One of the biggest surprises in Abingdon is Barter Theatre. Here is a town in southwest Virginia and what do find? Professional theatre done extremely well. They run over twenty plays a year plus childrens theatre. Their productions are Broadway quality wihout the Broadway prices. read more

We went to the Barter Theater to watch the play about Johnny Cash, called "Ring of Fire". The music revue was very entertaining. The singer playing Johnny Cash didn't really sound like Johnny Cash (he wasn't a baritone), and that was distracting. However, the other three male musicians/singers seemed toreally be enjoying themselves and made it fun. The Barter is a wonderful, local theater and has an interesting history. I suggest going to the theater anytime you are in the town. This wasn't a great performance, but in the past I have seen great productions - much better than the usual fare for local theatre. read more

Very cute theater. They claim to be the longest running theater in the US, whether it is true or not, it has a great vibe. Sound quality is decent, it is a smallish theater so you you'll have a good view of the stage no matter where you seat. Be aware however that since it is an older theater, seats are not very comfortable. Staff is friendly and courteous. It is really well kept and clean. Parking can be a bit of a challenge but you can park in the back for free after hours. read more

The theatre is a wonderful place. The staff is friendly and helpful. The play, Steel Magnolias, that we seen was amazing. We were blown away by the actresses. We are so excited to go back to see another play. If ever you have a chance to see play at this theatre, do it. read more

A wonderful regional theatre with something for everyone. It's an Appalachian treasure

I'm so surprised more people haven't 'yelped' about the Barter! Really top quality productions. My mom and I live about 6 hours away, but we try to get down once a year. If you have any opportunity at all to get here, please do! read more

Barter Theater is always the best. However, their recent "October-Before I Was Born" performance didn't impress me. The acting was, as always, VERY good but I thought the script was weak, not interesting (to me) and rather boring. Disappointed with this performance but will highly recommend, and support, the Barter. read more

We saw "Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks" at the Barter Stage II Theater on 2/16/17. It was promoted as a "Heart warming comedy." The acting was very good. Our complaint is that the play was obviously written with the intent of portraying Christians as haters. The late Pastor Jerry Falwell, VP Mike Pence, and several good Christian organizations were specifically referred to as haters. They have a right to produce provocative, even very offensive plays, but the promotional material should give some indication that the content would be offensive to Christians. It ruined an evening we had planned to be something special. read more

My first time last night, saw Sherlock Holmes at Stage II. Great time! Not a bad seat! Great acting! Will def come back!

We have several shows here and all have been amazing. Footloose, and over the river and through the woods were my 2 favorite. Coffee, wine, and other refreshments are available and can be enjoyed while watching the show! Will definitely attend many shows in the future! read more

This is not exactly a community theater. Yes, there are resident actors, but my understanding from reading the actors' bios is that they hail from all over the country. A community theater includes Bob the butcher and Margie the bank teller, in my mind at least. In any event, the actors are all very good - they sing well for the most part, and the acting is above par. I have seen numerous productions, most recently Anything Goes, and before that Jingle All the Way and The Wizard of Oz. All have been very good - The Wizard of Oz was Broadway quality, in my opinion. I was very impressed. Be aware that the balcony seating chart is reversed from the main floor, so be sure that you aren't buying a double lettered seat, because that is in the back. Other than that, it is a quaint little theater where Ernest Borgnine and others have started their careers, and definitely worth a try. read more

Drove 2 1/2 hours today to see "Greater Tuna". This was the second time I visited the theatre. We were so disappointed with the play that my party of four left at intermission. I am glad this was not my first play or I would not go back. There were only 2 actors portraying 20 characters; 10 per actor. They did okay with the character and costume changing and their performance was okay. However there were very few props; a radio, 2 chairs and a couple of tables. Everything else was imaginary from cups, dishes, doors, dogs, etc. I have seen better plays at elementary and high school levels. The theatre itself is a great venue and I plan to go again in October, but will definitely check out the content of the play first. read more

