Moving Arts Presents the Award-Winning Play UNRECONCILED As Part of Arts Expanded Series
4 min read
Written by Jay Sefton & Mark Basquill | Directed by Geraldine Hughes
Moving Arts presents the award winning production Unreconciled by Jay Sefton and Mark Basquill, directed by Geraldine Hughes. Unreconciled tells the true story of a young actor cast as Jesus in a school play directed by a parish priest* who sadistically abused the young actors who played Jesus in the annual passion play over many years. This story is a survivor’s journey to confront his past while navigating a victims’ reparations program set up by the Catholic Church and how he discovers the courage to use his voice.
Presented as part of their Arts Expanded Series the play aligns with Moving Arts mission to create, produce and promote adventurous new theatrical work for diverse audiences in Los Angeles. Unreconciled opens this Friday, March 21st at Moving Arts Theatre in Atwater Village with ten performances through Monday, March 31st. See their website for ticketing information.
LA Connection
Clergy Abuse is very much a pertinent topic in Los Angeles. Less than six months ago in October 2024 the “Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed to a new $880 million settlement to 1,353 survivors of clergy sexual abuse, bringing its total payouts to an unprecedented $1.5 billion.**”[AP] Keep in mind that every single dollar of that $1.5 billion buys confidentiality agreements with their victims. In the play Unreconciled, Jay Sefton plays a clergy abuse survivor who rejects the church settlement, just as he did, refusing to give up his voice.
Sefton lived in Los Angeles for thirteen years from 1998 to 2011 pursuing his dream of acting. He won a coveted LA WEEKLY Award for Best Solo Performance for his play The Most Mediocre Story Never Told and appeared in King Lear at Theatricum Botanicum. He appeared on TV on The Wire, Grey’s Anatomy, The Shield, Summerland and Providence. Even with successes, he struggled and searched for ways to come to terms with what had happened to him, not always in the healthiest ways.
He moved back to the east coast, became a mental health counselor and eventually teamed up with psychologist Mark Basquill, also a survivor of clergy abuse within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. They co-wrote Unreconciled with the hope that other survivors in the audience might see themselves within it — know their story is worth telling, to believe what they experienced really happened and know they deserve to be heard. Throughout the Los Angeles run there will be after show talkbacks with local activists and experts on the subject of Clergy Abuse.
Blending Performance and Activism to Give a Voice to Survivors of Clergy Abuse
David G. Clohessy, Former National Director of SNAP called Unreconciled “A deeply moving and entertaining narrative on a topic we’d love to never think about again.” and Terry McKiernan, Founder & President of Bishop Accountability said the play is “An extraordinary work of art on the impossible topic.”
The play has been performed over forty times in the US and Ireland. Each performance has been followed by panel discussions and outreach with guest speakers like Terry Mckiernan (Founder & President Bishop Accountability), David Clohessy (Former National Director of SNAP), Cory Hart (Director of Development, Pittsburgh Action Against Rape), Marci Hamilton (Founder & CEO, Child USA).
After-show Discussions
Joining Sefton for after show discussions in Los Angeles are Meg Appelgate, author of “Becoming Unsilenced” on March 22nd after the 2 PM Matinee | Sunday, March 23: 2 PM stick around for a post matinee talk with Steven Leigh Morris and Jay Sefton | Friday, March 28: 8 PM is a LA Wildfire Relief benefit for the Entertainment Community Fund | Sunday, March 30: 2 PM Matinee: A conversation between Joelle Casteix, Author, Survivor, Advocate and Jay Sefton – Moderated by Natalie Bencivenga
Performance Schedule:
Friday, March 21: 8 PM | Saturday, March 22: 2 PM | Saturday, March 22: 8 PM | Sunday, March 23: 2 PM | Monday, March 24: 8 PM | Friday, March 28: 8 PM | Saturday, March 29: 2 PM | Saturday, March 29: 8 PM Sunday, March 30: 2 PM | Monday, March 31: 8 PM
Resources for Victims and Survivors of Sexual Assault
Victims’ Assistance Coordinators have been vital in Jay’s own journey. If you or someone you know has experienced abuse here are some organizations working hard to protect children from predators and to assist victims of clergy abuse. Here are a few:
National Sexual Violence Resource Center
SNAP – Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
ECA – Ending Clergy Abuse – A Global Justice Project
Unreconciled opens this Friday, March 21st at Moving Arts Theatre in Atwater Village with ten performances through March 31st. See their website for ticketing information.
Moving Arts is located at 3191 Casitas Ave Suite 100 Los Angeles, CA 90039
Sources
* A grand jury report, published in 2005 by the Philadelphia district attorney’s office, said the Archdiocesan Review Board in 2004 unanimously found this priest abused boys who played the part of Jesus over the years.
** AP: What to know about the Los Angeles Catholic Church’s $880M settlement with sexual abuse victims (October 17, 2024)
Information provided by the production of Unreconciled and Anita Lee Publicity.
