[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 16]
[House]
[Pages 22144-22145]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           COMMENDING BARTER THEATRE ON ITS 75TH ANNIVERSARY

  Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Education and Labor be discharged from further consideration of the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 416) commending Barter Theatre on 
the occasion of its 75th anniversary, and ask for its immediate 
consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 416

       Whereas Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, presents its 
     75th anniversary season in 2008;
       Whereas Barter Theatre was founded in 1933 by visionary 
     Robert Porterfield, who originated the idea of offering 
     people admission to artistic performances in exchange for

[[Page 22145]]

     fresh produce and livestock, inspiring the name, ``Barter 
     Theatre'';
       Whereas in 1946, the Virginia General Assembly designated 
     Barter Theatre as the State Theatre of Virginia, the first 
     theater to receive this distinction;
       Whereas Barter Theatre is a favorite destination for 
     regional, national, and international visitors, and its 
     patrons have more than doubled over the past 10 years;
       Whereas in 2006, the company's 2 stages drew 160,000 
     patrons for live theatrical productions, including comedies, 
     musicals, dramas, mysteries, and innovative new works, to 
     educate and entertain audiences;
       Whereas, as one of the few resident theaters still 
     functioning, Barter Theatre is the longest continuously 
     operating Equity theater in the country;
       Whereas the Barter Players, the touring company of the 
     theater, travel to 8 States each year, performing at schools 
     and community venues, augmenting the artistic education for 
     all ages;
       Whereas Barter Theatre's Appalachian Festival of Plays and 
     Playwrights is an annual arts festival that celebrates the 
     richness of Appalachian history and culture by providing a 
     venue where the story of the region, both past and present, 
     can be explored and showcased by area playwrights and 
     writers;
       Whereas Barter Theatre has created and implemented an 
     award-winning Internet Distance Learning Program which 
     teaches students about artistic and technical theatrical 
     elements using a web-based interactive program available to 
     classrooms across the region;
       Whereas the Barter Theatre Student Matinee Program provides 
     the opportunity for students to attend professional theater 
     performances, ask questions of the actors and other theater 
     professionals, participate in set design and acting 
     workshops, and learn about the inner workings of a 
     professional theater;
       Whereas the Barter Theatre Young Playwrights Festival 
     offers a contest for local high school students to write and 
     submit plays of their own, with the winning plays performed 
     by professionals at Barter Theatre, encouraging the 
     development of students' writing skills and creativity and 
     providing training to educators in teaching playwriting; and
       Whereas Barter Theatre is a premiere tourist attraction in 
     Southwest Virginia and one of the cornerstones of tourism for 
     the entire region: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) commends and congratulates Barter Theatre on the 
     occasion of its 75th anniversary;
       (2) recognizes Barter Theatre for providing 75 years of 
     high quality artistic programs to visitors and the 
     surrounding community, educational programs, and a venue for 
     artistic development in Southwest Virginia;
       (3) recognizes that Barter Theatre is a valuable 
     educational resource, reaching 18,000 students each season 
     through its productions on two stages; and
       (4) recognizes that educational outreach of Barter Theatre, 
     which includes the Young Playwrights Festival, the Internet 
     Distance Learning Program, the Student Matinee Program, and 
     the touring company of Barter Theatre, the Barter Players, 
     exposes young people to playwriting and performances and 
     encourages artistic expression.

  The concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________