Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

It’s springtime at Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Va., and currently playing at Barter is The Book Club Play, a comedy about books and the people who love them.

The book club started by Ana and her friends has become the subject of a documentary film, and all is going swimmingly until a new member throws the group dynamic into chaos—chaos that’s unfortunately caught on camera! Will these friends survive the revelation of their deepest secrets? The Book Club Play is a hilariously playful testament to the power of literature and its ability to bring us together. Welcome to the club!

The Book Club Play will be performed through March 30 on Gilliam Stage.

Next on the spring agenda is the play Hamlet. On a dark night, the ghost of Hamlet’s father reveals to Hamlet that his death was the result of murder. Now his murderer sits on the throne of Denmark and has taken Hamlet’s mother for his wife. Will Hamlet avenge his father’s death? This production, featuring Barter’s resident acting company, is Shakespeare’s seminal tragedy as you’ve never seen it before!

The curtains will open on Hamlet March 25, and the finale will be April 23 at Barter’s Smith Theatre.

The highlight of the month to many Barter viewers will be Million Dollar Quartet, which will open April 11 on Gilliam Stage.

On Dec. 4, 1956, an extraordinary twist of fate brought Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley together at Sun Records for what would become the greatest jam session of all time. Million Dollar Quartet is a lively reimagining of that legendary night, told in a riveting string of broken promises, secrets, and celebrations. The score for this production includes classics such as Blue Suede Shoes, Walk the Line, Sixteen Tons, Who Do You Love? Great Balls of Fire, Folsom Prison Blues, Hound Dog, and more!

Performance dates for The Book Club Play are 3 p.m. March 23; and performances at 7:30 p.m. March 27, 28, and 29; and 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. March 30 at 3 p.m.

Performances of Million Dollar Quartet are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. April 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 24, 25, and 26; and at 2 p.m. April 17, 19, 22, 23, 24, 26, and 29.

Barter Theatre opened its doors June 10, 1933, proclaiming, “With vegetables you cannot sell, you can buy a good laugh.” The price of admission was 35 cents or an equivalent amount of produce. Four out of five theatregoers paid their way with vegetables, dairy products, and livestock.

To the surprise of many, all the seats for the first show were filled. The concept of trading “ham for Hamlet” caught on quickly. At the end of the first season, the Barter Company cleared $4.35 in cash, two barrels of jelly, and a collective weight gain of over 300 pounds.

Today, at least one performance a year celebrates Barter’s history by accepting donations for Feeding America Southwest Virginia. Barter Days happen in the month of June as a birthday celebration for Barter Theatre, and we will list those performance times on our Ways to Save page.