Friends are the people who know you best. The ones who make you laugh when you can’t seem to smile, believe in you when you don’t have the strength to continue, and make life more full. Sometimes, these friends come in the most unexpected ways, and sometimes … that’s the best way ever.
When you come home to Barter Theatre in 2024, you can come meet and hang out with some of the best friends who ever told their story. Friendships that have stood the test of time and lasted for many years.
Have you ever heard of a human becoming friends with a steam shovel? Mike Mulligan and his best friend Mary Anne have dug their way out of some tough situations together — but this time, it will take the help of a whole town to get the job done. In “Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel,” Mike and Mary Anne must prove that they are still the best team out there to make things happen, and their dedication to their work and each other is their best way to succeed.
Being your own best friend can be important throughout life — making yourself happy first and doing what you feel is best for you. In “Grandma Gatewood Took a Walk,” Emma Gatewood sets out on a journey of self-discovery and freedom as she relies on who she is and what she can become to literally walk away from who she no longer wants to be. Along the way, she finds that everything she was told she couldn’t do was only an opinion as she proves to herself and the world that sometimes the only one you need is yourself.
“The Wizard of Oz” is one of the most well-known stories of the power of friendship and meeting the right people at the right time along their own Yellow Brick Road. Despite their differences, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion all have a common goal — to seek and find their deepest desires. Together, these four strangers turned companions find that sometimes what we are looking for has been with us and beside us all along.
Friendship can be found in even the darkest corners of our hearts, when everything seems to be going wrong and we are clinging desperately to hope. In “The Shawshank Redemption,” Andy DuFrense is convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. There he meets Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding, a longtime inmate at Shawshank. Together, these unexpected friends navigate their way through each day behind bars, while helping each other find hope and resilience in the harsh realities of prison life.
The struggles of motherhood can be some of the hardest, especially when you feel like you are going through it alone. But in “Cry It Out,” new mothers Jessie and Lina rely on each other to get through the overwhelming moments of being a mother, while reaching inside themselves to harness the power of womanhood to prove their capability. Through the tight-knit camaraderie they form, they find that being a mother is the most beautiful experience next to female friendship.
Snow White is never short on friends. That’s because she has seven dwarfs to keep her company and look out for her. In the timeless tale of “Snow White,” a princess realizes that singing and dancing are sometimes the best way to get things done — and that sometimes friends are giving you advice for your own good. Snow White discovers what it means to have people who will stay by you through life and death, and how sweet it can be to be surrounded by true friends.
It’s no mystery that friendship is one of the most important things in life. And no matter the case, you need someone there beside you to help you discover the answers you seek. In “Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily,” Sherlock and his best friend, Dr. John Watson, set out to solve the mystery of one of the most sinister cases they’ve come upon. By using their know-how and quick wit, the two friends once again prove that solving problems is a lot easier with a friend by your side.
When life becomes lackluster, Ebenezer Scrooge learns that the spirit of Christmas was in him all along. In Charles Dickens’ classic holiday tale, Scrooge makes his way through Christmas past, present and future, discovering the truth about friends he once had and the ones still by his side through it all. “A Christmas Carol” shines a nostalgic light on the importance of how you treat those you love and how the friendships forged throughout your life make it worth changing your holiday tune.
Barter Theatre and The Barter Players look forward to seeing some old friends and making new ones with these treasured stories in 2024 — and the staff can’t wait to share them with you!
For showtimes and tickets, please visit bartertheatre.com.
