The Yellowhammer Theatre Group debuted its latest theatrical performance called " A complicated Hope" on Friday, Jan. 29 and Saturday, Jan. 30, which led to a "packed house" filled with Selma residents and community members. | The Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Information By Faith Callens Special to the Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Information Friday night, A Selma -based theatre company known as the Yellowhammer Theatre Group opened the doors of the Harmony Club at 1103 Water Avenue to present its latest theatrical performance called “A Complicated Hope”. “A complicated Hope” was a production that drew guests in from the beginning featuring an array of emotions from grief, love, to the eerie feelings of pain and sadness through the exploration of challenges including losing a loved one. The performance also depicted the inhabiting feeling of joy of finding a family of choice while simultaneously allowing each character to let their true selves be found. The cast of the special performance consisted of Rose Marie, who was played by Sydni Michelle Perry, Marie, who was played by Irene Polk and Arnie, who was played by Jeff Hathcoat. Yellowhammer Theatre Group Producer Patti Siegel, said that the performance’s opening night was considered a success and she said as a producer, she was incredibly proud of how well the cast and production team’s efforts worked together. “[From] the Playwright John Mabey’s words, with Emily McClain’s vision as a director and the incredible performances by these three cast members,” Siegel said. “It was flawless and I loved the reaction from the people who came to see it. I heard wow, amazing over and over and over. It was a very proud moment.” Like Siegel, several attendees of the opening night’s performance said the same or similar comments toward the end of the night during the cast and production team’s meet and greet session. On Saturday night, the Yellowhammer Theatre Group geared up for another amazing night to showcase the performance and to leave the residents and visitors of Selma with a special production that would make a lasting impression for more performances to come. Siegel said she wants those who came to the production no matter what night, to know that theater creates shared experiences within in the community. “We bring stories like tonight, where you see the importance of connection, and in this particular case, connection and family and it’s just a wonderful way to open your mind,” Siegel said. “The more you come to the theater and see stories that maybe you are not familiar with in terms of your own life, it broadens everyone’s perspective and it opens the community up to each other and creates these shared experiences.” The Yellowhammer Theatre Group is focused expressly on bringing theatre performances and arts education programs to Alabama’s Black Belt region expanding opportunity and access to this vibrant and important art form, according to the Yellowhammer Theatre Group mission statement. ______________________________ Exclusive Interviews | provided by The Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Information |Playwright John Mabey | Writer and storyteller whose plays have been published and produced on stage in nine countries and throughout the United States. SDCC: In the production, there was a lot of emotional pieces from happiness to sadness, grief.. So why was all of that depicted to make this production come to life? John: That’s a great question. Grief is something that is for me, non linear, because when I think of the people that are gone from my life, I flash through different moments that we’ve had together, and sometimes they are more recent moments or sometimes they are moments from far in the past. So that’s why the play is that non linear structure that flashes around in time. I find that when I think of people that I have lost, I remember the happy times, and also the time where we were angry with each other and when we had disappointment that we never resolved and I feel like the totality of that makes up the complexity of grief and also hope and joy. SDCC: So when people see this in person, all the parts together, what is one thing or a couple things you want them to take away? John: Oh, wonderful. I want people to take away the idea that family is not the only people that you are related to but they are also the people that you find and I also want people to take away that no matter how dark and sad life can feel, that there is HOPE for tomorrow. SDCC: How long did it take you to write this? How did you find the people? John: I wrote this play after my father passed away in 2020 and I was thinking and I was in my own grief, and the play came out very quickly during the time. And then after that, I had some amazing creative people that collaborated with to hear the play out loud, to develop the play. I thank Patti Siegel, the founder and producer of Yellowhammer Theatre Group, she has been instrumental in believing in me and this story and helping bring this work to Selma and make it as complete as it really can be. *Mabey said that Friday, Jan. 30 and Saturday, Jan. 31 was the first time the play, “A Complicated Hope” was shown in Selma. | (Rose Marie) Sydni Michelle Perry | Multidisciplinary creative artist and performer based in Atlanta SDCC: Is this your first time in Selma? How does feel to be in Selma and to be in such a historical place? Sydni: It is super exciting. Never been to Selma and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I think there’s just like an energy in the city that’s buzzing and I think meeting the people has really made me feel like, I guess, at home in a way and very excited to bring this story to them. We had a cocktail party and people were just like , “Wow. Tell us about the play. We are so excited to have art here in Selma.” So just to be apart of that, it’s a gift and I’m really thankful to be apart of that. SDCC: So, tell me a little bit about your journey. How did you start out being an actress? Sydni: I am a military kid, so I was born in San Antonio, Texas and we moved to Maryland, and then we settled