The Barnstormers Theatre is located in the center of picturesque Tamworth Village in east central New Hampshire. Built in the 1820s as a store, in 1936 the building was remodeled as a theatre. Following renovation in 1998-1999, it became a year-round facility. With a 28-foot proscenium stage, the auditorium has 282 comfortable seats in orchestra and balcony, air-conditioning, and superb acoustics.
The Barnstormers’ mission statement is "to keep vital the value, spirit, and tradition of fine summer theatre in Tamworth and to provide a venue for and to promote varied cultural activities within the region." During July and August, the resident professional acting company produces eight shows, one each week. From September to June, the facility is available to rent for concerts, drama and dance performances, talks and community events.
The Barnstormers was founded in 1931 by Francis and Alice Cleveland and Ed Goodnow as a resident summer acting company. In the early days the company trouped from town to town in the region, five nights a week, performing a new play each week. After World War II it gave up barnstorming to perform all five nights at the theatre in Tamworth.
As far as we know, we are the only theatre in the country still producing a show a week with a resident company in the old summer stock tradition.
Many of our core company actors - all members of the Actors’ Equity union – have worked together for years, and younger ones enjoy a rigorous theatre training in a highly supportive group setting. Mutual support is needed when you are learning one show during the day while performing another at night!
Plays include old favorites and less well-known gems of the American and British stage, with a slant towards comedy, and contemporary and occasional new plays. There is usually one musical each summer and one more serious drama and mystery. See other pages on this website for past and upcoming shows.
The audience is a broad cross-section of year-round and summer residents of Tamworth and the surrounding area. For many, The Barnstormers is a long-standing summer tradition. Our mailing list continues to grow as new visitors to the region discover the pleasures of an evening at the theatre in Tamworth Village - which can include dinner at any of many nearby cafes and restaurants, and a stroll through the peaceful and picturesque village.
The stage crew includes theatre professionals from across the country as well as local youth 16 and up. We employ a dozen or so local junior high youngsters as ushers. One of our actors holds an annual theatre workshop for children, in conjunction with the Tamworth Recreation Department.
Following the 1998-1999 renovation and winterization, the theatre’s bylaws and mission statements were amended to recognize the broader commitment to the community that we were able to provide as a year-round facility.
Each year many different organizations, nearly all non-profits, use the theatre for a variety of cultural events: folk, jazz, and classical concerts, dance and drama performances, educational talks and civic events. The Arts Council of Tamworth with its frequent and varied productions, the local Shakespeare company, Advice to the Players’, and Tamworth Learning Circles are the facility’s most frequent users. All events are promoted locally and a large number of attendees are from the town.
Summer ticket sales and rental income cover only 57% of our annual operating expenses. The balance is covered by donations from our patrons, sponsorships and grants. The Barnstormers is a 501-C-3 nonprofit governed by a 15- to 20-member Board of Directors. The Chairman is George Cleveland of Tamworth. The theatre’s Producing Artistic Director is Bob Shea.
