Editor's Note by Jesse Chambers

Red Mountain Theatre in Birmingham searched for decades to find the right location to build a new arts campus.

That search came to a happy end for the RMT recently when it turned a former warehouse in Parkside into a $25 million facility with theater spaces, classrooms and offices.

The new campus will be a great place for the RMT to stage shows but also boosts the theater’s efforts to provide theatre training for a wide range of kids from across the metro.

For our cover story, we talked to Executive Director Keith Cromwell and Managing Director Jennifer Jaquess about the new facility’s positive impact.

We also look at the third season — beginning May  1 — for the Birmingham Legion FC of the USL (United Soccer League) Championship.

Led by Coach Tom Soehn and playing at BBVA Field, the Legion finished 7-5-4 in 2020 and made the playoffs.

We talk to Soehn and to the team’s president and general manager, Jay Heaps, about the team’s prospects in 2021 and its efforts to build fans and be active in the community.

Don’t forget to remain vigilant about COVID-19. Wear a mask, practice social distancing and get vaccinated as soon as you can.