Feature article
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It’s curtains up on Barter’s ’07 season
By staff report
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| The cast of 'The Quiltmaker' |
Three couples in the throes of pregnancy, two wives brought together at a séance and one little boy asking for more add up to another exciting season for Barter Theatre.
The State Theatre of Virginia, located in historic downtown Abingdon, will kick off its 74th season on Friday with the opening of “The Quiltmaker,” an Appalachian comedy about family and mountain life written by Catherine Bush, Barter’s 2007 playwright-in-residence and a favorite with Barter audiences.
Mud Creek, Ky., is experiencing a major drug problem, which Sheriff Ham Terhune (John Hedges) intends to correct by appointing the lovable and nefarious reformed bootlegger Jackson Bennett (Nicholas Piper), home from the federal penitentiary and newly married, to find the dealers. Jackson’s grandmother-in-law, Ida May Combs (Mary Lucy Bivins), has other plans, however, in Bush’s tale about the blood of family bonds.
Rounding out the cast are Michael Poisson, seen in recent Barter shows such as “Green Gables” and “My River, My Valley”; Meredith Autry Holcomb, who starred in last year’s “Jane Eyre” and “Murderer”; and Janeé Reeves from “The Philadelphia Story” and “Man of Constant Sorrow.” “The Quiltmaker” is directed by Barter’s Associate Artistic Director Katy Brown.
Winner of the 2005 Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights, “The Quiltmaker” is one of several Appalachian-themed plays written by Bush, including Barter’s 2005 hit “The Other Side of the Mountain” and the 2006 Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights winner “Comin’ Up a Storm.” Bush is also the author of last summer’s “I’ll Never Be Hungry Again.”
In a recent interview, the playwright said she felt an important message of this show is “the importance of family ties in society, especially in families with a strong matriarchal presence from generation to generation.”
In addition to “The Quiltmaker,” Bush has two other shows debuting at Barter this year — “Tradin’ Paint,” premiering this summer, just in time for racing season, and “Wooden Snowflakes,” a new Christmas tale opening in November.
“The Quiltmaker,” sponsored by Johnston Memorial Hospital, NewsChannel 11 and The Bristol Herald Courier, will play through April 21 on Barter’s main stage.
Also on tap this season is:
- “Long Shadow,” opening Feb. 8. In 1944, a Nevada City, Calif., local war hero, home on leave, was shot in the woods under mysterious circumstances. The town offers a bounty, and a witch-hunt ensues to find the killer. “Who bears the true guilt of death?” is the central question in this play about fear, poverty, vigilante justice and how we live with what’s been done once it is done. Real and powerfully written characters engaged in a complex and compelling event make for an evening of exciting theatricality as relevant today as it was in 1944.
- “Don’t Hug Me: A Love Story with Singin’ and Stuff,” opening Feb. 17. It’s the coldest day of the year in Bunyan Bay, Minn., and cantankerous bar owner Gunner wants to sell the business and move to Florida, but his wife wants to stay. Bernice, the pretty waitress, wants to pursue a singing career, but her fiancé, Kanute, wants her to stay home. When a fast-talking, good-looking salesman promises to bring romance into their lives through the magic of karaoke, all heck breaks loose.
- “Blithe Spirit,” opening Feb. 22. In this comedy about sex and death, written by Noel Coward, an eccentric medium conjures up the ghostly Elvira, Charles’ first wife, and craziness ensues. Seems the dearly departed discovers a lingering affection for her widower and an acute dislike for her replacement. Moments of high farce fuse with Coward’s trademark wit in a play of sparkling delight and delicious humor.
- “Jamestowne: A Likely Story,” beginning April 3. This is the adventurous tale of John Smith and how he helped found Jamestowne in the new world. Experience crossing the ocean, meeting Native Americans and trying to survive in a land Europeans had never before settled in this rich and exciting celebration of the beginnings of this nation.
