopped in theaters across the country including Victory Gardens Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre, ETA, Alliance Theatre, Triad Stage, Her Story Theatre, MPAACT, Chicago Children’s Theatre, American Blues Theatre, Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre, Penobscot Theatre and Orlando Shakespeare Theater. Originally from Henderson, North Carolina, she and her husband Basil live in Evanston, Illinois and are the proud parents of Aurelia, an amazing daughter and theater artist.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Trains
By Quinton Cockrell
FEBRUARY 13 – 28 AT BARTER’S SMITH THEATRE
On October 31, 1919, an angry mob in Corbin, Kentucky, drove 200 Black citizens from town on railcars. Thirteen years later, Travis Hampton and his father, Lester, now living in Knoxville, are still dealing with the memories of that night. One night, Travis’ former friend, a white man named Junior Greevy, shows up at their door with a business proposition. Can Junior be trusted? Or does his presence present an even greater threat than before? Don’t miss this world premiere, the first work to be fully developed through Barter’s Black Stories Black Voices Initiative.
Content Advisories: (IL, P) – Intense language and themes of prejudice. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Decoration Day
Saturday, February 21st, 11am at Barter's Smith Theatre
On Decoration Day in upper East Tennessee, Kate Hughes and her aunt, June Rankin, visit the Rankin family cemetery to clean the graves and remember their dead. As a girl, Kate and her mother, Cordie, moved away after her father, Boyd, was sent to prison. Boyd is haunted by a childhood accident that has split the Rankin and Hughes families. With Aunt June as her guide, Kate must come to her own understanding of her mother’s accident, her father’s involvement and sacrifice, her parents’ tumultuous relationship, and ultimately the meaning of family, home, and tradition. Just as they sidestep the graves of their ancestors, they must learn to navigate the unsettled and unsettling terrain of the here and now and move forward together.
Written by: Linda Parsons
Linda Parsons is the Poet Laureate of Knoxville, Tennessee. She is also the poetry editor for Madville Publishing and the copy editor for Chapter 16, the literary website of Humanities Tennessee. She is published widely, and her sixth collection is Valediction: Poems and Prose. Her plays have been produced by Flying Anvil Theatre, Maryville College, Tennessee Wesleyan University, and Western Carolina University. She is an eighth-generation Tennessean.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Dickie's Got His Hans Full
Saturday, February 21st, 3pm at Barter's Smith Theatre
It's the summer of 1857 and not all is right in Charles Dickens' country home. His frazzled wife struggles with their 10 kids, he's rehearsing a play in their living room in preparation for a royal performance, and he can't seem to begin a new novel about the French Revolution. Into this chaos comes an unexpected visitor: Denmark's famous Hans Christian Anderson, complete with eccentric personality, quirky social skills, and bizarre Danish traditions for every occasion. Announcing his wish to stay "only a fortnight", Hans ends up staying five unpredictable, odd-ball weeks. Based on true events, DICKIE'S GOT HIS HANS FULL is a farcical clash of cultures about literature, lovers, and cake.
Written by: Todd Olson
Todd Olson's produced plays include I Left My Heart (Milwaukee Rep), Casa Blue, the last moments in the life of Frida Kahlo (American Stage), and My Way (Actor’s Theatre of Louisville). His Beatle Girls enjoyed its world premiere last season at the Blue Ridge Community Theater. Althea & Angela toured North Carolina and Tennessee with WordPlayers in 2022; it will have productions this season in New Jersey and Florida. Joe Corso Re-Enters from the Wings won the Holland New Voices Playwright Award at the Great Plains Theatre Conference.
Todd’s new adaptations include Lysistrata, War of the Worlds, Dracula (premiered at the Arkansas Shakespeare Festival), and Agatha Christie’s The Secret of Chimney’s, Murder on the Links, The Murder of Roger Akroyd, and Hercule Poirot and the Mystery of the Christmas Ruby.