in Augusta, Georgia, and I went to Decatur, Georgia at Agnes Scott for college and stayed there and I started my acting journey almost seven years ago. Now, I want to say because before that, I was an athlete for like 14 years, so that was always taking up my time. And I describe it as like a little voice in my head that was like, try acting. And, I’m like, okay. So within a few months, I’ve gotten my first agent and like a couple bookings here and there and I was like maybe I’m kind of good at this. Then fast forward, seven years later, now, I have been in films and TV. This is my first full stage play that I have been in a role like this and in lots of commercials. So, it’s been a very rewarding journey, because I think with the artist’s lifestyle or experience, a lot of people think that it’s hard and things don’t work out how you always think they will, but I would say that perseverance and continuing to just keep going has rewarded me in ways that I just never thought possible. SDCC: So what would you tell somebody that’s inspiring to be an actress? Because we have a lot of theater kids around here. Sydni: I would say, be very clear on your own vision of where you want to go, but also be very flexible on how you get there, because getting here today came through basically being a stage manager for something else, connecting with someone else. From that one project to being a director somewhere else, like just relationships that I have built over time and in positions that I never thought I was going to hold and that wasn’t specifically being an actor in those moments. So I think it’s just being open to what God, what the Universe has in store for you, and not being so laser focused on how you think it should be , because it might be something you could never even imagined and even better than what you hope, hope is your world. SDCC: What was your role? Sydni: I was the daughter of Marie and her name is Rose Marie and basically she grew up not knowing what happened to her father. SDCC: So, is there anything is about your character that you want to say to someone who’s interested in doing theatre? Sydni: This is my very first time doing a full length play and one of the main things that I was afraid of when I started was like, “Am I going to be able to remember all the lines? Are my choices going to be good? Like how is this going to work out? Like, I’m going to suck. But the team behind this project, Emily McClain, the director, Irene, the other actor and Jeff Hathcoat, the other actor and Patti Siegel, the producer, have all been so supportive, and they are true professionals, so I was always open to learning and taking in what they were doing and allowing myself to be in the space, prepare as much as I can but to also know that I don’t have to be perfect. Because I think I thought I had to be perfect for me to be able to do well, or for them to like me and once I let that go and just trusted my co actors and did the preparation that I could, I also spoke up when I had ideas and shared them and committed to those choices. Emily was an amazing collaborator. She’s like, “yeah, let’s try it. I love that. Keep it.” Im like, “Oh, okay.” And my confidence just built all the way through this process. So, I’m just like now, that was easy. Like, the little Staples button. So, I think giving yourself the space to learn, stumble and grow is key and by the end of it, you might just surprise yourself. | (Marie) Irene Polk | Actress, thrilled to make her Yellowhammer Theatre Debut! SDCC: Tell me a little bit about your role. Irene: I play Marie in “A Complicated Hope”. A little bit about Marie, she is a very strong, intelligent lawyer who loses her husband after 12 years of marriage and she finds out that he was having a secret affair. It’s just been such a pleasure to play Marie and be apart of Yellowhammer [Theatre Group] and bringing the theater to Selma. It’s been so beautiful and so wonderful and the community here has been absolutely amazing. It’s not just us that put this together . There are friends of Patti’s and Jerry’s who have come here, who have helped, let us use things and everything and it really shows you like family is what you create. It’s not always who you are born to or who you are born with, but it’s the people around you who you choose everyday to love and I really think that Selma is a great reflection of the theme of this story, which is found family and growing together as one. SDCC: So is this your first time coming to Selma? How does that feel being in such a historic place, seeing the city for yourself and what do you want people to take away from seeing your character? Irene: That’s a great question. I think what I want people to take away from seeing Marie is that you can’t do it alone. You have people who love you, who care about you, let them in. It’s hard, like I’m a victim of this myself, because I like to say, “I can do it all. I depend on myself. I can get it done.” Then, you are worn out, you are burdened, you are overbearing. There are people in this world who love you and who want to help you, let them in, be open, accept the love and accept the community. And again, like the community that we have had in Selma has just been beautiful. It’s been accepting. I don’t think there’s one place that we went to that people didn’t either know Patti and come up to us. We have talked to complete strangers who have just seen us and been like, “What are y’all doing here? What’s going on? And it’s just amazing because you don’t get that really much anymore. People talking to each other and people being like, “Hey, tell me your story.” I think what I want people to receive from Marie is to allow yourself to love, to be loved by other people and to pour into your community and allow them to pour back into you. I would also tell the people of Selma to keep watching for Yellowhammer. They are doing so many great things in this community, besides the shows that they put on here, they do a lot of engagement with an education, with kids at the high schools and middle schools and it’s so wonderful, the powerful work that they are bringing to Selma. So keep looking