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In the tradition of the play, The Exonerated, comes Lucasville: The Untold Story of a Prison
Uprising. However, unlike the former death row prisoners in The Exonerated, the subjects of this play
are still struggling against injustice and are still sentenced to be executed. It was written with the
cooperation of the men who were sentenced to death for their alleged roles in the 1993 uprising that
rocked the prison in Lucasville, Ohio.
“Some of the most beautiful examples of American democracy are not found in and around the
White House, but in Lucasville. Convicts developed a system of democracy to fight for a
different world.” … Prof. Andrej Grubacic, Prof. of Sociology, Univerity of San Francisco
Lucasville is a moving and powerful theatre presentation, so much so that the 2007 version of it was
presented Off Broadway as part of the New York International Fringe Festival in 2008.
Backstage.com, New York City said, “Both dramatically and societally, Lucasville honors its
mission."
This new version has been re-written and can now be produced by the general public and done as a
dramatically staged reading or as a full production - in 9 days or 6 weeks - depending on your budget
and time. It has been re-written for accessibility and budget. Oversight and editing help has been
provided by the books author, Staughton Lynd, and augmented with the enormous source material
that has been gathered for over fourteen years by attorneys Alice and Staughton Lynd.
The play describes how the prisoners worked together, black and white, Muslims and members of the
Aryan Brotherhood, side by side, to demand better conditions, and it tells how the State of Ohio
engineered the convictions. The remarkable solidarity among these men continues to this day.
Playwrights Notes for Those Considering a Production
This script is protected by copyright and those considering its full use or excerpts for production must
contact the playwright, Gary Anderson at 530-243-9945 for written permission. Royalties are industry
standard minimum and the scripts come complete with original music and sound effects.
It can be done with a minimum of 9 actors (five white men, three black men and one woman are
needed) performing multiple roles or as many actors as you wish. There are 28 speaking roles. We
would be happy to tell you how it can be done with 9 actors and in what roles. It has been produced
successfully as such, and we can provide an easy-to-understand chart for your production. For
examples: The woman plays – Tower voice, the Mother, Teresa Elway, the Major and the Judge. One
white man plays Jason Robb, Reporter John, etc.
In April 1993 prisoners took over a cellblock in the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility. Nearly 2,000
law enforcement officers and National Guard troops surrounded the prison. Hundreds of news people
from the national media, papers, radio and TV stations in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton,
Toledo, and Akron flocked to the area.
The 11-day uprising ended with a negotiated settlement. Nine prisoners and a hostage correctional
officer had been murdered.
MURDERERS OR SCAPEGOATS?
The leaders were singled out as organizers of the uprising and who were the spokesman for the
prisoners. The State sought and attained convictions and death sentences for four men almost entirely
on the basis of snitch testimony. These convictions were handed down without any physical evidence
and despite compelling evidence of the defendants’ innocence.
Howard Zinn, author of A People’s History of the United States, says of the book by Staughton Lynd,
on which the play is based, “Lucasville is one of the most powerful indictments of our “justice
system” I have ever read. What comes across is a litany of flaws deep in the system, and
recognizably not unique to Lucasville.”
The story of these men is a textbook case for what is wrong with the death penalty. The ease with
which the state has been able to bring these men to the point of execution will make any viewer want
to rethink not only the justification for these convictions, but the legitimacy of the death penalty
itself!
“Lucasville… is a resounding affirmation of our common humanity.”
-- Michael Mello, author of The Wrong Man: A True Story of Innocence on Death Row
Uprising. However, unlike the former death row prisoners in The Exonerated, the subjects of this play
are still struggling against injustice and are still sentenced to be executed. It was written with the
cooperation of the men who were sentenced to death for their alleged roles in the 1993 uprising that
rocked the prison in Lucasville, Ohio.
“Some of the most beautiful examples of American democracy are not found in and around the
White House, but in Lucasville. Convicts developed a system of democracy to fight for a
different world.” … Prof. Andrej Grubacic, Prof. of Sociology, Univerity of San Francisco
Lucasville is a moving and powerful theatre presentation, so much so that the 2007 version of it was
presented Off Broadway as part of the New York International Fringe Festival in 2008.
Backstage.com, New York City said, “Both dramatically and societally, Lucasville honors its
mission."
This new version has been re-written and can now be produced by the general public and done as a
dramatically staged reading or as a full production - in 9 days or 6 weeks - depending on your budget
and time. It has been re-written for accessibility and budget. Oversight and editing help has been
provided by the books author, Staughton Lynd, and augmented with the enormous source material
that has been gathered for over fourteen years by attorneys Alice and Staughton Lynd.
The play describes how the prisoners worked together, black and white, Muslims and members of the
Aryan Brotherhood, side by side, to demand better conditions, and it tells how the State of Ohio
engineered the convictions. The remarkable solidarity among these men continues to this day.
Playwrights Notes for Those Considering a Production
This script is protected by copyright and those considering its full use or excerpts for production must
contact the playwright, Gary Anderson at 530-243-9945 for written permission. Royalties are industry
standard minimum and the scripts come complete with original music and sound effects.
It can be done with a minimum of 9 actors (five white men, three black men and one woman are
needed) performing multiple roles or as many actors as you wish. There are 28 speaking roles. We
would be happy to tell you how it can be done with 9 actors and in what roles. It has been produced
successfully as such, and we can provide an easy-to-understand chart for your production. For
examples: The woman plays – Tower voice, the Mother, Teresa Elway, the Major and the Judge. One
white man plays Jason Robb, Reporter John, etc.
In April 1993 prisoners took over a cellblock in the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility. Nearly 2,000
law enforcement officers and National Guard troops surrounded the prison. Hundreds of news people
from the national media, papers, radio and TV stations in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton,
Toledo, and Akron flocked to the area.
The 11-day uprising ended with a negotiated settlement. Nine prisoners and a hostage correctional
officer had been murdered.
MURDERERS OR SCAPEGOATS?
The leaders were singled out as organizers of the uprising and who were the spokesman for the
prisoners. The State sought and attained convictions and death sentences for four men almost entirely
on the basis of snitch testimony. These convictions were handed down without any physical evidence
and despite compelling evidence of the defendants’ innocence.
Howard Zinn, author of A People’s History of the United States, says of the book by Staughton Lynd,
on which the play is based, “Lucasville is one of the most powerful indictments of our “justice
system” I have ever read. What comes across is a litany of flaws deep in the system, and
recognizably not unique to Lucasville.”
The story of these men is a textbook case for what is wrong with the death penalty. The ease with
which the state has been able to bring these men to the point of execution will make any viewer want
to rethink not only the justification for these convictions, but the legitimacy of the death penalty
itself!
“Lucasville… is a resounding affirmation of our common humanity.”
-- Michael Mello, author of The Wrong Man: A True Story of Innocence on Death Row
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| LUCASVILLE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF A PRISON UPRISING |
| American Legends Theatre Works 530.243.9945 americanlegends@sbcglobal.net |
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