←Recommendations of Persephone

Do not expect a literal re-telling of the Persephone myth, with the heroine spending six months for eternity in the underworld and six on earth. Instead it is a tale where the deceased Persephone guides her best friend and her widowed husband to a new beginning for both them and her little boy Sam. It is a story of hope and renewal, with beautiful language and touching characterizations. Persephone may never return to the land of the living, but Ellen and Laurence will carry on. If only, that is, Persephone can get her comically annoying mother out of the way.

This is a touching play on dealing with grief and loss. Inspired by the myth of Persephone, it's contemporary and eternal. This is the best use of theater, connecting us together by the experiences that we share through the story of these four people. At the end I cried and smiled at the same time. I love that.

Persephone is a poignant play about grief, and the conflict one feels about getting on with life (or in the title character's case, with death) after a terrible loss. The writing is beautiful and thought-provoking, and O'Grady strikes just the right balance between showing her characters beginning to heal while also acknowledging that they will never heal fully. Life goes on, but it's never the same.

A funny and sweet play on love, loss, and moving on. Persephone, the character, has such a strong clear voice I'm always eager to hear her commentary. I also love how in such a short piece we move through time and get to see what happens next.

Beautiful! Positively poetic and moving! By rooting the Persephone myth in modern times (and finding the timeless relevance in the subject matter), Jennifer O'Grady doesn't manipulate the audience to get the tear-ducts working. She earns that honor all her own! A gem of a ten-minute!

An expertly crafted play that explores its ideas in a uniquely theatrical way. Full of heart and passion, O'Grady's moving play is an emotionally rich experience that deserves all the productions it's received and many more!

Do ghosts mourn or cry? Do they miss those they've left behind? Do they follow us, wonder about what's going on every day? Do they have the power to influence our lives? How do they show their love for us, and how do we do the same for them? You might wonder all that after reading this beautiful play. It plays with space and time, there's a fluidity to everything going on. Gorgeous writing, heartfelt.
Derserves multiple productions.

Gorgeous, simply gorgeous. There’s not one false note in this beautifully written 10-minute jewel. Heartfelt, moving, and elegant. I don’t know if ghosts cry either, but the tears were streaming down my face by the end. ❤️

Powerful and moving, which should be no surprise if you've been paying attention to O'Grady's writing. Here the late Persephone helps her widower husband and her best friend move on with their lives, for the sake of her son Sam, for the sake of two people she loves.
But it's more complex than that. (Also no surprise for we O'Grady enthusiasts. Join us!) PERSEPHONE is equal parts grounded in reality, a ghost story of sorts and totally heartfelt.
This play is a lovely embrace from the playwright, for those of us who mourn, and for those of us who live.

Grief and the pain we feel for those who leave us beautifully depicted. The fragility of human life and those left behind compellingly spoken. Excellent!