BY CHARLOTTE BALLANTONI ’26

On Monday, September 23, 2024, Persephone, written by Jennifer O’Grady and directed by Katya Yurkovskaya ‘26 debuted in Studio A.

It’s a chilly and dark night by the time I arrive at the Janet Kinghorn Bernhard Theater. However, as soon as the doors open, I am welcomed into a cozy environment. The set is covered in blankets and the audience is seated close together to enhance the warmth of the atmosphere. The pre-show music, most memorably “Iris” by The Goo Goo Dolls, also enhances the audience experience. Yurkovskaya comes onstage to briefly talk to the audience before the show begins, greeting them with her customary warmth and smile.

The show opens with a monologue by Persephone (Lily Forbes ‘26). Forbes gives an excellent performance, talking directly to the audience without it feeling awkward or out-of-place. We soon learn that Persephone has died in a car accident, leaving behind her husband Laurence (Lucas Falick ‘25) and their three-year-old son, Sam. While Laurence explains Persephone’s death to Sam, Persephone tells the audience in an aside that she is going to get Sam “a new mommy.”

Next, the audience meets Ellen (Emily Landolfi ‘27), Persephone’s best friend. We get a flashback to Persephone comforting Ellen after Ellen leaves her husband, showing the incredibly close relationship between the two women. Persephone decides that she is going to set up Ellen and Laurence.

Persephone follows Ellen to a street corner and blows a fan on the back of her neck to direct her to the bookstore. The script calls for the actress playing Persephone to physically blow on Ellen’s neck, but Yurkovskaya’s choice of the fan is clearer and provides an interesting audio-visual element. Landolfi’s facial expressions are also great indicators to the audience of the breeze Ellen is feeling and the confusion from it, altogether making the moment more clear. Ellen goes into the store and returns to the street corner to call Laurence, asking if she can go to his house that night.

The scene changes and we’re in Laurence’s living room, with Persephone standing nearby, watching over the room. He’s dressed nicely, clearly anxious for Ellen’s arrival. When the doorbell rings, however, it’s Persephone’s mother, Jill (Jade Kleinberg ‘28). Jill enters, trying to see Sam. Laurence tries to send her away, saying that Persephone’s friend Ellen will be stopping by with something for Sam. Jill gets defensive and decides to stay while Ellen visits Laurence. 

Ellen enters and gives Laurence a children’s book called When Mommy Goes to Live in Heaven. Ellen thinks that it will be a useful tool to help Sam understand what happened to his mom, but Jill snaps at Ellen, insisting that “Persephone was an atheist.” Jill then mocks the book and fights with Laurence about it. Eventually, Jill leaves, feeling that she’s not wanted.

After Jill storms out, Ellen then offers to leave, but Laurence asks her to stay. They chat for a bit, and Laurence calls Ellen “El”, Persephone’s nickname for her. However, Ellen doesn’t mind: “It’s nice to be El again.” Ellen then leaves.

Persephone is happy with the trajectory of Laurence and Ellen’s relationship. However, she knows she has to get her mother on board.

The scene changes again and we’re in Jill’s living room, where there’s a dead plant on the coffee table. Jill is reading but closes her eyes to take a nap. Persephone enters, holding a living plant that looks just like the dead one. Persephone shushes the audience. As they giggle, she shushes with more force, saying: “It won’t work if she sees… She needs something to believe in.” Persephone exits and Jill wakes, noticing the living plant. She is shocked, grabbing the now-living plant before we cut to another blackout.

Lights come back up and Persephone tells the audience about Laurence and Ellen. They’ve had dinner, gone to the aquarium with Sam, and Ellen visited Sam at school. After telling the audience this, Persephone gets a little choked up: “Maybe when you’re dead, you can’t feel happy. You can feel peaceful. You can feel no pain. Maybe you can’t feel happy.”

She then introduces the audience to the scene. Laurence and Ellen have brought Sam to the park. Ellen is showing Laurence different toys and candies she bought for Sam. After a few moments of chatting, Laurence gets choked up himself, telling Ellen how he feels like everyone else can move on from Persephone’s death but he can’t. Ellen holds Laurence, telling him it’s okay to cry. They hold each other for a bit before pulling away and leaning in. Before they can kiss, it cuts to blackout.

Persephone ends the play with another monologue about love and how she has done this for Ellen, Laurence, and Sam because she loves the three of them so deeply. She then says: “Do ghosts cry? I’m about to find out.” We are left in another blackout.

The actors come out to bow, and the whole audience is cheering. I’m wiping a tear from my eye. 
Persephone is exactly what the Theater Department and what the world loves to see: a play about love, family, and hope. Yurkovskaya’s direction is artful and brings the meaning of the play to light.

Photos by Logan Waugh ’26

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Charlotte Ballantoni ’26 is a staff writer for the Skidmore Theater Living Newsletter