It’s not all grim across regional theater. Some venues offer ways to beat the post-pandemic blues

By MARK KENNEDY
AP Entertainment Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Everyone who enters Barter Theatre in southwestern Virginia is met and welcomed by Katy Brown, the producing artistic director. It’s a simple touch but a telling one for the 90-year-old theater in Abingdon that has forged a very human connection with its 8,000 residents. Barter Theatre is not just a theater; it’s their theater. Barter may offer a roadmap as regional theaters struggle to reconnect with lagging post-pandemic audiences. Lessons from other regional theaters — like embracing digital ways to connect, hosting events like LGBTQ Nights, rethinking the traditional calendar and even re-configuring theater lobbies — could help.