JAY SEFTON’S AWARD-WINNING SOLO-PLAY “UNRECONCILED” PLAYS WEST SPRINGFIELD’S MAJESTIC THEATER FOR THREE SHOWS ONLY ON JUNE 26–27
The award-winning Unreconciled, based on the true story of an adolescent actor cast as Jesus in a school play directed by a parish priest later named in a grand jury report, plays the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, for three performances only on June 26 at 2PM and 7:30PM, and June 27, at 7:30PM. Co-written by Jay Sefton and Mark Basquill, and performed by Sefton, Unreconciled is directed by Geraldine Hughes.
Unreconciled takes audiences on a magic carpet ride through parental love and bewilderment during difficult times in this moving portrait of working-class life in a whiskey-drenched, sports-crazed suburb of Philadelphia in the 1980s. This 80-minute solo performance chronicles a survivor’s journey as he confronts his past, navigates a victims’ reparations program set up by the Catholic Church, and discovers the courage to use his voice.
Just back from a highly acclaimed run in Los Angeles, Unreconciled was recently named an official selection for opening weekend at the Belfast International Arts Festival in October 2025. The show had its world premiere at Chester Theatre Company in 2024 and won the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association awards for Outstanding Solo Performance, Outstanding World Premiere of a Play, and was nominated for Outstanding Production of a Play. It has since played in Belfast, Ireland, New York City, Wilmington, NC, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, where it was named Stage Raw Magazine’s “Top Ten Recommended Picks.” Unreconciled opened the 2025 season at Bare Bones Productions in Pittsburgh, and will be performed at the SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) National Conference in Harrisburg, PA in July.
There will be talkback discussions following each of the three shows. The participants include Martin (Marty) Baron, former editor of The Boston Globe, during whose tenure the Globe won six Pulitzer Prizes, including for its investigation into the Catholic Church’s concealment of clergy sex abuse. That coverage was portrayed in the Academy Award-winning movie Spotlight.
The talkback schedule is as follows:
- Thursday, June 26 at 2:00 p.m.—Len and Joyce Berkman and Jay Sefton, moderated by Melenie Freedom Flynn
- Thursday, June 26 at 730 p.m.— Marty Baron and Jay Sefton, moderated by Dave Madsen
- Friday, June 27 at 7:30 p.m.— Skip Shea, Nancy Eve Cohen, and Jay Sefton, moderated by Dave Madsen
(Click here for full bios of the panel guests)
For a production history of Unreconciled, biographies of its creative team, reviews, upcoming tour dates, and information on the Unreconciled Project, visit the website at unreconciledtheplay.com.
Tickets for all performances of Unreconciled are available at The Majestic Theater, 413-747-7797 or majestictheater.com/unreconciled.