Bought tickets for wrong day. Less than a half hour later they would not give me a credit for purchase only a coupon. we were passing through and would never be back but that didn't matter. Now I have to stop the $80 charge through my charge card. A hassle. read more

I know that by writing this review I am breaking director Richard Rose's rule "if you like us, tell everybody, if you don't, keep your mouth shut!". The much loved Barter Theatre has been hit and miss recently. The space is a jewel of theatre architecture, very charming, and productions always professional. Saw a couple great plays over the last few years, "The Foreigner" is a favorite, it was both clever and hilarious, but also saw a couple of misses, such as a play about Dracula, a French play with a terrible script (supposed to be funny but nobody laughed), and I heard from really good friends that "Tarzan" the musical was the worst! Barter Stage II has been more consistent, the plays more edgy and interesting. I have pretty much enjoyed everything I have seen there. read more

My family and I were able to see a performance at this theater recently. Very enjoyable---we had a great time. The theater is beautiful inside and out, has very friendly attendants, and the actors are talented. Easy parking. We selected "box seats" in the balcony only to discover that "box seats" are not separate or private, as we thought, but are just extensions of the ends of the front row in the balcony, protruding about five feet from the front row at a 30 degree angle. They provided a good view anyway and it looks like all the seats are good. The place was full for the performance, so don't wait to order tickets if you plan to spend the evening in Abingdon, especially if you'd like to sit in the front rows. Other theater-goers are pleasant and friendly and we took pictures of each other in the lobby and in front of the ornate fountain across the street. They sell candy and fudge in the lobby, along with souvenirs and post cards. Would have been more convenient to stay at the Martha Washington Inn across the street from the theater. read more

The Three Musketeers was presented for the first time ever on Saturday, September 11, 2015 at The Barter Theatre in Abingdon, VA. Artistic Director Richard Rose made sure his audience was aware of the occasion in his opening remarks. Over they years, The Barter has many notable successes in presenting dramas that were not originally written for stage. Whether the company will enjoy the same with this play was still somewhat in doubt at the final curtain, although with the audience on its feet for an ovation, all bets are on the side of a good run. The performances by the cast are uniformly strong. Joseph Matthew Veale is perfect as the young, idealistic D'Artagnan who arrives in Paris with a letter of introduction from his father that will allow him to enlist in the King's Musketeers. Veale is an energetic presence on stage, thoroughly the young man from the country that he claims to be. His strong voice and athletic moves convince the audience that he will succeed at whatever impossible feats he attempts. He is at a loss for words when he meets the beautiful Constance. Their encounter is delightfully humorous and goes beyond the laughter to reveal a thoroughly believable innocence in DArtaganan - a point of contrast with almost everyone else in the story, save Constance herself. The plot gets underway quickly as D'Artagnan's letter is stolen by the nefarious Rochfort. Rochfort is the strong-arm henchman of arc-villain Cardinal Richelieu. Nick Koester, as Rochfort, is an arrogant, cruel sociopath who takes his orders directly from Richelieu. Koester has the physicality for the role and delivers a flawless performance. Richelieu, meanwhile, is impeccably portrayed by Michael Poisson. Poisson brings a chilling surgical touch to the dark role of Richelieu as he delivers his more vicious lines with rapier precision. His final concession to D'Artagnan is a calculated acceptance of his circumstances and the audience is left feeling Richelieu is not going away; he may have lost a battle but the war will go on. Nicholas Piper as Monsieur de Treville is also perfectly cast. Piper plays Treville as the politically savvy commander of the Musketeers, a position that must have been as muddied for him as it was for the audience in that the King has his soldiers as does the Cardinal, and they are often at odds with each other as well as the musketeers. Yet Treville always seems to know the score even without being entirely sure of where his own men are in the city. Treville is aware of the gravity of the events to which he must respond but never overwhelmed by them. His Musketeers respect him, although any one of them could physically get the better of him. It must be the touch of the director, Katy Brown, that Piper, like other major characters, refuses the easily accessible melodramatic reading and chooses a more mater-of-fact delivery that makes his performance credible, perhaps all the more so because it runs counter to audience expectations of heightened swashbuckling dramatics. Sean Maximo Campos as Athos might bring Johnny Depp to mind for some in the audience. Personal tragedy drives the wily Athos, and Campos delivers as much as any audience has a right to ask in the final but unfortunate scene of the Act I. Porthos and Aramis, competently played by Andrew Hampton Livingston and Justin Tyler Lewis respectively, exchange quick witted repartee with their buddy Athos. Hannah Ingram's Milady de Winter is a reserved villainess, stealthily in step with the other characters. The audience knows from the onset that she is a really bad lady. Ingram's confident portrayal never lets the image slip. Annie Simpson plays Constance Bonacieux, the youthful blond beauty with whom D'Artagnan is smitten. And why not. Simpson is angelic. One of the funniest lines in the show takes place when D'Artagnan falls to his knees proclaiming love to Constance upon first seeing her. Constance looks to her father. "He's from the country," her father observes as it explains everything. The father, by the way, is played by the versatile Zacchaeus Kimbrel. Kimbrel appears in several key roles. His portrayal of the narcissistic, affected King Louis is wonderfully funny. Derek Smith's set design captures the darkness of the story line. Not everything turns out OK, after all, as American audiences might like. Sumptuous costume design by Howard Tsvi Kaplan dispels any notion that Musketeers is to be dismissed as mere fantasy. Richard Rose has pushed the envelope for The Barter several different times during his years as the Artistic Director. The Three Musketeers is another one of his laudable efforts. It remains to be seen, however, whether Rose's reach has exceeded his company's grasp. The acting, under the very capable direction of Kathy Brown, is superb and not to be faulted. Stage combat is seriously dangerous stuff. With the season advancing, perhaps the actors will become more relaxed in the combat scenes. In the first show, however, the act read more

