The Lost Priest

Reader’s Theater of the 2025-2026 season opens with a reflective, poetic, and charged story, perfect for people who are hungry for non-traditional storytelling.

The Lost Priest is a deeply introspective and poetic one-person play written and performed by Gabe Seplow. It follows the contemplative journey of the titled role, Lost Priest, who navigates themes of faith, identity, memory, and cultural inheritance. Rooted in Jewish traditions and rituals, the play delves into the protagonist’s conflicted relationship with their heritage, examining moments of pride, doubt, and discovery. Through fragmented reflections, the Lost Priest grapples with familial history, the weight of antisemitism, and the search for meaning in religious rituals that once felt familiar but now seem distant. The narrative is punctuated by symbolic actions, such as the lighting of a Shabbat candle, the motions of a Bar Mitzvah, and references to historical and religious texts. These elements underscore the tension between tradition and modernity, belonging and estrangement. As the Lost Priest revisits ancestral stories—some joyful, others marked by loss—the play becomes a meditation on the complexities of identity and the universal longing for connection. Ultimately, The Lost Priest invites audiences to witness a raw, vulnerable exploration of self, culminating in a powerful affirmation of resilience and cultural pride amid uncertainty.

Recommended Ages: 13 and up

BYO Food and Beverage.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Allens Lane Art Center, 601 West Allens Lane, Philadelphia, United States