HAVERFORD (PA)
Delco Today [Delaware County, PA]
April 28, 2026
By David Bjorkgren
Havertown native Jay Sefton, abused by a priest in middle school, channeled his pain into a solo play called Unreconciled, with its final performance near the steps of the Harrisburg Capitol to sway lawmakers to help abuse survivors, writes Gauri Mangala for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Co-written by Sefton and Mark Basquill, the play also explores Sefton’s later dealings with Philadelphia Archdiocese’s Independent Reconciliation and Reparations Program for Claims of Clergy Abuse of Minors.
Throughout the play, Sefton portrays multiple figures from his life, including his father, classmates, and Rev. Thomas J. Smith, a Philadelphia priest defrocked in 2007 following allegations of sexual misconduct with minors.
The play challenges both the abuser and the system that hinders survivors of childhood abuse from addressing their trauma.
“I’m really lucky that I took that rage and found a way to channel it into something really beautiful,” said Sefton.
Unreconciled concluded its two-week, three-city tour on April 22, timed with Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
The final performance at Gamut Theatre Group near the state capitol drew attention to legislation to reform Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations and introduce a retroactive two-year civil “look-back” window for survivors to pursue long-past claims.
Read more about Jay Sefton in The Philadelphia Inquirer.