By all appearances Jay Sefton, co-author and star of “Unreconciled”, which plays tonight and tomorrow night (June 26 & 27) at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield MA, is your average mid-career actor with a day job. After years waiting tables while auditioning, performing, and chasing the dream, he returned to school at age 41 and earned his MS in psychology and has been in private practice in Easthampton since 2008.
But in his early teens Sefton was sexually abused by a Roman Catholic priest in his hometown in Pennsylvania, and working through that trauma, alongside other victims, has taken his life as an actor and a psychologist in a new direction.
“I was not satisfied,” Sefton said of his experience with the Victims Compensation Program in which he took part. “Then it all fell apart in January 2021 when the General Assembly of Pennsylvania failed to pass legislation that would have helped victims of childhood sexual abuse. I really thought it would go through and I couldn’t stop thinking about the injustice. I picked up the pen out of rage, but over the years that rage has turned into action.”
(READ: Pennsylvania State Attorney General Josh Shapiro Details the Findings of a Two-Year Grand Jury Investigation into Child Sex Abuse by Catholic Priests in Six Pennsylvania Dioceses, August 14, 2018)
Sefton first act was to write to his local newspaper. “I am not a prolific writer, and I really didn’t think the piece would get published.” But it did, and it was shared online, and survivors started contacting Sefton, including Mark Basquil, a fellow victim and psychologist, with whom he collaborated to create “Unreconciled.”
“I started writing ‘Unreconciled’ in January of 2021 and then Mark came on board. we collaborated over Zoom for much of the pandemic,” Sefton explained, comparing the creative process to alchemy. “I love collaborating, especially on writing projects. We’re still tweaking individual lines although I’ve been performing the show for two years now.”
Asked what effect, if any, repeatedly recreating his story has caused his body and spirit, Sefton replied, “You would think it would hurt, but my experience is exactly the opposite. Theatre is the best antidote to trauma. It connects us to our soul, our body, and our community. Performing is an act of joy now. I really feel alive.”
“Unreconciled” had its world premiere at the Chester Theatre Company in 2024 (Read Macey Levin’s BoS review) and has since played to strong notices all over the east coast, in Los Angeles, and in Belfast and other locations in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. “The play has brought this whole community into my life,” Sefton said of the people all over the world working to staunch child sexual abuse. “The talkbacks after the shows have taken on great importance.”
The talkbacks began organically when audience members, sometimes up to three-quarters of the crowd, lingered to speak to Sefton after the performances in Chester. “The LA performances were the first time we had talkbacks after every show. People want to talk. People want community. I’m committed to a talkback after every show now.”
This community has grown into The Unreconciled Project which facilitates storytelling workshops, peer support groups, and public forums with leading experts on the issues of childhood sexual abuse. The Project partners with supporting organizations and institutions, seeking to broaden awareness of the effects of childhood sexual abuse on individuals and communities, and to foster greater openness in the spirit of healing.
Sefton is proud of the Project and its possibilities for the future. “People reach out to me to bring the show and the Project to their community, and right now we’re building up resources to grow the Project. I want to bring the show to places where its needed, and then bring the support programs that are evolving.
Sefton is thrilled to be back in the Pioneer Valley, coproducing “Unreconciled” with the Majestic. “The Majestic Theatre feels like my theatrical home more than any other place, and I’m really grateful to them for opening up this slot for me. It’s brave for a small theatre to take a chance on something new and challenging.
“My goal is to see how far out into the world we can bring the show,” Sefton said. “Pennsylvania still hasn’t passed the legislation, so there’s an immediate goal. I’ll be performing in Harrisburg next month.” Currently 30 states and territories have approved legislation, you can learn more from the Child USA statute of limitations tracker.
