Seph

In this contemporary reimagining of the Persephone myth, a nonbinary teenage goddess straddles her divorced parents’ realities until she meets a human girl and must define her own power to remake a ruined world.

What do we do when we acknowledge the generational cycles our parents have imprinted upon us? Seph and Heather, Demeter and Hades, and the Fates who came before them all must face the...
In this contemporary reimagining of the Persephone myth, a nonbinary teenage goddess straddles her divorced parents’ realities until she meets a human girl and must define her own power to remake a ruined world.

What do we do when we acknowledge the generational cycles our parents have imprinted upon us? Seph and Heather, Demeter and Hades, and the Fates who came before them all must face the now ruined world with the same question we face with today’s extreme temperatures and legislative attacks on reproductive rights: what do we do now?

SEPH is a new play by Tori Keenan-Zelt, featuring original music written by Nashville musician Anna Haas.

Originally developed in Fresh Ground Pepper’s BRB Retreat and PlayGround PlayGroup
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Seph

Recommended by

  • Aeneas Sagar Hemphill:
    10 Mar. 2019
    A truly fresh adaptation of the myth of Persephone, but I think more importantly a deeply moving story about a young woman growing up and reconciling the oftentimes competing influences and loyalties of a broken home. Keenan-Zelt has a gift for grounded poeticism and complex characters. When I first read this I was astonished by her sense of rhythm and musicality, and the way her writing creates an expansive world with such intimacy.
  • Greg Burdick:
    14 Sep. 2017
    Keenan-Zelt urges the future producers of this play to "forget everything you know about gods." She has given us a stunning glimpse into their world... and it should come as no surprise that it's no easier than our own. Particularly for two gods, who govern life and death, and their daughter, who must choose between one side or the other. Exquisite imagery leaps off of every page... truly, a designer's dream project. Demeter's description of human ambrosia (Hershey's chocolate,) will never allow you to think of it the same way again. Ye gods! An incredible piece of work.
  • Gina Femia:
    9 Jan. 2017
    A deeply powerful and incredibly poignant play that sifts between a modern coming of age story and an epic tale of gods. Imaginative and relevant, Seph is a play I can't wait to see produced.

Character Information

  • Seph
    14,
    Any
    ,
    Female or Non Binary or Gender Non Conforming
    A teenage god who sometimes presents a girl self and sometimes presents a hunter self. Brave, kind, and caught.
  • Heather
    19,
    White
    ,
    Female
    A smart, sharp young woman who has had to fight hard to survive
  • Hades
    A god who blends emotional distance with a maternal side
  • Demeter
    A goddess who feels things deeply
  • Chorus
    An acolyte of Demeter who has a troubled relationship with her
  • Chorus
    An acolyte of Demeter who has a troubled relationship with her

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    The Blank Theatre
    ,
    2019
  • Workshop
    ,
    Georgetown University
    ,
    2019
  • Reading
    ,
    Yale Women's Voices in Theatre Festival
    ,
    2017
  • Workshop
    ,
    Actors Bridge Ensemble
    ,
    2017
  • Workshop
    ,
    The Araca Project
    ,
    2017
  • Workshop
    ,
    Araca Project
    ,
    2017
  • Reading
    ,
    Fresh Ground Pepper
    ,
    2016
  • Reading
    ,
    Lark Play Development Center
    ,
    2016
  • Reading
    ,
    Fresh Ground Pepper
    ,
    2015
  • Reading
    ,
    Lark Play Development Center
    ,
    2015
  • Reading
    ,
    O'Neill Theatre Center
    ,
    2015

Production History

Awards