Todd received his M.F.A. from The University of North Carolina, and is a graduate from the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard where he took classes with David Mamet, Peter Sellars, Andrei Serban, Robert Scanlan, Robert Woodruff, Anna Deveare Smith, and Robert Brustein, among others. Todd has been a Teaching Fellow at Harvard, and taught classes at Vanderbilt, Boston University, and the University of North Carolina.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Trains
By Quinton Cockrell
FEBRUARY 13 – 28 AT BARTER’S SMITH THEATRE
On October 31, 1919, an angry mob in Corbin, Kentucky, drove 200 Black citizens from town on railcars. Thirteen years later, Travis Hampton and his father, Lester, now living in Knoxville, are still dealing with the memories of that night. One night, Travis’ former friend, a white man named Junior Greevy, shows up at their door with a business proposition. Can Junior be trusted? Or does his presence present an even greater threat than before? Don’t miss this world premiere, the first work to be fully developed through Barter’s Black Stories Black Voices Initiative.
Content Advisories: (IL, P) – Intense language and themes of prejudice. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Book Woman
Sunday, February 22nd, 11am at Barter's Smith Theatre
The year is 1935 and the citizens of Reinhardt, a small hamlet in eastern Kentucky, find themselves firmly in the grip of the Great Depression. Iris Prue and her family are especially hard hit and are in danger of losing the family farm. Then the WPA announces the formation of the Pack Horse Library, an initiative to hire area woman to deliver books to remote locations on horseback. Iris believes she’s found a way to save her family, but will have to overcome many obstacles, including the toughest – her father.
Written by Catherine Bush and Dax Dupuy
Catherine Bush is Barter Theatre’s playwright-in-residence. Her plays produced at Barter include: The Other Side of the Mountain, The Quiltmaker, Comin’ Up A Storm, Wooden Snowflakes, Tradin’ Paint, Where Trouble Sleeps, The Road to Appomattox, Walking Across Egypt, I’ll Never Be Hungry Again (book & lyrics), The Controversial Rescue of Fatty the Pig, The Three Musketeers, Winter Wheat (book & lyrics), Ghost, Ghost, Come Out Tonight, Great Expectations, Kentucky Spring, and It’s A Wonderful Live. Catherine has also written over twenty-five plays for the Barter Players, whose work serves the younger members of Barter’s audience. She is a proud member of Dramatists Guild.
Dax Dupuy (she/her) is an Asheville based songwriter. She has written a total of twelve musicals, many of which premiered at the Barter Theatre (Kentucky Spring, I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, Frosty, Jingle All the Way, Old Turtle and the Broken Truth, Clementine: The Musical, Alice in Wonderland). She has also composed countless incidental scores for plays. She would list them if she could remember them all. Dax was recently awarded an Artist Support Grant from the Asheville Arts Council, which she is using to develop her musical Evangeline.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Trains
By Quinton Cockrell
FEBRUARY 13 – 28 AT BARTER’S SMITH THEATRE
On October 31, 1919, an angry mob in Corbin, Kentucky, drove 200 Black citizens from town on railcars. Thirteen years later, Travis Hampton and his father, Lester, now living in Knoxville, are still dealing with the memories of that night. One night, Travis’ former friend, a white man named Junior Greevy, shows up at their door with a business proposition. Can Junior be trusted? Or does his presence present an even greater threat than before? Don’t miss this world premiere, the first work to be fully developed through Barter’s Black Stories Black Voices Initiative.
Content Advisories: (IL, P) – Intense language and themes of prejudice. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Trains
By Quinton Cockrell
FEBRUARY 13 – 28 AT BARTER’S SMITH THEATRE
On October 31, 1919, an angry mob in Corbin, Kentucky, drove 200 Black citizens from town on railcars. Thirteen years later, Travis Hampton and his father, Lester, now living in Knoxville, are still dealing with the memories of that night. One night, Travis’ former friend, a white man named Junior Greevy, shows up at their door with a business proposition. Can Junior be trusted? Or does his presence present an even greater threat than before? Don’t miss this world premiere, the first work to be fully developed through Barter’s Black Stories Black Voices Initiative.