- “Married Alive!”, beginning April 27. Experience life from Niagara to Viagra in this satirical reflection on the trials of marriage in modern America. The play lampoons every subject, from repellant in-laws to recalcitrant teenage offspring, yet is sprinkled with moments of honest tenderness and bittersweet sentiment.
- “The Velveteen Rabbit,” beginning May 8. As the Velveteen Rabbit dreams of becoming a real live rabbit, the wise old Skin Horse tells him that he will become real “when a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but really loves you.”
- “Tradin’ Paint,” opening May 18. Darla is at a crossroads. Her mother’s dead, her boyfriend’s delusional and her job stocking auto parts is going nowhere fast. Then one night Lucky Tibbs teaches Darla how to change a flat tire and change her life. Now, Darla is on a quest to find her true “destiny,” a journey that takes her deep into the world of stock car racing and includes a head-on collision with a car battery as well as a heavenly visit with Dale Earnhardt.
- “Oliver!”, beginning June 1. One of the most enduring and popular musicals of all time, this touching family tale follows the story of the loveable orphan who escapes, picks a pocket or two, gets nabbed and through it all, yearns for a family.
- “Cry Wolf!”, beginning June 6. A hilarious mash-up of all your favorite childhood stories. There’s a Big Bad Wolf on the loose, and it takes Little Red Riding Hood, the Three Little Pigs, Little Bo Peep, Uncle Remus and a host of other famous characters to stop him in his tracks. Filled with unexpected twists and turns, this show is certain to delight both kids and adults alike.
- “Baby: A Musical,” beginning June 13. Is there anything more exciting, frightening and utterly life-changing than impending parenthood? Following three couples — the college students, just starting out; the 30-somethings, having trouble conceiving; and the middle-aged would-be empty-nesters — “Baby” moves beyond mood swings and labor pains to celebrate life and the challenges of creating it.
- “More Fun Than Bowling,” opening June 22. Life is more bizarre than fiction, and Jake’s life is no exception. Intending to be a world-renowned piano player, he ends up a small-town bowling champion. He has lost two wives to freak bowling accidents — one was zapped by lightning while carrying a bowling trophy, and the other was killed in a freak ball return accident. Oh, and a third wife is out there somewhere. Engaging in witty banter with his teenage daughter, Jake ponders his own life (and death). Eccentrically philosophical, this comedy is a whimsical look at the life of Jake, a small-town bowling champion who has lost two wives to freak bowling accidents and has a third out there somewhere.
- “Cinderella,” beginning June 27. The most magical of all the fairy tales is brought to life this summer, complete with glass slippers, the fairy godmother, the handsome prince and, of course, those horrible step-sisters.
- “Billy, Goat & Gruff: The Musical,” opening July 18. This is the musical tale of three goat brothers: Billy, Goat and Gruff. They go on an adventure to search for food before the harsh winter snow descends upon their mountain. As they journey, they encounter many dangers, escape a nasty troll and discover that if they follow their hearts, anything is possible.
- “Pow’r in the Blood,” an Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights mini-production, opening July 30. Heather has come home to Georgia to visit her mother in the hospital. Along the way, she learns how to communicate Southern style in this funny story about life and the relationships that challenge us all. Heather interacts with a host of eccentric characters including her charming yet cheating boyfriend, an abandoned woman watching her soap operas and a devout woman proud of her life in the South in this thought-provokingly amusing new play.
- “Black Pearl Sings!”, an Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights mini-production, beginning July 31. From Frank Higgins, the author of Barter’s hit play “WMKS: Where Music Kills Sorrow,” comes the story of Susannah, a female song collector for the Library of Congress. She finds an African-American woman in a Texas prison who is a repository of folk songs that stretch back all the way to slavery times. Susannah arranges parole for her and brings the woman named Pearl to New York to unveil her to the world. But what are her real motives? Will Pearl play the role that has been prepared for her or will she live her own life?