out for Yellowhammer because we are not done yet. We have a whole season coming out and we’ll be back soon. | (Arnie) Jeff Hathcoat | thrilled to be back in Selma with Yellowhammer Theatre Group. SDCC: What’s your role in tonight’s play? Jeff: Tonight, I played Arnie in “A Complicated Hope” and I was fortunate enough that John, our playwright actually approached us about producing this and asked if I would take on this role. I feel very honored that they trusted me with such a very deep and intense role that I did not realize until we started and I noticed that , “Oh, I’m in every single scene.” SDCC: So what do you want people to take away from your role as Arnie? Jeff: Your family can be truly anyone you choose to love and take care of and that does not necessarily mean, it’s a blood relation. It is just something that connects the two of you through truly the power of love. And that may sound silly or corny, but that is how these characters find each other, even through some of the grief that you see in this play. What brings them together is how they are surviving and they are surviving through love. SDCC: okay, so seeing somebody in the audience, that may be going through the some of the same things at home, what would you tell them? Jeff: The honest advice really is do not shy away from connecting with others when you are in a place of uncertainty, grief or sadness. Frankly in my experience, not even as my character, shutting down is not only going to hurt you and holding on to be alone, while it may feel good in the moment, will not really help you move on and process what you are going through. To dig yourself out of that is really as simple as finding a connection with someone that you love. *Jeff Hathcoat is from Atlanta, Georgia and he went to school in Boston where he studied acting in theater and then from Boston, moved to New York, where he did a bunch of shows like Shakespeare The Park, performed on Broadway and did other things regionally in the area that he considers “beautiful and wonderful”. Hathcoat also said in the interview he has a strong connection to Selma being that his stepdad is from here and said they both have been coming to Selma for 30 years and at this point, he feels being able to bring what he grew up wanting to do and sharing it with his second hometown has been such a beautiful experience. “Especially with how welcoming this community has been and how excited everyone is with this work, it’s honestly been jaw dropping,” Hathcoat said. For more information and upcoming performances from the Yellowhammer Theatre Group, visit www.https://www.yellowhammertheatregroup.com/

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaking at a mass meeting at Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma, Alabama. "Alabama Department of Archives and History. Donated by Alabama Media Group. Photo by Ed Jones, Birmingham News." By Faith Callens Special to the Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Information Starting today, there are several events happening in the Queen City to commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his efforts to bring forth change and equality to all people. The first event starting at 6 p.m. is the city’s annual criminal justice mass meeting that is held at First Baptist Church at 709 Martin Luther King Jr. St. The event will feature Alabama Senator Robert Stewart, who serves District 23, Alabama Representative Prince Chestnut, who serves District 67 including this year’s keynote speaker Doug Jones, who also served as a former U.S. Senator of Alabama from 2018 to 2021. “I think this is just a continuation that’s building upon last year’s events,” said Senator Stewart. “We received a lot of great fanfare and overwhelming support from the community, and we just want to keep it going and address the civil justice issues that our community has by giving people an opportunity to attend the warrant clinic from 4 to 7 p.m. as well and to just let people know that they have elected officials working for them, trying to improve their lives.” Stewart said with the event being held at First Baptist Church, a place where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke and where the first mass meeting was held, he finds it to be a grateful experience to continue King’s legacy to fight for civil rights while ensuring that there is a more, just society for Alabamians as a whole. “We just want people to walk away more informed about the justice systems and how they impact their lives,” Stewart said. Stewart went on to say, “Now, criminal justice is a community issue.” On Friday, Jan.16, the events surrounding the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. continue. There will be a movie screening Friday night at 6 p.m. called “The Trauma We Carry”, highlighting criminal justice reform activist Dena Dickerson, her life and how the criminal justice system affected her well-being at a young age. “It is just another opportunity for us to be more informed,” Stewart said. “All these events highlighting Dr. King and his legacy are about us recommitting to really trying to have a beloved community, recommitting to justice, opportunity and peace for all.” Stewart said Friday night’s event will include refreshments and a chance for the community to connect and fellowship with each other. On Monday, Jan.19, which is the official observance day for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he said that there will be two more historic events taking place as well. The 33 rd anniversary of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast sponsored by The Selma Chapter of the Links, Incorporated organization will start at 9 a.m. Monday at the Selma Convention Center at 211 Washington St. To conclude the evening of events, there will also be a wreath laying ceremony and candlelight vigil held at 5 p.m. at the Historic Tabernacle Baptist Church, 1431 Broad St.  Stewart said the unity breakfast event is ticket only and those interested can reach out to the Unity Breakfast Chairperson Dr. Willietta Conner at 334-412-6031 or Dr. Patricia Robinson at selmalinks@gmail.com for more information.