Content Advisories: (IL, P) – Intense language and themes of prejudice. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Brother Boys
Tuesday, February 24th, 7:30 pm at Barter's Smith Theatre
For nearly 4 decades, Ed Snodderly and Eugene Wolf have been on the leading edge of homegrown Americana music as the Brother Boys. Their latest CD, On the Honky Tonk Highway with The Brother Boys: New Hillbilly Music from Germany’s Bear Family is a compilation of studio recordings from Sugar Hill Records, self-produced albums and live recordings from the WETS-FM radio show, Studio One and The Down Home in Johnson City. They’ve appeared on TNN’s American Music Shop, Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop’s Midnight Jamboree and were the first American artists to perform in the former Soviet satellite, Bashkortostan. They were winners of an International Bluegrass Music Award for Best Recorded Event for their appearance on the Jerry Douglas album, Slide Rule. People Magazine said they were “the scraggliest looking hombres ever to grace an album cover, but their music is as pretty as can be!”
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Trains
By Quinton Cockrell
FEBRUARY 13 – 28 AT BARTER’S SMITH THEATRE
On October 31, 1919, an angry mob in Corbin, Kentucky, drove 200 Black citizens from town on railcars. Thirteen years later, Travis Hampton and his father, Lester, now living in Knoxville, are still dealing with the memories of that night. One night, Travis’ former friend, a white man named Junior Greevy, shows up at their door with a business proposition. Can Junior be trusted? Or does his presence present an even greater threat than before? Don’t miss this world premiere, the first work to be fully developed through Barter’s Black Stories Black Voices Initiative.
Content Advisories: (IL, P) – Intense language and themes of prejudice. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Deera’s Country Funeral
Wednesday, February 25th, 7:30pm at Barter's Smith Theatre
Ray Sally wants to have a funeral for his tractor. The old machine has played Santa’s sleigh in many a Christmas Parade, helped rescue folks during a flood, hard-worked too many harvests to count and she even met the Governor once. But this farmer can’t find parts anymore and it’s time for her to meet her maker. Troubled by his inability to keep her running and drowning in his grief, Ray Sally wishes he was the one on the short road to the great beyond. Questions about destiny, the role our communities play in holding us up and the measure of a useful life are themes in this humble dark comedy about a legendary tractor.
Written by: Ned Dougherty
Ned Dougherty is an award-winning teacher and playwright who was named a 2024 semifinalist for the O’Neill. His work has been staged for festivals or independent productions from Albuquerque to Ireland. He’s a two-time Fund For Teachers fellow, the 2015 Teacher of the Year for New Mexico Charter Schools and has facilitated writing workshops for conferences and students across the country. He created the Appalachian Ode Project which brings free community writing workshops to foster improved population retention and ignite new artistic forms of civic rejuvenation. He teaches middle and high school students navigating the juvenile justice system in Pocahontas County, WV where he lives with his family.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Trains
By Quinton Cockrell
FEBRUARY 13 – 28 AT BARTER’S SMITH THEATRE
On October 31, 1919, an angry mob in Corbin, Kentucky, drove 200 Black citizens from town on railcars. Thirteen years later, Travis Hampton and his father, Lester, now living in Knoxville, are still dealing with the memories of that night. One night, Travis’ former friend, a white man named Junior Greevy, shows up at their door with a business proposition. Can Junior be trusted? Or does his presence present an even greater threat than before? Don’t miss this world premiere, the first work to be fully developed through Barter’s Black Stories Black Voices Initiative.
Content Advisories: (IL, P) – Intense language and themes of prejudice. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Trains
By Quinton Cockrell
FEBRUARY 13 – 28 AT BARTER’S SMITH THEATRE
On October 31, 1919, an angry mob in Corbin, Kentucky, drove 200 Black citizens from town on railcars. Thirteen years later, Travis Hampton and his father, Lester, now living in Knoxville, are still dealing with the memories of that night. One night, Travis’ former friend, a white man named Junior Greevy, shows up at their door with a business proposition. Can Junior be trusted? Or does his presence present an even greater threat than before? Don’t miss this world premiere, the first work to be fully developed through Barter’s Black Stories Black Voices Initiative.
