American Lives Theatre Kicks Off 7th Season with World Premiere of THE MERIDIAN CAFE

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Lucy Thurber wrote the original script specifically for Indianapolis actors after visiting the city during an intensive development week.

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American Lives Theatre (ALT) kicks off its seventh season, themed "Moment of Truth," with the world premiere of The Meridian Cafe, written by acclaimed Off-Broadway playwright Lucy Thurber . Directed by ALT Artistic Director Chris Saunders , the production runs October 22 through November 8 at The Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre in downtown Indianapolis.

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The project originated in 2024 at The New Harmony Project's PlayFest, where Saunders and Thurber first collaborated. Thurber, a New York City-based writer originally from western Massachusetts, found herself fascinated by Indianapolis, particularly its dynamic as a 'blue city in a red state," its underlying Midwestern compassion, and the complex relationships among its residents. Inspired by the city, Thurber offered to write an original script tailored specifically to a core group of Indianapolis actors.

In February 2026, ALT brought Thurber to Indianapolis for an intensive development week. She interviewed six local actors, asking each to take her to "somewhere special" across the city to build the framework for the play. The result is The Meridian Cafe, set in a fictitious late-night diner inspired by historic and nostalgic Indianapolis gathering spots the Abbey Coffeehouse, Ollie's, and the legendary Peppy Grill in Fountain Square.

Set entirely during one autumn night, The Meridian Cafe follows multiple characters as they face individual moments of change, some large moments and others small. "I have admired Lucy Thurber 's writing for two decades," says Artistic Director Chris Saunders . "It is a real milestone for our company, and for me personally, to be able to work on new material written just for us by a writer I value and enjoy as much as Lucy."

Thurber is an OBIE Award-winning playwright, a Guggenheim Fellow, and the recipient of the Lilly Award. Her notable works include Scarcity, Where We're Born, and the celebrated five-play cycle The Hill Town Plays. The cast of The Meridian Cafe features local actors Ian Cruz , Matt Kraft, Morgan Morton, Lynne Perkins, Joshua Short, and Allen Sledge.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/indianapolis/article/THE-MERIDIAN-CAFE-to-Open-American-Lives-Theatres-7th-Season-20260928)._