Birmingham theaters and artists — UAB alumna Rachel Burttram Powers is bringing us professional theater from a tiny location. Photo via Tiny Theatre’s Facebook.

I’ve never missed the annoyance of someone unwrapping a mint in the middle of a monologue or a concert go-er two feet taller than me blocking my view more than I have now. While we wait for the return of live theater and music, Birmingham artists have been hard at work bringing the shows to us.

1.60 Seconds from the Red Mountain Theatre Company Archives

It’s Tuesday and once again it’s time for…60 Seconds from the RMTC Archives!!! Today, we grab a hold of our umbrella and fly back to the summer of 2015. It’s the truly unforgettable Mary Poppins! pic.twitter.com/MbeOtg2lId
— RMTC (@RedMtnTheatre) April 28, 2020

Shorter than a Tik Tok video, I love reliving past fantastic RMTC shows through these short clips. Plus, it’s a nice break from the news you usually find on social. You can get in on the convo during RMTC’s virtual Community Conversations each week where prominent writers and artists discuss their work.

2. South City Theatre’s Free Show Friday

Every Friday, South City Theatre whips out their creativity to bring us entertainment from under isolation. It might include a past show from the archives, a performance via Zoom, or a rendition of an iconic song. Be sure to also tune into their Toe Tapping Tuesdays and Melody Mondays.

3. Birmingham Children’s Theatre Puppet Productions

So apparently these are for kids but I just spent a nice chunk of my workday watching them so you tell me. The performances are creative, adorable and professionally produced as all BCT shows are (not to mention relatable—one is about a canceled vacay).

The BCT team writes, edits, films and performs a 10-15 minute show from their home. The paper cast makes their debut on Facebook and the BCT website each Wednesday at 9AM.

4. “Cat Close-Ups” from the Central Alabama Theater

Take a box step through memory lane with production numbers from CAT’s previous six years. If you’ve been in a show or frequented the theater throughout the years, it’ll make you feel a lot less distant from your theater fam.

Be on the lookout for CAT Cyber CABARET May 26, too!

5. Iron City Lockdown Sessions

If you were one of those junkies who attended a concert as often as your wallet would let you, you’ll be psyched to watch Iron City’s Lockdown Sessions. Each week flip open your screen and head to Iron City’s Facebook for your very own show.

UPCOMING: Thursday, May 14 at 8PM – The Talismen
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6. Free shows on Ryktor app

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A post shared by Ryktor (@ryktor) on May 1, 2020 at 2:42pm PDT

For those unfamiliar, Ryktor is a Birmingham service where you can pay to stream shows from local artists live. Through their concert series, you can watch sets from your favorite Birmingham voices for FREE (but ya might as well donate while you’re there).

More ways to support local artists NOW.

7. WAIT—have you seen the Tiny Theater series by a UAB alumna and former Birmingham actress?

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A post shared by Rachel Powers (@rachel_b_powers) on Mar 27, 2020 at 9:43pm PDT

Not only is Rachel Burttram Powers a UAB graduate, she first started performing across Birmingham before she was selling out shows across the country. Now, Rachel and her husband have created something truly magical through Facebook’s Tiny Theatre.

Backlit by a string of fairy lights and shrinking their theater to a closet the size of a shoebox, the pair recreates the spirit of performance through two-man plays, monologues and more.