Theatre Matters: Conversations with Barter Theatre

New Producing Artistic Director, Katy Brown, shares with us the exciting shows and new experiences coming up this season, why Barter Theatre is so special (she's been a member of the Barter Family since 1998, in many different capacities), her vision to keep Barter's legacy alive while moving into the future, and much more!

Associate Director of The Barter Players, Associate Resident Acting Company Member, and former Barter Player, Sarah Van Deusen, shares the interesting story of how she's truly come full circle with The Barter Players, explains the many different hats she wears in her positions, gives us a glimpse into the acting side of things, tells some spooky ghost tales of the theatre, and much more!

Wig and Makeup Designer, Whitney Kaibel, shares the unique route that finally sparked her interest in theatre, takes us through her process of designing and creating the many wigs and makeup effects, the maintenance that goes into each one, and much more!

Madeline Bullen has been with Barter Youth Academy (BYA) since it started in 2012, first as a student, then assistant, technical director, teacher, director, choreographer and now Director of Admissions on top of some of the aforementioned duties. She shares with us all things BYA, the many ways it benefits the students, what happens during the fun eight-week process, and much more!

Associate Resident Acting Company Member, Wendy Piper, is excited to be back after two years to appear in Maytag Virgin (her character has never used a dryer, hence the title) and The Loophole! She shares her love for improv and how it's useful not only in acting but also coaches businesses how to apply it; what it's like to perform with her husband and how they keep stage and home life separate; gives us a glimpse of the technical rehearsal; and much more!

Assistant Props Master, Megan Pressley, takes us into the prop shop where she's created such amazing things as Dragon in Shrek, the couch in Singing in the Rain, explains her process and technique of creating from scratch or modifying things in stock, the surprising thing that is used for ice cream, offers advice to those looking to get into the field, and much more!

The Barter Players Resident Costume Designer, Syndey de Briel, takes us into her one-person costume shop to walk us through her entire process that goes into bringing us all the unique costumes, explains why the look and feel of each fabric is an integral part of creating the story, her work for the special sensory-friendly performances, how she keeps keeping each costume original and unique and sew much more!!

Resident Sound Designer and Engineer, Tony Angelini, gives us a glimpse into the recording studio where he creates his own sound effects, designs the many sounds you hear in each production, explains the fun way telephones work on stage, how he picks the perfect pre-show music to help set the mood, and much more!

Director of Education and Founder/Director of Project REAL, Megan Hamilton, who enlightens us how she applies acting tools to educate students of all ages, shares some powerful stories of the impact Project REAL is having in schools, the secret to connecting with one another, and much more! Photo by Sarah Laughland Photography

Resident Scenic Designer, Derek Smith, who sets the scene by sharing his process for creating a world for the play, how he designs sets that can be repped, the unique approach he takes for designing for two different stages, and much more!

Resident Acting Company member, Paris Bradstreet, entertains us with what a turkey and Peter Pan have to do with why she's an actor, shares insight into the fun shows she's currently in, reflects on some of her most joyous moments, and more!

Resident Acting Company Member, Sean Maximo Campos, shares with us with how he keeps his body in shape to endure all the physically demanding roles, the very special relationship he has with Shrek: The Musical, how he puts his own special stamp on Donkey, and much more!!

Barter Theatre Actor, Samuel Floyd, gives us an exciting glimpse into Shrek: The Musical and how he adds his own special spin to his role of Lord Farquaad, what keeps him returning to Barter, offers advice for aspiring actors, and much more! Photo by JKLPhoto

Resident Acting Company Member, Rick McVey, shares with us the fun path that brought him to Barter, what makes Madame Buttermilk so special and a thrill to perform in, his special thought that keeps each performance fresh, and much more!

Resident Acting Company Member, Andrew Hampton Livingston, shares how he started performing at the age two, the exciting shows and choreography he's working on, his unique warm-up process before a performance, and much more!

Associate Resident Acting Company Member, Carrie Smith Lewis, enlightens us on the many different jobs she does in addition to acting and directing, the exciting projects she's involved in coming up, the work that goes into being an understudy, and so much more! Photo by Sarah Laughland Photography

Resident Acting Company Member, Michael Poisson, shares how he got his start in acting, the interesting way he came to Barter, offers advice to those looking to get into theatre, how he keeps each performance fresh, and much more!

Production Stage Manager Cindi Raebel, who walks us through all her responsibilities from the start of a production to when she calls each performance, how she's witnessed theatre change lives, the amazing effort it takes to make a schedule (it's like a puzzle), and much more!

Former Barter Player, Encore Player, Box Office Attendant, and now Stage II Carpenter, Sean Michael Flattery, who shares what enticed him to get into theatre, the many positions he's enjoyed here, what's kept him returning again and again since 2009, his biggest challenge and greatest joy, and much more!

Resident Acting Company Member Zacchaeus Kimbrell enlightens us about the exciting path that brought him from opera to musical theatre and to Barter, his unique way of protecting and using his voice, how he gets to incorporate all his loves here at Barter, and much more!

Technical Director, Casper Eichin, shares a recent experience that reminded him of why theatre is so important, walks us through all he's responsible for from the incarnation of a production to when it takes the stage, offers advice to aspiring Technical Directors, and more!

Former Associate Resident Acting Company Member turned Developer and Owner of CaptionPoint, Matthew Bivins! He shares what he's been doing since leaving Barter, why theatre matters, and the exciting and progressive project he's bringing to the theatre that will finally make it more accessible for the deaf and hard of hearing community that will transform their experience immensely!

