Come Celebrate Lonnie Morris' 5th Year of Freedom and 75th Birthday!

An Extraordinary Evening of Theatre

No More Tears is hosting a special fundraiser reading of Lockdown, a play written by award-winning playwright Cori Thomas. The play highlights Lonnie Morris’s challenges in obtaining his freedom and brings to the stage a powerful story about incarceration, accountability, justice, resilience, and the human cost of being denied a second chance.

About LOCKDOWN

Lockdown has been produced Off-Broadway in New York City and is published.

Cori Thomas is an award-winning playwright whose work has brought important and often overlooked stories to audiences through theatre. Multiple Playwriting awards include. American Theater Critics -Best New Play; Helen Merrill Prize; NYT Critics Pick; New Dramatist’s Alum; Sundance Theater Lab;O’Neill Playwrights Conference; 6yr Mellon Foundation Playwright In Residence-WP Theater in NY and more. Cori is also the co-founder and artistic director of the San Quentin Film Festival.

For this benefit performance, she will be joined by an acclaimed cast of exceptional actors.

John Earl Jelks is a Tony Award–nominated actor best known for his performance in August Wilson’s Radio Golf. His extensive credits span theatre, film, and television, including Exhibiting Forgiveness, Night Comes On, and Miracle at St. Anna, as well as television appearances on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, New Amsterdam, and more.

Ian Duff is an accomplished theatre and film actor whose credits include the Academy Award–nominated film Judas and the Black Messiah, HBO’s We Own This City, and The Republic of Sarah. His theatre work includes the Broadway production of Bug, among numerous other stage and screen appearances.

J Alex Brinson, a graduate of The Juilliard School, has built an impressive career across television, film, and theatre. He is perhaps best known for his three-season role as Luke Watkins on All Rise. His additional screen credits include Travelers, American Sports Story, Supernatural, The X-Files, and more.

Sarah Nina Hayon is the Artistic Director of Magic Theatre and a bi-coastal actor working across theatre, film, and television. A three-time Drama Desk Award nominee, her credits include The Other Americans with John Leguizamo, Richard III starring Danai Gurira, and Macbeth at Magic Theatre. Screen credits include Succession, 13 Reasons Why, and Fairyland, with Bullet Catch starring John Leguizamo forthcoming. She is a longtime member of LAByrinth Theater Company.

Your Impact

A contribution to this event is an investment in more than one evening of theatre. It is an investment in second chances, opportunity, rehabilitation, youth development, and the belief that every person has the ability to become changemakers in their communities.

Please join us on October 19th for an unforgettable evening of storytelling, artistry, and help us reach our $100,000 fundraising goal.

Whether you attend, become a sponsor, or make a contribution, your generosity directly supports the ongoing work of No More Tears.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership with NMT! Your support ensures our communities have better pathways to success.

Please RSVP by Lonnie's Birthday, October 1st! Ticket purchases will still be available up until the day of the event; however, there is limited seating, and tickets are first come first serve basis.

Support Our Mission

From Lockdown to Freedom