The Unreconciled Project announces a special one-night-only performance of UNRECONCILED on July 25, 2026, at the Academy of Music, 274 Main St., Northampton, Mass. The acclaimed autobiographical solo play, written by Jay Sefton and Mark Basquill and performed by Sefton, examines surviving clergy abuse and institutional accountability. The performance begins at 7 p.m. and will be followed by a conversation with trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, and musician Licia Sky. The engagement serves as a Western Massachusetts homecoming before the play’s New York City premiere at La MaMa ETC in spring 2027. Sefton, a licensed mental health counselor and actor, incorporates actual VHS footage from a 1985 Passion Play into the production. The play exposes the institutional system that enabled abuse. The production has won Berkshire Theatre Critics Association Awards for Outstanding Solo Performance and Outstanding World Premiere of a New Play. It has toured nationally and internationally, including performances at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival and Dublin’s Pavilion Theatre. Adocumentary about the production is in production with Anthony Edwards executive producing. On July 26, The Unreconciled Project will host a creative writing workshop and peer support group for survivors. The Embodied Story workshop runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Northampton Center for the Arts. The cost is $75, with financial aid available. Sefton and Melenie Freedom Flynn will facilitate. During the three-hour session, participants will write new material, explore sensory elements in stories, experiment with ways to deepen narrative, and connect with a creative community. The workshop is for anyone with a story to tell who wants to find new ways to get started. UNRECONCILED has received coverage from NBC Philadelphia, the BBC and the Philadelphia Inquirer. National Catholic Reporter said the play will make you laugh, think, cry, and seethe. America: The Jesuit Review said Sefton’s transformations dazzle. NoHo Arts called the performance magical and visceral. British Theatre Guide noted the production is told with level-headed composure. The play arrives as Massachusetts lawmakers press for reform of statute of limitations laws for childhood sexual abuse. Questions remain about the release of a statewide grand jury report. Sefton’s work offers audiences a personal reckoning and a call to collective action. MassLive called the debut the play to gain Chester Theatre and Sefton well-deserved national attention. The Enterprise News of Cape Cod said Sefton holds his audience spellbound. Pittsburgh Tatler described the performance as impactful and stirring. Kathy Clugston of BBC Ulster called it a brilliant performance. Berkshire Edge noted Sefton effortlessly plays a dozen characters. Front Row Center said Sefton and Basquill crafted a marvelous production. Sefton is originally from Philadelphia and currently based in Easthampton, Mass. Basquill practices clinical psychology in Wilmington, N.C. Flynn is an author and certified coach. Tickets are available at aomtheatre.com. More information is at unreconciledtheplay.com.
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