Betrayal, Sex and Love Fill Barter's Production of THE COTTAGE

Barter Theatre introduces "The Cottage" on Thursday, June 1. The production starts this week and runs until August 12 on Barter Theatre's Gilliam Stage.

The play features Amy Baldwin, Andrew Hampton Livingston, Hannah Ingram, Justin Tyler Lewis, Hope Quinn and Josh Levinson (pictured).

Telling the story of love and betrayal, "The Cottage" is full of laughs and surprises. When sly Sylvia sends telegrams to her husband and her lover's wife, the quartet meet at a secluded cottage to provide a saucy tale that explodes with laughs and razor sharp wit.

Director Richard Rose said the play's "brutal honesty" serves as the perfect premise for a comedy.

"So one person wakes up one day and tells everyone the truth. That one truth leads to a whole series of truths ... and the world is turned upside down. Not for harm, but for the better. The lives of everyone involved are changed. In many ways, the truth frees them from the burden of deceit," Rose said.

Be sure to get your tickets to upcoming Barter Theatre productions, with tickets for every show starting at $20. Call the Barter Theatre Box Office at 276-628-3991 for more information.

Barter Theatre, the nation's longest running professional theatre, is located in Abingdon, Virginia. The theatre opened in 1933 during the Great Depression. Founder Robert Porterfield offered patrons admission to the theatre by bartering food and livestock. Barter Theatre was designated as the state theatre of Virginia in 1946. It exists today as one of the last year-round professional resident repertory theaters remaining in the United States. Barter Theatre is funded in part by The Virginia Commission for the Arts and The National Endowment for the Arts.