Wonderful place to spend an evening and have a date night. We had dinner down the street and went here. It was so nice to see a historic building maintained like that. read more

The theatre used to be MUCH better quality in all areas. The last 20 years have seen a decline in quality of shows selected, the acting and technical aspects. A professional theatre company with the quality of a community theatre. ANYTHING GOES wasn't bad but the costumes were horrid: out of period, terrible color clashes, outfits that don't match each other. Looks like the costumes were thrown together at the last minute. Also, saw THE GNOME and it was "gnot funny" (one of the FEW jokes from the show where the audience actually laughed.) I can't imagine anyone liking this show. I am so tired of the same old actors over and over again. I resident company doesn't have to be the exact same members of the theatre EVERY SEASON. One season is enough for each performer...they are not that versitile anyway. Hope they do better but this season is turning out to be a let-down. read more

This is always a treat for us. We are from Dallas so this theater is not just down the street. We got the opportunity to see Legally Blonde this time in the old theater. This is an intimate theater with the very old feel. This is not a modern --hi fi--type of operation. The play was very good as was the cast.You get a program with history of the cast.From the list of supporters this thetr seems to have a lot of support. I write this in the review because we have been to some theater recently in which all we were handed was a zerox sheet showing minimal information. The prices here are quite good ($30) per person. We opted for the desert/coffee package and for $35 we receieved a dessert and coffee at the cafe across the street. And that carrot cake was outstanding. The old Washington Inn is just across the street however we felt the prices for a room, dining and theater was way out of line for this area.We noticed a very few vehicles parked at the hotel. They are passing up a golden opportunity to have theater goers from out of town to stay with them.The town of Abingdon is also misisng a golden opportunity to get us out of staters to visit and spend in the town. A good marketing persosn would latch onto this opportunity quickly.Parking is free on the street or in the parking lot across the street. The area around the theater felt safe as it is well maintained. read more