by Peter Porteous
The Barter Players from Abingdon recently captivated an auditorium full of students, ranging from PreK to seventh grade, by making them believe it was snowing on stage.
The six-member troupe on December 5 transformed the Lancaster Elementary School auditorium into New York City’s Central Park for two performances of “Frosty, a Musical Adventure.” The performances took some 550 students for a heart-warming ride through the park, complete with dramatic chases, swirling snow, a snowman dancing with a police officer and a triumphant family reunion.
The hour-long shows were hosted by the Rappahannock Foundation for the Arts (RFA) as part of its Arts for Youth Program. The play, first produced in 2014, was written by Catherine Bush, the Barter Theatre’s playwright-in-residence, and singer/songwriter Dax Dupuy.
The play imagines what would happen if Frosty was animated by a young orphan named Billy, who discovers magic in a stolen hat….
