Come See My Hometown – Barter Theater – Abingdon, VA

In 1939 a fellow named Robert Porterfield decided to re-frame the arts scene in the small town of Abingdon, VA, located half way between Roanoke, Virginia and Knoxville, TN forever. His idea was to establish a playhouse where local folks could take in some of the great playwrights of the world. When he started this the area around my hometown was still trying to recover from the great depression and on the cusp of World War II, so economic times were difficult. His brainchild was a place where potential theater-goers could barter for their admission, with vegetables, fruits and livestock