ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, September 13, 1996 TAG: 9609130200
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 5 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: ABINGDON
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
Barter Theatre set a record last month, packing more people into its expanded facilities in a two-week period than at any time in its 63-year history.
From Aug. 5 to Aug. 18, during the annual Virginia Highlands Festival when Barter was performing four plays in repertory, audiences filled both in the main theater and the Stage II building across the street.
Three of the four plays had near-capacity at almost every performance. Peter Ekstrom's "Doctors and Diseases" at Stage II filled every available seat for all its performances.
And Barter's First Light Theatre, offering four repertory plays for younger audiences mostly during mornings, averaged 94 percent of their seats filled.
Barter Artistic Director Richard Rose noted that a $1.7 million renovation completed this year had expanded the number of seats by 100. Without them, he said, Barter would have had to turn away customers. The renovation also added customer amenities and technical equipment.
"One of our main stage plays, 'Girl of My Dreams,' will break all box office records in Barter history before it closes," Rose said. From Aug. 5 to Aug. 11, that musical filled 90 percent of its available seats. A comedy alternating with it on the main stage, "The Moving of Lilla Barton," filled 80 percent of its seating. Both are new plays commissioned by Barter.
"At a time when tourism nationwide is down, it is apparent that people are coming to Abingdon and staying longer, taking time to see two or more plays," Rose said. "So we regard the repertory and our marketing of it as very successful for our patrons, our artists and the community."
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