LEWISTON — Joseph Jackson recited his lines with a cadence as steady as the hands on a watch.

“Time stops when the gun pops,

Stops when the gavel drops,

Stops in the cell block,

Stops when the solitary doors lock,

Stops after that hot shot of fentanyl-laced rock.”

Jackson stood in the center of a makeshift stage. Five actors flanked him in a semicircle. They are the cast of “Broken Clock,” an original play by Maine Inside Out. For years, the nonprofit has been making theater in correctional facilities and communities to inspire change. On this particular Wednesday afternoon, they were rehearsing a few hours before a performance at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham, the next stop on a statewide tour. On Tuesday, they have a special performance at the Public Theatre in Lewiston in advance of Juneteenth.

But Maine Inside Out recently lost $25,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts as the federal government slashes grants of all kinds. That award made up 20 percent of the tour budget for “Broken Clock.” So the nonprofit launched a campaign to replace the money by Friday so they can continue to bring the play across Maine for free.

“This isn’t just about one show,” the nonprofit wrote in a message to supporters. “It’s about amplifying voices of system-impacted people to ignite collective creativity and inspire social action.”

Chiara Liberatore started Maine Inside Out with two other women in 2008. Now, she is one of three executive directors alongside Jackson and Noah Bragg. Over the years, the organization has created plays, run theater workshops, hosted open mics and built relationships. That work has always centered on people who are or have been incarcerated. “Broken Clock” is about many things — motherhood, trying to call home from prison, gun violence, loss, generational trauma, the way incarceration affects family and friends.

“It really comes from the creative expression of each member of the ensemble,” Liberatore said. “We didn’t start off saying we wanted it to be about this or that. It just emerged.”

For the first time, longtime staff are on stage instead of behind the scenes. Maine Inside Out hired an external facilitator, Amanda Huotari, as part of the project. “Broken Clock” debuted one year ago at a Juneteenth festival in Lewiston and evolved further during a residency at the Celebration Barn in South Paris. Since then, they have done public shows at Mayo Street Arts in Portland, the University of Maine Farmington, Bates College in Lewiston and Colby College in Waterville. The play has continued to develop with every performance.

“After every show, we have a dialogue with the audience,” Bragg said. “We’re talking about it with them, and they’re talking about it with each other. Those experiences have also deepened the play.”

On Wednesday, the cast convened for a rehearsal at Maine Inside Out’s headquarters on Lisbon Street in Lewiston. They were fresh off a performance of “Broken Clock” for the women at Maine Correctional Center and the Southern Maine Women’s Reentry Center in Windham — the first inside a state prison on this tour. At the end, one woman in the audience asked, “Are you performing this play for people who aren’t incarcerated? So many of the things I’ve lived through I didn’t know about before they happened to me. I think everyone needs to see this performance.”

“They could relate to every single moment that was happening in the play,” Bragg said. “From laughter at certain lines, tears, people holding each other’s hands, audible gasps. The experience of performing was alive.”

Later this summer, the cast will perform at the Milbridge Theatre and again at the Celebration Barn. They are also planning to perform in other prisons, including Mountain View Correctional Center in Charleston. Last year, Maine Inside Out was working on a play there that was cut short, but audio recordings from that project have been incorporated into “Broken Clock.”

“Many of those men unfortunately are still incarcerated but have never seen the play or heard those recordings,” Bragg said. “We’re hopeful that they’ll be able to see it as we bring the play inside.”

The ongoing fundraiser is key to making that happen. The nonprofit sought grants so it could bring the play to venues that might not otherwise have access to theater.

“They are not going to have the funding to book the show, but we know it’s important to be there,” Liberatore said. “Like the prisons. There’s no funding to bring us into the prisons. The tour costs money. We’re coming together and rehearsing on a regular schedule. We’re driving places. We’re hiring a facilitator. So there’s real cost that goes into the tour and all the work that goes to book the tour. Ideally, having unrestricted funding to support the tour means there doesn’t have to be a large booking fee that might deter a community partner, and we don’t want to have to charge for tickets because we want it to be really accessible to anyone.”

At rehearsal, the cast members dragged their chairs into a circle. The wall was papered with flyers for open mics and colorful banners. One poster is a handwritten list: “Don’t give up.” “Check in with one another.” “Practice eye contact.” “Have each other’s back and support each other to go to deep places together.”

Everyone closed their eyes and breathed together. Huotari prompted them with questions for sharing and reflecting. She asked: “What are you letting go of?” The next performance at Maine Correctional Center — this one for the men — was on their minds.

“I want to let go of anxiety and stress on the outside so that we can go in open-minded and ready to spread a message clear and loud,” Tyler Jackson said.

“Last week was so incredible, and I think I’m letting go of any kind of expectation and comparison,” Bragg said. “It’s going to be a whole new audience, a whole new show, and I’ll be open to whatever happens.”

“The sense of control,” Joseph Jackson said. “Just let it be.”

“I’m letting go of stiffness and sadness and the expectations that I have,” Stacy Perez said. “The last one’s going to be hard to beat.”

“I think we can do it,” Hassan Hassan said.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: “Broken Clock” by Maine Inside Out

WHERE: The Public Theatre, 31 Maple St., Lewiston

WHEN: June 17

HOW MUCH: Free with the option to donate to Maine Inside Out

INFO: Doors open at 6 p.m. for food and activities. The program starts at 7 p.m. with an original short film, a performance of “Broken Clock” and a community dialogue. For more information about the “Broken Clock” tour or to reserve tickets, visit maineinsideout.org/brokenclock. For more information about the ongoing fundraiser, visit givebutter.com/mio25k

ALSO: Orange Bike Brewing Co. in Portland will host an event during their community happy hour on June 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. to close the fundraising for Maine Inside Out.