Reflections Coffee Shop owner Jackie Smith stands proudly with the Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce Director Sheryl Smedley at the shop's grand merge celebration. Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce By Faith Callens Special to the Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Information On Monday, The Reflections Coffee Shoppe held its official grand merge celebration that officially tied the legacy of its original coffee shop known as The Coffee Shoppe to its main location on 1014 Water Avenue. Coffee Shop Owner Jackie Smith said at the coffee shop’s celebratory closure event held on Dec. 29 that the Broad Street location was run for 14 years and that it contained a unique asset that kept customers coming back — its drive through. “We have a great idea [coming to Reflections] to replace the drive through,” Smith said. “We are going to designate two parking spaces out front curbside so people can call in their order, make payments, and when they are outside, they can either call us or [we are] going to strategically position those parking spaces [where they are visibly seen], like if you are standing at the register, you can look right out and say, “there’s a car in curb space number one or there’s a car in curb space number two.” Smith said not only are the coffee shop operations undergoing active changes, but that the menu at Reflections is too. “The traditional menu are salads and sandwiches,” Smith said. “That’s our specialty and what we are adding to the menu will be a soup of the week. We will have Wednesday on the Plate, which means we will have a special plated meal including the addition of breakfast items. We are going to have short stack pancakes with eggs and a choice of meat. Also, breakfast croissants that will be loaded with eggs, cheese and turkey sausage or bacon and our signature breakfast dish will be candied bacon.” Smith said the menu is online but not readily active because it’s under construction, but hopefully in the next 30 days, she said the website will be back up and running. “That’s a work in progress,” Smith said. But I will say by the end of the first quarter, we will have everything in place and hopefully operate like a well- oiled machine.” Smith said alongside new additions to the menu, there will also be brunch held at the coffee shop every second and fourth Saturday. “We have also hired a culinary specialist,” Smith said. “She’s in control of the menu and the offerings, the prep and the execution of the total menu and we are so happy to bring her on board.” Erial Hunter is the newest member of the Reflections Coffee Shoppe team and is the culinary specialist, whom Smith considers a Sous chef. Hunter was born and raised in Selma with deep roots in the kitchen from a very early age and said her interest in the culinary field came from her grandma. “My grandma started a business called Mary’s Exceptional Catering,” Hunter said. “It’s still up and running and has been [in business] for over 30 years now and when my grandma’s health started to decline, the business was passed down to my mom.” Hunter said her mom would help her grandmother with the business when she was a kid until her teenage years. Like her mom, Hunter took the same initiative years later as an adult after she quit her corporate job to assist her mom with the catering business to take it further than it has ever been. Hunter said she has solely worked with Exceptional Catering for three years and that she knew at the tender age of 10 years old that cooking was something she was passionate about. “I am already grateful, already mind blown at what God is doing,” Hunter said. I’m very faith-based from my head to my toes but yes, [this opportunity to work with Reflections] is huge. I’m beyond blessed,” Hunter said. Hunter said her feelings regarding the new position are beyond words. Hunter is the first culinary chef hired by the coffee shop since it opened last year in March. “This is history for Reflections,” Hunter said. “Emerging from the coffee shop to here and where Reflections is about to go. It’s very huge.” Smith said since the transition of both shops, customers do not have to worry about the issue of seating because the coffee shop can comfortably seat 118 people inside and 22 people on the outside in the patio seating area. “So, we have a capacity to do anything that you can dream of,” Smith said. “We also have a balcony that overlooks the Alabama River and the Edmund Pettus Bridge, and I say it’s the best view on this side of the bridge. So, don’t be surprised at whatever you see Reflections Coffee Shoppe doing down here because we are here to improve the quality of life for our citizens and our tourists that come in.” Smith said the new hours of operation at The Reflections Coffee Shoppe are 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays are closed for business unless there is a special event. For more information about the Reflections Coffee Shoppe, contact Jackie Smith at 334-878-5282.