Barter Theater

This was my favorite stop by far. One of the oldest theaters in the nation. It’s called the Barter Theatre because during the Great Depression the owner would let patrons barter for tickets. He called it Ham for Hamlet. Farmers could bring in food to see a play. One year he grossed $4.35 but collected almost 300 pounds of food.

Another interesting fact when a theater closed in New York City, the owner went and got a whole bunch of stuff to fill his theater. Including lights that Thomas Edison himself had designed and installed in the first theater.

We saw the da Vinci code, which was one of Denise‘s favorite movies. It was a really good play.

Many famous actors have gotten their start here. There’s even an actual Tony award on display because the actress wanted this theater to have it when she passed.Read more