Unreconciled

Jay Sefton (Photo by Andrew Greto)

Reviewed by G. Bruce Smith
Moving Arts
Through March 31

At the top of his autobiographical solo play Unreconciled, Jay Sefton tells us that in the early 2000s he was a struggling alcoholic actor/waiter in his mid-30s living in Los Angeles. In his hand he has an unopened letter. He tells the audience that if he had received it at that point in his life, he would have accepted what was inside.

In unfolding his tale, Sefton masterfully plays about a dozen different characters, including himself, his father, his mother and the priest who abused him.

Sefton’s journey begins in 1985 at a Catholic school in Philadelphia. He’s 13 and has been cast as Jesus in a passion play. It’s a big deal — not only is it performed in his church, it is staged at other churches and schools throughout the Philadelphia area. It’s a point of great pride for his parents. On top of that, it’s a thrill for the teenager because he has always felt “mediocre” in academics and sports, but “that spring, everything smelled like possibility.” Not to mention that the Virgin Mary is played by the “hottest girl” in his school.

But there’s a price to pay and it comes in the form of Father Tom Smith, who takes a special interest in the star of the show. A grand jury many years later (in a case that does not include Sefton’s abuse) describes the priest as “sadistic and depraved.”

From there, Sefton – at the urging of his father — files a claim against the Philadelphia Archdiocese through its Victim Assistance Program. Making that claim comes with its own challenges.

Sefton’s story is compelling not only in content, but also in presentation. For one thing, his acting is top notch; he embodies each character fully, moving from one to another with nothing more than a slight movement. Particularly noteworthy is his creepy but restrained portrayal of Father Tom, manifest with just slightly hooded eyes and a blank facial expression. For another, video clips of Sefton’s passion play (Brian Stanton, who is also credited with sound) add a chilling layer that contrasts the performance on stage with what happened between Father Tom and Sefton in a church closet moments before.

Unreconciled is written mostly with a light hand and with humor  — but the sensitivity of the material requires deft direction, and Geraldine Hughes delivers. A bare set with just a wooden chair and table – as well as a few subtle lighting (Zoia N. Wiseman) and sound cues – add just the right touch to underline the dramatic action.

The script, written by Sefton and Mark Basquill, does not dwell on victimhood, though it does touch on the issue in both intelligent and emotional ways. In fact, the text is sometimes so understated that it’s hard to get a read on just how traumatic Sefton’s abuse had been.

What stands out most about Unreconciled (the title comes from the notion that, despite reparations, there was no reconciliation by the Catholic Church) is the portrait of Sefton’s father. A devout, working-class Catholic who was raised to believe priests were almost godly, he is tormented by what has happened to his son and asks, in a powerful and poignant closing monologue, “How could we have not known?”