Content Advisories: (IL, P) – Intense language and themes of prejudice. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
5th Annual SHINE: Illuminating Black Stories
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH, 7:30PM ON GILLIAM STAGE
SHINE: Illuminating Black Stories is an annual event of powerful theatrical storytelling celebrating the Black experience in Appalachia, curated by Barter Theatre's Black Stories Black Voices initiative. Inspired by the local Black community and the Appalachian landscape, the event features original monologues and scenes by Black playwrights from across the nation. Performed and directed by Barter's artists, these works provide a platform for voices that are often unheard. We hope you'll join us!
Content Advisories: (IL) – Intense language. More information.
Meet the Playwrights
India Nicole Burton
India Nicole Burton is a Chicago-based director, playwright, deviser, and producer. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2022. India’s work has been recognized nationally through programs such as the National New Play Network (NNPN) Producer in Residence program, which she completed over two years at Cleveland Public Theatre, and the NNPN Bridge Program grant in 2021.
One of her most celebrated works is the choreopoem Panther Women: An Army for the Liberation, which received a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. The production earned critical acclaim and was nominated for two Jeff Awards in 2024, as well as two Chicago Black Excellence Awards.
India’s play Safronia’s Daughter was featured as part of The New Harmony Project’s IndyFest, hosted by The Phoenix Theatre Indy in 2026. She was also selected for The New Harmony Project’s prestigious playwright residency in 2024, located in New Harmony, Indiana.
As a performer, India was part of American Dreams, which received a Drama League Award nomination in 2021. She was named Best Local Playwright by Cleveland Scene Magazine in 2023 and was The Chicago Reader’s 1st Runner-Up for Best Playwright in 2024. India is a 2024/25 participant in the Theatre Communications Group Rising Leaders of Color program and was a semifinalist for the Princess Grace Award in 2024.
In the summer of 2025, her trilogy The Ascension Plays was featured in the National New Play Network’s New Play Showcase. She currently serves as a Board Member of the National New Play Network.
India has directed for The Karamu House Inc., Company One, Cleveland Public Theatre, Dobama Theatre, The Playwrights’ Center, and more. She is a resident playwright at Chicago Dramatists and a NNPN board Member. India is also an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Chicago State University, and a Teaching artist at Court Theatre
Darius Ahmond Cabell
Darius Cabell was born on February 27th 2006. He grew up in Clarksville Tennessee, later moving to Panama City Florida at 15 years of age where he found his love for the Performing Arts at Rutherford High School. While he was there he managed to be cast and perform in 9 shows in 3 years in his local high school. From there he began competing in various competitions with Florida Thespian Festival, Bay Arts Alive, Solo and ensemble, Florida vocal association ranking one of the highest scoring students in the county. Which allowed him to be inducted into the International Thespian society. Over the course of his time he has written a total of 5 plays. He then began to further his education at Troy University, where he is currently seeking a degree in the theatre. His latest accomplishment is becoming an official member of The National Honor Theatre Society Alpha Psi Omega. Darius is continuing to work hard at his craft and believes "this is just the beginning.”
Brenda Fulmore
A seasoned leader with a wealth of experience across corporate, public, and nonprofit sectors, Brenda earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and spent 27 years in corporate America, primarily within the financial sector. Later, she worked at Winston-Salem State University, a nationally recognized HBCU, for 12 years, before retiring in 2022. One of her most notable contributions was her role as a leader in the Winston-Salem Creative Corridors Coalition, Inc., a non-profit, where she served eleven years on the executive board, design steering committee, and as fifth chair of the organization for two years which produced three iconic bridges over the Salem Parkway through Winston-Salem: the Twin Arches, Strollway Bridge, and the Green Street Pedestrian Bridge. Through this work, she decided to publish two books, a children’s coloring book and the main historical book about iconic bridges
entitled “Highways Divide, Bridges Connect Communities” and their impact on communities.
