“The seats were so squeaky that sometimes you couldn’t hear the actors.”
Brown laughed as she recalled curtain speeches of yesteryear.
“It drove me crazy when the seats squeaked,” she said.
The renovation also includes new wallpaper, paint and floors.
“We were aware that this needed to be addressed,” Brown said. “There were times when seats would break or parts of the floor were coming up.”
Outside the theater doors, the gift shop has also been expanded while a new floor now graces the lobby, Brown said.
All the while, the Barter Theatre still retains its classic, classy look.
“I wanted Barter Theatre to feel like Barter Theatre inside,” Brown said. “This renovation is emblematic of what we do at Barter. We try to honor our history and move forward. We maintain those things that are really important to the history for this entire region and make sure that it is comfortable.”
After all, Brown said, “if you were uncomfortable in your seat, you might not come back.”
All that remains are some technical changes outside the public view, Brown said.
The Barter Theatre’s Historic Gilliam Stage has a new, refreshed look after a $1.3 million renovation project this year. The renovation includes new seats, new wallpaper, paint and floors.