Yankee Tavern Brings Mystery, Suspicion, and Conspiracy to South City Theatre This October

Four people. One tavern. And questions that refuse to go away.

South City Theatre is proud to present Yankee Tavern, Steven Dietz’s gripping dramatic thriller about conspiracy, uncertainty, and the sometimes unsettling distance between what we believe and what we can prove.

Set five years after September 11, 2001, the story takes place inside the fading Yankee Tavern, a crumbling New York City bar owned by Adam, a young graduate student preparing to marry his fiancée, Janet.

The tavern’s most familiar visitor is Ray, an old friend of Adam’s father and a devoted conspiracy theorist with an explanation for almost everything. His endless theories can be funny, outrageous, and easy to dismiss—until a mysterious stranger named Palmer walks into the bar.

Palmer seems to know things he shouldn’t know.

As an ordinary conversation begins to move into darker territory, Adam and Janet find themselves caught between rumor and reality. What begins with seemingly unbelievable theories slowly becomes much more personal, raising questions about coincidence, secrecy, trust, and just how certain we can ever be about the stories we accept as truth.

Playwright Steven Dietz combines humor, mystery, and suspense in a story that gradually draws its four characters—and the audience—deeper into a world where separating fact from speculation becomes increasingly difficult.

Directed by Donna Williamson, South City Theatre’s production features Dakota Fowler as Adam, Leah Tkacik as Janet, Holt Thomas as Ray, and Joaquin Guzman as Palmer.

Performance Dates

Performances will be presented at South City Theatre, located at 2969 Pelham Parkway, Suites J-K, Pelham, Alabama 35124.

Evening performances:

  • Friday, October 16, 2026, at 7:30 PM
  • Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 7:30 PM
  • Friday, October 23, 2026, at 7:30 PM
  • Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 7:30 PM

Sunday matinee:

  • October 18, 2026, at 2:00 PM

Content Advisory: This production contains adult language.

Whether you enjoy psychological thrillers, mysteries, thought-provoking drama, or stories that keep you questioning what is real until the final moments, Yankee Tavern offers an evening of theatre designed to keep audiences guessing.

Join South City Theatre this October and step inside the Yankee Tavern—where everyone has a story, everyone has a theory, and what you don’t know may be the most unsettling thing of all.

For tickets and information, visit SouthCityTheatre.com or call 205-621-2128.

The Cemetery Club Brings Laughter, Friendship, and New Beginnings This September

Three friends. Three different ways of moving forward.

South City Theatre is proud to present The Cemetery Club, the warm and touching comedy by Ivan Menchell about friendship, loss, and discovering that life may still have a few surprises waiting for us.

Ida, Lucille, and Doris are three longtime friends who meet each month for tea before visiting their husbands’ graves. Although their friendship remains strong, each woman has a very different idea about how—and whether—to move forward with her life.

Doris is devoted to preserving the past. Lucille is determined to embrace her freedom. Ida is ready to begin living again. When Ida meets Sam, a charming widower who may offer her a second chance at love, the women’s comfortable routine is suddenly disrupted.

Filled with sharp humor, heartfelt moments, and the affectionate disagreements that only close friends can have, The Cemetery Club explores how people cope with loss while reminding us that friendship, laughter, and love can continue at every stage of life.

Directed by Victoria Boyce, this South City Theatre production features Robin Rushing, Lisa Nelson, Billie Jo Pigniolo, David Gauntt, and Yvonne Gauntt.

New Dates and a New Location

Performances will be presented at Grace Klein Community, located at 419 Philippians Boulevard, Pelham, Alabama.

Evening performances:

  • Thursday, September 17, 2026, at 7:30 PM
  • Friday, September 18, 2026, at 7:30 PM
  • Saturday, September 19, 2026, at 7:30 PM

Saturday matinee:

  • September 19, 2026, at 2:00 PM

Whether you have experienced a lifelong friendship, started over after a difficult chapter, or simply enjoy a warm and witty comedy, The Cemetery Club offers an evening filled with laughter, tenderness, and hope.

Join South City Theatre this September and discover why it is never too late for friendship, love, or a new beginning.

The Shark Is Broken Docks at Homewood Theatre This July

Three men. One boat. One very long wait.

South City Theatre is excited to present The Shark Is Broken, the acclaimed comedy by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon that takes audiences behind the scenes of one of the most famous films ever made.

In 1974, the production of Jaws was underway, but there was one major problem: the mechanical shark wouldn’t work. As filming delays stretched from days into weeks, the movie’s three stars—Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, and Roy Scheider—found themselves stranded together aboard the Orca with little to do except argue, joke, drink, reminisce, and wonder if the film would ever be completed.

What emerged from that troubled production would become the first summer blockbuster. But The Shark Is Broken focuses on the moments nobody saw—the frustrations, friendships, rivalries, and unexpected humanity that existed behind the camera.

Co-written by Ian Shaw, son of actor Robert Shaw, the play offers a fascinating and often hilarious glimpse into the personalities behind the iconic characters of Quint, Hooper, and Brody. Filled with sharp wit, nostalgia, and surprising emotional depth, the show captures what happens when three talented actors are forced to confront one another—and themselves—while floating in uncertainty.