Barter Theatre Resident Acting Company member, Kim Morgan Dean, shares how tech rehearsal is actually a joy for her, her joyous experience in performing with Symphony of the Mountains, her trick to remembering a show that she hasn't performed in a week, offers tips on auditioning, and so much more!

Barter Actor Brandy Dryzkowzi shares what got her started in theatre and what eventually brought her to Barter, her insightful solution to world peace, shares advice for aspiring performers, and much more!!

Barter musician Travis F. Welch shares the many exciting positions he's had here, the interesting way music and theater intersect, the fast rehearsal process he goes through, how music helps to enhance the story of "The Bridges of Madison County," and much more!

Costume Crafts Master, Emma Ford, walks us through a traditional day, shares why she decided to change career paths from an architect to costumes, the many unique items she creates and how there are many different aspects involved in each piece, and so much more!

Resident Acting Company Member, Hannah Ingram, shares how Barters many unique qualities made her decide to make Abingdon her home instead of returning to her hometown of NYC after her contract, interesting and fun details about all the shows she's currently working on, what's at the core of acting (way more than reciting lines), and much more!!

Barter Theatre Equity Stage Manager, Sara Douglas, shares with us the stage management process from the beginning of rehearsals, all the way to calling each performance and maintaining the integrity of the show, her interestingly exciting experience of losing power during a performance, the differences between calling a show at Gilliam Stage and Stage II, and much more!!

Barter Player Zoë Velling shares with us how in the world she keeps four shows straight in her head, the unforgettable experience that reminded her of why she's an artist, how she uses all the knowledge she's learned as a Barter Player and applies it to the other productions she's in, and vice versa, plus much more!

Resident Acting Company Member, Mary Lucy Bivins, shares with us the funny tale of how she got started in theatre, the many reasons why Steel Magnolias is special to her, offers advice to young actors persuing their dreams, brightens our day with a couple bloopers, and so much more!!

Resident Music Director, Lee Harris, shares what inspired him to get into musical theatre, his process for bringing the music to life, what exactly he's doing while in the orchestra pit (much more than conducting), and so much more!!

Associate Director of The Barter Players and Associate Acting Company Member, Barrett Guyton, shares how he discovered his passion for theatre as a service, takes us through his journey as starting out as a Barter Player to now directing them and scheduling their tours, provokes laughter while sharing funny quips he's heard from young audience members, and much more!!

Associate Director, Artistic Director of The Barter Players, and Director of Casting, Katy Brown, shares how her seemingly impossible idea for Richard III became a reality, why it's important to make Shakespeare accessible to audiences and how it's still relevant today, what every great audition has in common, and much more!

Barter Player Rusty Allen shares some wisdom for those interested in becoming a Barter Player and actor, some fun experiences he enjoyed on their recent tour, the exciting challenge of taking on the role of an older woman, and much more!

Barter Theatre Resident Actor and Acting Coach, Tricia Matthews shares with us all the exciting projects she's currently working on, exactly what she does as the acting coach, how being both an actor and a director live in the same world, how she plays iconic roles without copying the famous actors who portrayed them, and so much more!

Barter Theatre Assistant Stage Manager, Victoria Sutton, takes us into the rehearsal hall and backstage to share with us her unique duties, how she keeps as many as six productions organized and in her head at once, what brings her the most joy, advice for those looking to get into the field, and much more!

This week we have the star of Bright Star, Jill Anderson! She shares with us the unique rehearsal process, the ways in which playing Alice Murphy will be one of her most cherished roles, along with the interesting way in which she rediscovered the importance of always living in the moment, and more!!

Barter Theatre Subscription Manager and Front of House Assistant Manager, Gwen Wilson shares the interesting way she got her start at Barter, reflects on the diverse changes she's witnessed during her twenty years here, funny stories, and more!

Barter Theatre Resident Actor, Eugene Wolfe, shares with us the journey of self-discovery he's taken advantage of during his time away, the experience of reprising his role in A Facility for Living, his exciting plans for the year, and more!

Barter Theatre Props Master, Helen Stratakes, walks us through her entire process of a production. From her first read-through of the script, creating a props list, building and maintaining the props, all the way through to the very last performance, and more!!

Jenn Watson, one of Barter Theatre's Scenic Carpenters, shares with us how she got her start at Barter (it wasn't carpentry), the process of constructing sets, her most challenging, yet rewarding project, and much more!

Assistant Costume Designer, Lee Martin, shares his passion for costume design, how he reimagined and added special Christmas touches to the 22 characters in A Tuna Christmas, as well as the huge project that is currently underway, and more!

Barter Theatre Volunteer Usher, Mary Ann Honaker, shares what inspired her to volunteer as an Usher, the interesting duties ushers have that most wouldn't think about, joyous moments, and more!

Barter Theatre Player, Shaan Sharma, shares with us the magical way he found his love for theatre, how he's relishing the unexpected opportunity to stay on a second year as a Barter Player, how physics plays a funny part in all this, and more!

Barter Theatre's Advancement Associate, Elizabeth Hickman, takes us behind the scenes of the advancement department, all the planning that went into the thrilling fundraising event An Evening with Robert Duvall, which department she'd enjoy shadowing a day in, and much more!

Barter Theatre Player, Katherine Lyle, shares with us her experience of going on as an understudy, creating several different characters for one play and keeping them all straight, her most joyful experience at Barter, and more!

Barter Theatre's Playwright in Residence, Catherine Bush, shares with us the interesting way she got her start at Barter, the differences between adapting and writing an original play, and what brings her joy as a playwright!