- “Harry Chapin: Remember When The Music Begins,” opening Aug. 23. Chapin touched our lives with his songs. Be prepared to be moved all over again by the man whose hits include “Circle,” “Taxi,” “30,000 Pounds of Bananas,” “W.O.L.D.” and “Cat’s in the Cradle.” Combined with other Chapin standards such as “I Wanna Learn a Love Song,” “Six-String Orchestra,” ”What Made American Famous?,” “Remember When the Music” and a host of favorites, this show will make you want to see this musical revue over and over again.
- “Rita Gardner: Try to Remember, A Look Back at Off-Broadway,” beginning Aug. 30. Rita Gardner, a 1976 Barter alum, will return for a night of beautiful singing and the celebration of the incredible musical sensations of Off-Broadway theatre.
- “Where the Red Fern Grows,” opening Sept. 8. What young Billy wants most in the world is a couple of coon hounds all his own, and when he saves up the money for them, the adventures begin. Join Ol’ Dan, Li’l Ann and Billy as they outrun every hound and coon in the Ozark’s river bottoms and learn about the power of true devotion along the way.
- “America’s Blue Yodeler: Jimmie Rodgers,” opening Sept. 14. Perhaps no other musician has had more influence on popular music than Jimmie Rodgers, the first musician to be honored in both the Country Music and the Rock and Roll Halls of Fame. From the author of “Keep on the Sunny Side” and “Man of Constant Sorrow” comes the story of the man known across America as “The Singing Brakeman.” From the Bristol Sessions to the jazz of New Orleans, Rodgers chronicled the life and spirit of America with songs like “I’m in the Jailhouse Now,” “The Brakeman’s Blues,” “Frankie and Johnny” and dozens of other favorites.
- “Dracula!”, opening Sept. 21. Loved by audiences of all ages, “Dracula!” descends upon Barter with attention-grabbing emotion and titillating horror in Richard Rose’s popular adaptation.
- “Doubting Thomas,” opening Sept. 28. From the author of Barter’s controversial play “The Liquid Moon” comes the touching and powerful story of Thomas — a passionate, born-again young Christian deeply in love with his fiancée — seeking an answer over his conflict between his religion and his own sense of self and spirit. He looks to guidance from Pastor Bob, a talented and charismatic preacher, and Peter, a brilliant and tortured professor, who only add to his spiritual dilemma.
- “Candide,” beginning Oct. 5. With legendary vibrant music and witty dialogue you will experience a journey filled with optimism, adventure and survival. In this lightning-paced production by Leonard Bernstein, the hapless Candide is expelled from home, drafted into the Bulgarian army, brought before the Spanish Inquisition, swindled out of a fortune, shipwrecked on a desert isle and separated time and again from his true love Cunégonde. Through it all, Candide remembers, “everything is for the best in this best of all possible worlds.”
- “The Littlest Angel,” beginning Nov. 28. In this most beloved of Christmas stories, there is a very little angel who is homesick for Earth. He tries to be a good angel, but he can’t quite seem to get it right. His halo is always slipping off, he sings off key in the celestial choir and he even swings on the pearly gates. It’s not until the birth of the Christ Child that it becomes apparent what very special gifts this little angel has to give.
- “Wooden Snowflakes.”
Trapped on Christmas Eve because her car slid off an icy Kentucky road, Eve Lawson, a cynic who refuses to believe in Santa Claus, finds herself in the home of Simon Peter Whitaker, a woodcarver and expert on Christmas, who is dressed as Santa. Believer and Unbeliever find themselves clashing time and time again as old wounds struggle to be healed by the Love that is Christmas.
- “A Christmas Carol,” opening Nov. 23. The joy of the holiday season returns with Richard Rose’s adaptation of the beloved Dickens classic.
For tickets or more information about this season’s shows, call the Barter box office at 276-628-3991 or visit bartertheatre.com.
“The Quiltmaker”
WHEN: Feb. 2-April 21
WHERE: Barter Theatre, Abingdon, Va.
COST: $24.50, $28 and $33
CONTACT: 276-628-3991 or bartertheatre.com
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