Oedipus in Seattle is an auto-theater mash up of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and the 1993 rom-com Sleepless in Seattle. In this unconventional adaptation, two different actors take the stage each night without having rehearsed or read the script. Instructions from a voice in their headphones will guide them through the piece as they assume the roles of Oedipus, Jocasta, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, with the casting decided by random chance.
Oedipus in Seattle is a show about destiny, and the uncertainty of living a life without one. From ancient Greece tragedies to modern romantic comedies, humans have always created stories about destiny, and characters who will end up winning or losing no matter how hard they try to escape their fate. Meanwhile, the actors in this piece will function more like we all do in real life- without a script, stumbling from one task to the next, trying and mostly failing to understand what it all means.
Script by Savannah Reich, and sound design and an original score by sound artist Douglas Vento.
PRODUCTION HISTORY
The show premiered at the 2022 Philadelphia Fringe Festival, where it won an overall “Fringie” Audience Choice Award. We were invited to reprise it at the December Miniball Festival at Christ Church Neighborhood House, where it starred local audience favorites Suli Holum, Trey Lyford, Brandon J Pierce and Anthony Martinez-Briggs.
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Theater Horizon produced “Oedipus in Seattle” as their 2025/26 season opener, starring many Philadelphia and Norristown luminaries including Lindsay Smiling & Liz Filios, Justin Jain & Jacinta Yelland, and Lee Minora & Jered McLenigan.
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The show is available for licensing as a show-in-a-box; any theater interested in putting on a production can arrange to rent the QLab files, all needed audio equipment, and major props. Just add actors (with no rehearsal) and you’re ready to go!
Savannah Reich 