This South City Theatre production will be hosted by Homewood Theatre and features a talented cast bringing these legendary Hollywood figures to life on stage. Whether you’re a lifelong Jaws fan or simply enjoy great theatre, The Shark Is Broken delivers an entertaining evening of comedy, conflict, and cinematic history.

Performance Schedule

July 9–12, 2026

  • Thursday, July 9 – 7:30 PM
  • Friday, July 10 – 7:30 PM
  • Saturday, July 11 – 2:00 PM (Matinee)
  • Saturday, July 11 – 7:30 PM
  • Sunday, July 12 – 2:00 PM (Matinee)

Location

Homewood Theatre
1831 28th Avenue South
Homewood, AL 35209

Tickets

Tickets: $25

Tickets are sold through South City Theatre’s ticketing system.

⚠️ Advisory: Contains adult language.

For tickets and information, visit South City Theatre or contact us at info@southcitytheatre.com or (205) 621-2128.

We’re going to need a bigger boat.

The Pelham BEAT

A murder mystery? YES, please! With dinner? HECK YEAH! In Pelham?

In conjunction with: South City Theatre & Pelham Civic Complex

Location: Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena

Tickets https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1984242192813?aff=oddtdtcreator

Set on the filming of a 1950s-era television sitcom
Inspired by a comedic “wacky housewife and her Cuban husband” dynamic
Audience acts as a studio audience watching the show being filmed
A murder occurs during production, and the mystery unfolds from there
Includes comedic elements and references to classic and modern television
Event Experience
Schedule Flow
6:00 PM – Doors open (lobby access, drinks available)
6:30 PM – Buffet opens
~7:00 PM – Show begins
Food & Drink

Signature Cocktails:

Cuban Mojito
Vita-Meata-Vegamin

Meal Options:

Meatloaf
Cuban-style Mojo Chicken
Salad and sides
Apple crisp dessert

South City Renovations

South City Theatre is doing some serious spring cleaning! With the help of our new landlords and the Pelham Fire Marshall, we are temporarily closing the theatre to focus on renovation efforts. The renovations will result in a safer and more welcoming experience for you, our patrons.

The current production, Red, White, and Tuna is being postponed. Patrons with reservations will be contacted about rescheduling.

Thanks so much for your patience while we are closed

WELCOME TO SOUTH CITY THEATRE

WELCOME to South City Theatre’s website. We are Shelby County, Alabama’s award-winning community theatre, bringing the best of local productions for adults and children to your doorstep since 1999!

Learn more about us by checking out the “About” tab. Join us either onstage, backstage, or in the audience for an entertaining theatrical experience! We would love to have you with us! Located at 2969 Pelham Pkwy, Pelham, Alabama.

ACTingUP SUMMER CAMP 2026

It’s official! The ActingUP Summer Camp Production this June is Frozen, Jr. Send your children to Arendelle “In Summer,” and “Let It Go.” For two weeks, they play with Elsa, Anna, Sven, Kristoff, Olaf, and trolls. Your kids already know the story and the songs.

The camp and performances will be at The Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, 858 Kent Dairy Road, Alabaster. Dates are June 1 – 13, 2026 from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM with four performances on June 12, 13 and 14, 2026

SUMMER CAMP 2026 REGISTRATION FORM

Opening This Week: The Cottage

Escape to the English countryside—where secrets unravel, doors slam, and absolutely nothing goes according to plan. The theatre proudly presents The Cottage, the razor-sharp comedy by Sandy Rustin that took Broadway by storm, running Feb. 6-7, 2026, and Feb. 13-14, 2026, as 7:30 PM. There will be one matinee on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, at 2:00 PM.

A loving (and gleeful) send-up of classic British farce, The Cottage follows a group of wildly
confident, deeply misguided characters whose romantic entanglements collide inside a
single country cottage. What begins as a clandestine affair quickly spirals into mistaken
identities, unexpected visitors, flying accusations, and nonstop laughs. The result is a fast-
paced comedy that rewards audiences with both highbrow wit and delightfully lowbrow
chaos.

This production features an all-star “dream cast,” with Sydney Alison Batten, Jacob Call,
Robin Rushing, Bill Allen, Casey O’Brien, and Holt Thomas bringing Rustin’s rapid-fire
dialogue to life. Direction is helmed by Pat Yates, whose comedic sensibilities perfectly
match the play’s bold timing and unapologetic humor.

Originally a Broadway hit, The Cottage earned acclaim for its modern twist on traditional
farce—celebrating theatrical excess while poking fun at it in equal measure. With sharp
language, heightened situations, and a relentless pace, the play feels both classic and
contemporary.

Whether you’re a longtime theatre lover or just in need of a smart, laugh-out-loud night out,
The Cottage promises an evening of delightful scandal and theatrical mayhem.

Content Advisory:
This production includes adult language and situations, depictions of smoking, and brief
gunshot sound effects. If this were a film, it would be rated PG-13.


Show dates are Feb. 6-7, 2026, and Feb. 13-14, 2026, as 7:30 PM. There will be one matinee
on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, at 2:00 PM.