Friday, the Barter Theater in Abingdon returned to Louisa to stage “My Imaginary Pirate” for Louisa County Public School second-graders and middle school students, before offering a performance for the community at the Louisa Arts Center.
Friday, the Barter Theater in Abingdon returned to Louisa to stage “My Imaginary Pirate” for Louisa County Public School second-graders and middle school students, before offering a performance for the community at the Louisa Arts Center.
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For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Barter Players visited Louisa County, staging a rousing performance of “My Imaginary Pirate” last Friday.
Following two years of virtual performances because of COVID restrictions, an audience of all ages gathered at the Louisa Arts Center to enjoy the original live Barter Theater production of "My Imaginary Pirate"—the story of a boy in a new town who, having trouble making friends at school, imagines adventures with a make-believe pirate.
Earlier that day, the Barter Players staged performances for 500 second-grade students, and later for 500 middle school students.
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For 17 years, the Louisa Rotary Club has sponsored appearances of the Barter Players in Louisa County, “offering area youth an opportunity to experience live theatre,” said Pat Hanley, Rotary Club President. The performance, he said, “is partially supported by funding from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.”
Barter Theatre was founded in 1933, and it was called Barter Theatre because the price of admission was 40 cents, but entrance could be bartered for the equivalent in produce, dairy products, and livestock. To celebrate its roots, Barter accepts donations at least once a year for Feeding Southwest Virginia.
The Barter Players are young actors from across the country who seek to further their training. According to their website, more than 1,000 actors audition to fill six year-around positions.
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They perform at Barter Theatre in Abingdon, April through December. During January, February and March they tour, performing at schools across the Eastern seaboard, and in November and December they tour around the country with a holiday show.
As much as the Louisa County school children enjoyed the program, the cast and crew did as well.
“To be able to connect with students, to see the impact of these spectacular stories, and to do it all on their home turf – there’s nothing I’ve experienced quite like it,” said Barrett Guyton, artistic director of the Barter Players, who began working at Barter in 2012.
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“We talk all the time about how theater is a service. We have the opportunity to do for others, and being able to bring high-quality theater to young people of all socio-economic backgrounds is one of my favorite things the Barter Players do.”
Libby Zabit, an actor with the Barter Players who portrays Janet McCall/Red-Legs Ricky in “My Imaginary Pirate”, said, "While we may never know the true reach of anything we put into the world, I do know that each performance makes a lasting impact on at least one person watching. I know this because I’ve been that audience member and I’ve had the privilege of speaking to people who have felt seen, represented, or been inspired by a play I’ve had a hand in bringing to life.”
