Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 13, 1995 TAG: 9510130019
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By The Associated Press
DATELINE: ABINGDON LENGTH: Medium
These days, the theater's trustees are looking for a bit more nourishment. They are hoping to raise at least $5 million to keep the historic venue going well into the next century.
The Barter Theatre, which began during the Depression, became the largest professional drama company in continuous operation outside New York City.
Expanding and renovating the main stage is the first priority of the fund-raising campaign, called ``The Next Stage.''
Plans call for boosting the seating capacity by 25 percent. The exterior is slated for a facelift and the theater will get a new wing that will broaden the building's 162-year-old facade.
The work should have been done years ago, artistic director Rick Rose said.
``The renovations have been needed since the late '70s at least,'' he said. ``The Barter really missed the gravy train when national foundations were really looking at the arts. While other theaters were expanding their scope, the Barter retrenched.''
Actors such as Gregory Peck, Ernest Borgnine and Hume Cronyn have appeared in Barter Theatre productions. ``The Next Stage'' should open career opportunities to another generation of actors, theater officials said.
Keeping the theater strong also helps local tourism, Rose said. During peak performance months, the Barter attracts thousands of tourists who spend their time and money at hotels, restaurants and shops around the region.
Community support for the project has been ``strong, swift and enthusiastic,'' Rose said.
Rose took the Barter helm three years ago. Since then, the director and his staff have doubled annual attendance at the main theater, at Barter Stage II and at the First Light Theatre, a troupe that performed in 10 states this year for school children.
Combined attendance for all Barter offerings is expected to top 285,000 by the end of the year, which would set a record. Box office receipts are up 170 percent since 1992.
But that growth has taken a toll. On the main stage, ``we're bursting at the seams,'' Rose said.
The first stage of the fund-raising campaign, announced in May, runs through October 1996 with a goal of $2.8 million. In Phase II, board members of ``The Next Stage'' hope to raise $2.25 million and add to a planned $1.5 million endowment.
The theater receives state and federal funding, as well as the support of companies and individuals. But as government support continues on a steady slide backward, theater officials have sought new sources of funding.
``I feel the theater is more important now than it ever was,'' Rose said.
by CNB