Evening star., 1937-10-10
Virginia Barter Theater
Has Growing Success
Gets Good Professional Talent.
Abingdon Patronage and
Road Schedule.

Inc hrst question most people ask
when being told about the Barter
Tneater is, Just what type of play do
they producer" They stand back un-
believing when Mr.. Porterf1eld tells
them he will produce anything The
only thing that differentiates the
Barter Theaters schedule from that
OF any other Summer theater Is the
variety Of plays produced
Each year they present several re-
vivals Of Broadway successes, two or
three new plays tried out for Broad
way. one outstanding folk play and
one classic.
HE list of actors appearing at the
Barter Theater during its five
year history is even more imposing
than the list Of plays presented. This
year they had such noted players as
Jane Hamilton. who came from the
Portland Civic Repertory Theater, on
the Pacific Coast: Lydia Perera, who
played the role of Julie in Richards
production of "Liliom" in Salzburg.
Austria; John Cromwell, who has ap-
peared on Broadway with Katharine
Cornell, Judith Anderson, John Giel-
gud and others; George Oliver Taylor,
who played with Pauline Lord in
Anna Christie" and Gary Mohr, who
played last Winter in Point of Honor"
on Broadway.
But even more important than the
plays and players in making the Barter
Theater what it is today is Bob Porter
field and his unique barter idea. This
is the only professional Summer stock
company playing south of the Mason
Dixon line, and it is the only theater
IN the world where anything is ac-
ceptable at the box Office provided it
is in some. way usable and that its
value is. equivalent to the cash value
of the tickets desired.
Many different kinds of articles have
been received at Barter, including all
different kinds OF vegetables, preserves.
fruits and canned goods. Several
people attend regularly and pay their
admissions with home baked cakes,
cottage cheese and honey. Live stock
forms an interesting part of the barter.
During the first season pig was pre-
sented at the box office in return for
season ticket. This pig, which
achieved Nationwide notice as the
Barter Sow, and was the first pig ever
to rate an Associated Press release. is
now living on Mr.. Porterfield's fathers
farm in Glade Springs, and is the
proud mother of more than 20 off,
spring.
The second year bull calf was
presented at the box Office At an
other time baby lamb was brought in
and nearly broke up the show with
its baahing. Other live stock has in
cluded litter of puppies, innumerable
chickens. rabbits. a brace of guinea
hens, and recently at a performance
of Private Lives white duck, which
was adopted by the cast and chris
tened "Sollocos" Other interesting
articles of Barter have included motor
oil, frog legs, razor blades, candy,
Virginia hams. bacon and fresh milk
In the case of the last mentioned, it
was once actually brought on the hoof.
when an old couple drove up to the
theater in a buggy leading their COW
behind and then proceeded to sit down
and milk Just enough to pay for their
two tickets.
X EEPING the barter box Office is no
easy job for the box office man.
To start off with he has list of what |
is being asked for various commodities
at the stores in Abingdon. He has
scales on the desk. and as each person
presents barter he weighs and eval-
yates it. This sounds simple enough. |
but there are times when even his list |
and the scales do him no good at all. |
There was the case Of the man who |
came up to the box Office and an |
nounced that he had no victuals to |
trade. Asked what he did. he avowed |
that he was an underground worker
Upon being still further pressed as to
what he meant, he said that he made |
coff1ns. The box Office man was a lit
tie stumped, as there was absolutely
no use for coffins around the theater.
The customer finally admitted, how
ever, that he also made canes, and an
agreement was reached whereby he
brought one cane whenever he wanted
to come by himself and two canes If !