How do you captivate an auditorium full of students ranging in age from PreK to 7th grade? If you’re the Barter Players, a six-member acting troupe from Abingdon, Virginia, you make them believe it’s snowing on stage.
On December 5, the Barter Players transformed the auditorium of the Lancaster Elementary School 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 performances (given at 9:30 and, for older students, at 1:30), 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. In an early scene, dancers swirled beneath flowing white capes and glistening music, filling the stage with a vision of snow.
“I liked the wind lady. She snapped those big stick wings and the actors pretended to be sooo cold,” said a first grader in Alyssa Westerman’s class. “They made you think they were cold by making faces and sounds and holding their arms like this.”
“I could talk all day about what the creative arts do for our students,” said Westerman. “The show provided a shared experience that is a vehicle for teachers to use to deliver, build and extend lessons. You can see the empathy on their faces, the joy, their understanding of new concepts. ‘Can we act it out?’ is a regular question in my classroom. Everyone wants to act out our stories now.”

Donna McGrath
Frosty, A Musical Adventure
Under a magic hat, a snowman comes alive in New York City’s Central Park during a production by the Barter Players of “Frosty, a Musical Adventure” December 5 at Lancaster Elementary School.
The action soon made it clear that a social worker from Florida is looking for Billy, who has run away to Central Park to make the perfect snowman for his mother because he didn't get to bring her there before she got sick and died. In "flashback" Billy's mother tells him about growing up in New York and how her father used to sing a song about the Angel of the Park (a statue) watching over her. She always built the perfect snowman there with the first snow.
Later Billy will build his own snowman with a street vendor, who teaches him to roll the snow into balls, represented by dancers swirling white capes and rising up. The snowman can talk, move his head, then his hands, his arms and is taught to step, to walk, and to dance. The students are spellbound, until they erupt in laughter at Frosty’s chill dance moves.
Desperate for money, Billy will steal a hat and try to sell it after his own backpack is stolen. He and the street vendor will warm themselves with a small fire, only to hear from the police officer that doing so is a violation. When the police officer chases Billy and Frosty up and down the aisles, the students really get involved.
“They ran all around. Even near us!” said one first grader. “We told them where to go when the cop was chasing too,” said another student. “Then they acted like they were frozen!” “That chasing around was funny!”
Eventually Billy will overhear Seamus, the homeless man who befriended him and who owns the magic hat, singing the same song Billy’s mom used to sing about the Angel of the Park. At that moment, they both realize Billy’s mom was Seamus’ daughter. The social worker promises to help them get a place where they can live together as a family. Seamus is, in fact, his grandfather.
The students realize it, too, and respond with loud applause. With help from the social worker and the police officer, Seamus and Billy begin to build a new life together. Frosty convinces Billy that he was wrong to take the hat in the first place and shows him that there is, after all, much good in the world.

Donna McGrath
Frosty, A Musical Adventure
Chased through the aisles by a police officer, Frosty returns to the stage and freezes, confusing the officer and delighting the students, who try to point out that he just moved. The Barter Players performed two shows of “Frosty, a Musical Adventure” December 5 at Lancaster Elementary School.
When the Players met their audiences after the show, laughter turned to thoughtful questions. Why did you teach the Snowman to walk? Why did Billy steal the hat? How do you change clothes so fast? (The six actors portray up to 15 characters).
“All our costumes are called ‘quick rig,’” replied one of the actors. “What look like buttons are really snaps, and we use tie strings a lot. And all of our outfits are pre-set before the show, lined up in order on special racks that you can’t see. We just grab them off and slip them on.”
RFA’s Arts for Youth season continues on Friday, April 11, 2025, when the North Carolina-based Bright Star Theatre presents The Wizard of Oz to students from K to 3rd grade at 8:30 am and Jack’s Adventure in Space to grades 4-7 at 9:45 am.
“Bringing these productions to the students is one of the highlights of the RFA activities, for all PreK-12th grade students need arts experiences,” said Jamie Tucker, RFA president. “That is why the RFA is raising funds to purchase audio and lighting equipment for the new Lancaster High School, so students in grades 8-12 can see professional arts productions and can themselves perform in a modern venue.”
RFA receives three local grants to support the Arts for Youth Program: from The River Counties Community Foundation, The Tidewater Foundation, and the Mason & Lulu Cole Trust Fund. In addition, the RFA receives grant monies from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts to support school performances.
For more information, please contact Donna McGrath at 804-438-5555 or admin@rfaonstage.com.