American Lives Theatre

06/23/2026

MEET THE CAST

Rehearsals begin tonight for "Extreme Home Makeover" by Makasha Copeland, and directed by Carlos Medina Maldonado.

Valentina has a vision: turn family heartbreak into a home makeover—complete with fresh paint, big dreams, and a spot on reality TV. As three generations of a Texas family throw themselves into auditions for the ultimate before-and-after home renovation show, hilarious chaos and culture clash comedy ensues.

We are so excited to present Sofia, Diego, Laila, and Caroline in this hilarious and heartfelt play about love, loss, and family!

"Extreme Home Makeover" opens July 16th, and runs through August 2nd. Tickets are available here: www.phoenixtheatre.org/buy-tickets

CONOCE AL REPARTO

Esta noche comienzan los ensayos de «Extreme Home Makeover», una obra de Makasha Copeland dirigida por Carlos Medina Maldonado.

Valentina tiene una visión: convertir el desengaño familiar en una reforma integral de la casa, con pintura nueva, grandes sueños y un puesto en un reality show. Cuando tres generaciones de una familia de Texas se lanzan a las audiciones para el programa definitivo de reformas de casas «antes y después», se desata un caos hilarante y una comedia de choques culturales.

¡Estamos encantados de presentar a Sofía, Diego, Laila y Caroline en esta divertida y conmovedora obra sobre el amor, la pérdida, y la familia!

«Extreme Home Makeover» se estrena el 16 de julio y estará en cartel hasta el 2 de agosto. Las entradas están disponibles aquí: www.phoenixtheatre.org/buy-tickets

06/07/2026

Today at 2 pm we will close Arlington, or Your Forgotten American Hero, a World Premiere play by Andrew Kramer. This production benefited from dozens of Indy artists in its development from idea to workshop to performance. If you are an actor who participated in an early reading, or a designer who contributed ideas, or a community member who helped us with programming, please know YOU helped create this piece. Much like Oliver Sipple and his community of friends, it took quite a village to bring this play to life and many people beyond those listed in the program. (Though of course we salute those fine people today too.) And if you've been curious about the play but still haven't seen it, well... today is your lucky day! Tickets remain for today's 2 pm matinee at https://www.phoenixtheatre.org/buy-tickets

Thank you to everyone who brought Oliver Sipple’s story to our stage. We hope he will find many other stages in the future, but we are proud to have started it here.

Photos Courtesy of Indy Ghost Light

06/05/2026

Intern Sami talks to THE playwright himself, Andrew Kramer, about the inspiration for Arlington, or Your Forgotten American Hero, what surprised him about writing it, and what Andrew's favorite parts are. Tickets are still available for tonight at https://www.phoenixtheatre.org/buy-tickets but hurry! You only have 3 more chances:

Fr - 7 pm
Sa - 4pm
Su - 2pm

06/04/2026

“What a rare treat to have intergenerational q***r people in the same room and hearing stories I’ve never heard before about people in my neighborhood.”

“As a straight person, I am humbled by hearing the sharing, the laughter, and what people are seeking now within the community.”

Thank you to everyone who attended the Trail Talk yesterday, and stopped to take in the "Out of the Margins" exhibit in the gallery! It was a wonderful success, full of stories, laughter, and most importantly, community.

You still have time to see the exhibit, as well as Arlington, or Your Forgotten American Hero, a World Premiere play by Andrew Kramer, before we close on Sunday!

www.phoenixtheatre.org/buy-tickets

06/04/2026

Jay Hemphill: "This is Pride month. If you don't see this show, you're homophobic."

Hear this gem and so many more in this hilarious cast interview video with all 6 members of the Arlington, or Your Forgotten American Hero, a World Premiere play by Andrew Kramer cast! It's so clear how much affection and enthusiasm this cast has for one another and the story they're telling! Special shout out to ALT's Spring/Summer Intern Sami Zaroui for recording and editing this rowdy roundtable.

Your next chance to see the show is TONIGHT! Four more shows:
Th & Fr: 7 pm
Sa: 4 pm
Su: 2 pm

Tickets are available now at https://www.phoenixtheatre.org/buy-tickets

06/03/2026

A playwright and a director walk into a bar...

And become best friends. The rest is...history! (Come on, you've heard that one.)

Meet Andrew Kramer (Playwright) and Chris Saunders (Director) of Arlington, or Your Forgotten American Hero, a World Premiere play by Andrew Kramer.

Aside from their collaboration on this production, Andrew and Chris have been good friends for many years, so it stands to reason that they are the perfect duo to spearhead this untold story into LGBTQ history. Their passion and drive for this story is very apparent, and can only be seen FOUR MORE TIMES!

Get your tickets now, before this show closes on Sunday, June 7th. www.phoenixtheatre.org/buy-tickets

06/03/2026

Tonight ONLY we will be hosting a powerful, exclusive conversation at Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre with local LGBTQ+ leaders and icons as they share what life, love, and resilience were truly like in Indy from the 1970s through the 90s. Much like our current play Arlington, or Your Forgotten American Hero, a World Premiere play by Andrew Kramer, history isn’t just in books - it’s alive. AND right here in Indy. In just one hour, you'll hear stories about your neighborhood that will stick with you. And it's FREE! Just register here:

Join us for a free trail talk celebrating Indy’s LGBTQ heroes and their inspiring stories!

06/02/2026

FREE, fascinating, and FUN conversation tomorrow night! Please join us from 6pm to 7pm on Wed June 3rd at Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre for a revealing and informal conversation about what LGBTQ life was like in Indy in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Where did everybody hang out? How did we get our first Pride here? Who paved the way? Come hear from the people who were there, and if YOU were there, come and share! This conversation is held in conjunction with Arlington, or Your Forgotten American Hero, a World Premiere play by Andrew Kramer, which closes this weekend. Come learn about our own hometown heroes. FREE, just reserve a spot!

Join us for a free trail talk celebrating Indy’s LGBTQ heroes and their inspiring stories!

06/01/2026

Thank you to Adam Crowe and A Seat on the Aisle for this review of Arlington, or Your Forgotten American Hero, a World Premiere play by Andrew Kramer. Just in time for Pride and Closing Weekend! Tickets are still available for this weekend.

Thu and Fri: 7 pm
Sat: 4 pm
Sun: 2 pm

Get tickets at https://www.phoenixtheatre.org/buy-tickets

https://asota.wordpress.com/2026/06/01/alts-arlington/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSK0uNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETE3MzJScURqMU1aRVRYSXduc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHk62kfLrXSrZ8FwDIBNkLzJY6GkLPhhGsnrnTnkv8sJEaV6gUKmCAQZbBKRP_aem_mvFhC3RY3CelK48vbO8-vw

reviewed by Adam Crowe Most of us will never have to worry about “who” gets to tell our story. Our daily toils and travails will never be blasted on the Internet or covered by television/cable news…

06/01/2026

In honor of Pride month, please enjoy this gay-inflated Arlington post with extra gay.

Listen, the tea is officially spilled. And Arlington, or Your Forgotten American Hero, a World Premiere play by Andrew Kramer is doing the absolute most.
​We didn't just put on a play; we are giving a high-concept, time-bending fever dream that honestly ate. It’s giving main character energy across multiple dimensions. It’s visceral, it’s trippy, and the design? Slay. ​If you’re tired of scrolling and want to actually feel something, come catch this vibe. It’s not a movie, it’s a moment. Period.

Divas, make sure you add this production to your Pride month planning before it sashays away on Sunday, June 7th! Tickets are still available here: www.phoenixtheatre.org/buy-tickets

Happy Pride, everyone!