Her dedication to community engagement continues as she serves as vice chair on the Winston- Salem Community Appearance Commission Board.A passionate volunteer, Brenda enjoys partnering with local and regional city officials to foster
collaborative initiatives. Her deep love for community and family, along with her experience in leadership, inspires her to share her journey and insights.
Born in Lumberton, North Carolina, and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Brenda is the youngest of fifteen children. She moved to Winston-Salem in 1993 and is a proud single parent of two adult daughters and a grandmother of eight. In her free time, Brenda enjoys playing an electric bass guitar, a certified Pickleball instructor, and continues to be an active member of her community. Brenda serves on the board of Winston-Salem Writers.
Jerry L. Jones
A native of Glade Spring, Jerry L. Jones grew up in southwestern Virginia during the era of segregation. For grades one through seven, he attended the Rosenwald-built Black elementary school in his home town and was bused to the all-Black Douglass High School in Bristol, Virginia, where he graduated as valedictorian in 1965. His bachelor’s and master’s degrees are from the historically-Black Virginia State University and his doctorate is from Virginia Tech.
Beginning as a high school business instructor in Baltimore, Jones’s teaching career continued for twenty-seven years as a professor of computer information systems at Reynolds Community College in Richmond, followed by twenty years at Emory & Henry College.
His first book, Structured Programming Logic, was a computer programming logic textbook which ended up being used at various colleges in Virginia and other schools during the 1980s. His second book, a memoir, was Go and Come Again: Segregation, Tolerance, and Reflection; and his third book, another memoir, was They Included Me: A five-Decade Teaching Career.
Gifted with the ability to pay the piano without any music training, Jones has been a musician for more than 65 years. He has played piano at numerous area churches, events on the campus of Emory & Henry, and Abingdon’s Highlands Festival. Additionally, he has been a member of the Glade Spring Town Council, certified Methodist lay speaker, member of William King Museum Board, and a public speaker as well as Commencement speaker at Emory & Henry.
For several years, Jerry Jones’s mother, Mary Waugh Jones, worked in the Glade Spring home of Robert Porterfield, founder of the Barter Theatre.
Chandra Thomas
Chandra Thomas is an award-winning multihyphenate storyteller and proud New Yorker. As a playwright, her work has been presented at Primary Stages, McCarter Theatre, Barrow Group, Naked Angels, Echo Theater, Road Theater, Athena Arts Theater, Downtown Urban Theatre Festival, Vivid Stage, Passage Theatre, among others. Chandra's full-length plays, rom-com-drama THE BUZZER and multigenerational-family circus play ...OF CHAMPIONS, were named Finalists in the Blue Ink Playwriting Award. She was also a nominee for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.
Chandra's also a writer of television, film and narratives (Emmy Award-winning comedy MOM) as well as a performer (New York Theatre Workshop, LAW & ORDER: SVU). She earned BA degrees in Theatre and Sociology from Vanderbilt University, and holds an MFA from Columbia University. In the tradition of her vibrant immigrant family, Chandra's storytelling centers characters who are pushed to the margins while blending humor with emotional heart and social bite.
SHINE: Illuminating Black Stories is sponsored by Joe & Donna Levine, Ty & Julann Warren and partially funded by Larry & Leanne Mitchell.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
Trains
By Quinton Cockrell
FEBRUARY 13 – 28 AT BARTER’S SMITH THEATRE
On October 31, 1919, an angry mob in Corbin, Kentucky, drove 200 Black citizens from town on railcars. Thirteen years later, Travis Hampton and his father, Lester, now living in Knoxville, are still dealing with the memories of that night. One night, Travis’ former friend, a white man named Junior Greevy, shows up at their door with a business proposition. Can Junior be trusted? Or does his presence present an even greater threat than before? Don’t miss this world premiere, the first work to be fully developed through Barter’s Black Stories Black Voices Initiative.
Content Advisories: (IL, P) – Intense language and themes of prejudice. More information.
Barter Theatre is partially funded by:
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
A special thanks to the Town of Abingdon, Washington County, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for their support.
