(NORRISTOWN, PA) -- Theatre Horizon, the award-winning professional theater nestled in the heart of Norristown's Arts Hill District, opens its 21st season with Oedipus in Seattle, an experimental theatrical adventure blending myth and romantic comedy in real time. Performances run September 24 through October 5, 2025.
Penned by Savannah Reich, a celebrated playwright and screenwriter whose work thrives at the intersection of experimental form and audience spontaneity, this production promises to redefine what theater can be. Oedipus in Seattle will feature two new actors for each performance.
The revolving cast of local actors includes Rachel Camp, Liz Filios, Michael Doherty, Grace Gonglewski, Robi Hager, Chris Haig, Justin Jain, Alex Keiper, Jered McLenigan, Lee Minora, Amanda Morton, Bi Jean Ngo, Brian Ratcliffe, Lindsay Smiling, Hansel Tan, Josh Totora, Miriam White, and Jacinta Yelland, with more to be announced.
Oedipus in Seattle transforms the stage into a living experiment, where two unrehearsed, unprepared, and unscripted actors assume the roles of Oedipus, Jocasta, Meg Ryan, and Tom Hanks, and navigate a labyrinth of myth, rom-com tropes, and audience interaction. Guided by a narrator over a loudspeaker and prompts only they can hear in their headphones, they stumble into scenes inspired by the Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex and the iconic Nora Ephron film Sleepless in Seattle, all while exploring timeless questions about destiny, choice, and what it means to love. What unfolds is part play, part social experiment, and part existential comedy, where no two performances are ever the same.
Revered for producing and touring inventive work in bars, backyards, basements, and theaters across the country, Reich’s restless energy and irreverent theatrical imagination collide to create an unscripted, uncharted, and utterly alive performance. She’s received numerous accolades, including earning a 2020/21 McKnight Fellowship at the Playwrights’ Center, and her play Oedipus in Seattle received the Audience Choice Award when it debuted at the 2022 Philadelphia Fringe Festival.
“I wanted to create a play where chaos and inevitability exist side by side,” says Reich. “In Oedipus in Seattle, the actors have no control, yet the story still lands exactly where fate demands.”
Theatre Horizon’s production of Oedipus in Seattle features the following acting pairs together onstage for the first time portraying the Oedipus/Meg Ryan and Jocasta/Tom Hanks roles: real-life loves Liz Filios (Theatre Horizon’s Into the Woods) and Lindsay Smiling (Wilma Theatre’s Fat Ham); Amanda Morton (Broadway’s KPOP, Gutenberg! The Musical) and spouse Josh Totora (Philadelphia Theatre Company’s Small Ball, Delaware Theatre Company’s Peter & the Starcatcher); Robi Hager (Theatre Horizon’s Tick, Tick... BOOM!) and husband Chris Haig (scenic designer for Theatre Horizon’s Young Americans, Tick, Tick... BOOM!); and Grace Gonglewski (1812’s Torch Song) and longtime friend Miriam White (New Light Theatre’s Our Town, Bristol Riverside Theatre’s Clue). Pairs returning to the stage together include Alex Keiper (Theatre Horizon’s ...Spelling Bee, Kimberly Akimbo) and spouse Michael Doherty (Theatre Horizon’s Into the Woods, ...Spelling Bee, Fully Committed); Rachel Camp (Theatre Horizon’s Penelope) and spouse Brian Ratcliffe (Theatre Horizon’s Lobby Hero), plus onstage co-stars reunited in Bi Jean Ngo and Hansel Tan (Theatre Horizon’s Young Americans), Justin Jain and Jacinta Yelland (Theatre Horizon’s Broccoli, Roosevelt, and Mr. House) and Jered McLenigan and Lee Minora (Lantern Theater’s The 39 Steps).
The creative team includes Composer and Sound Designer Douglas Vento, Lighting Designer and Head Electrician Heather Pynne, Projections Designer AJ Bloomfield, and Stage Manager Karly Amato.
TICKETING INFORMATION: Oedipus in Seattle runs from September 24 to October 5 and opens on Friday, September 26 at 7:30pm. The play has an 80-minute runtime with no intermission and is recommended for audiences ages 13 and up.
Tickets run from $25 to $45. Click here to purchase single tickets, or here to purchase memberships and subscriptions, or call 610-283-2230 x1.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Theatre Horizon is hosting a variety of special events and performances to further engage audiences around Oedipus in Seattle, including:
Pay-What-You-Want Dress Rehearsal: Wednesday, September 24 at 7:30pm. Watch the Final Dress Rehearsal of Oedipus in Seattle, before anyone else! Tickets start at just $5 for this special opportunity to see the show early and be part of the process.
Preview and Open Mic: Thursday, September 25. In partnership with Power Street Theatre and Souletri, enjoy a Post-Show Reception & Open Mic Night immediately following the 7:30pm performance.
Opening Night: Friday, September 26 at 7:30pm. Guests are invited to imbibe complimentary cocktails in the lobby before the performance and return for free cake afterward.
Student Matinee: Wednesday, October 1 at 10:30am. Nothing is more important to Theatre Horizon than the next generation of artists and audiences. A talkback with the professionals who worked on the show will immediately follow the performance.
Front Row Fridays: Friday, October 3 at 7:30pm. To ensure Theatre Horizon shows are accessible to everyone, every Friday after the opening of each production in its 21st season is Front Row Friday. All seats in the front row are available for just $15.
Saturday Sips: Saturday, October 4 at 7:30pm. The second Saturday of Theatre Horizon productions through its 21st season, enjoy a complimentary themed beverage with every ticket purchased.
Theatre Horizon is a professional non-profit theatre company located in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Since 2005, it has produced nationally recognized work while building bridges between artists and the local community. Known for producing Tony Award-winning musicals, bold new plays, and community-based storytelling, Theatre Horizon is also a leader in accessibility and education programming. The company received the American Theatre Wing National Theatre Company Award and is celebrated for its commitment to inclusion, imagination, and the transformative power of live performance.
