Barter Theatre Brings Alice in Wonderland to McDowell County Schools

Barter Theatre brought a production of Alice in Wonderland to multiple McDowell County schools during a three-day tour that ran Feb. 9-11, 2026, offering students and community members a free hour of live theatre despite recent winter disruptions.

The district feed announced a community performance at Mount View High School auditorium, posting: “FREE Community Performance of Alice in Wonderland by Barter Theatre starting at 11:30AM at MV in the Auditorium. The show lasts one hour.” Regional coverage and social posts confirmed performances at Coalfield Elementary in Welch, and schedule updates from republished coverage listed Iaeger Elementary for Tuesday, February 10, and both Southside K-8 and Bradshaw Elementary for February 11.

Local reporting captured student reaction and on-site color. “It was a great day for the kids at Coalfield Elementary in Welch as the students enjoyed a performance put on the Barter Theatre Company,” Ross Cline of WVNS reported, a line that also appeared on the school district’s social channels. A republished summary described the production as well, noting: “The theatre company showcased the whimsical tale of Alice in Wonderland for the kids of McDowell County.”

The appearances came amid recent winter weather and transportation challenges in the district. The McDowell County Schools feed included several operations posts for Feb. 9 with exact wording: “2/9/26 Bus 182 R McCoy will not make his morning run but WILL run this afternoon if families can transport scholars for learning,” and “2/9/26 Bus 142 I Deel will NOT run. We hope families can transport scholars to school. We have no subs available to cover the run.” The district also posted: “McDowell County Schools will be operate on a THREE HOUR DELAY 2/9/26. \ALL regular bus routes will run. CTC Schedule B - PM Students.” Still, republished coverage stated, “Despite the recent winter weather, the show went on as planned.”

District staff framed the visits as part of a continuing relationship with the state theatre company. “The staff of McDowell County Schools say they are proud to partner with Barter Theatre every year to put on a special performance for the kids,” one report noted, underscoring that this outreach is a recurring element of arts access for students in the county.

For McDowell County schools, the tour delivered live arts programming directly to classrooms and communities that face transportation and weather hurdles. The hourlong MV auditorium performance and the in-school shows at Coalfield, Iaeger, Southside K-8 and Bradshaw provided a shared cultural experience for children and families across the county. As the district resumes regular schedules after winter delays, the Barter Theatre tour highlights the role of sustained partnerships in keeping arts education visible and accessible for McDowell students and neighbors.