PARTICLE
PARTICLE is a multi-dimensional coming-of-age story set in the world of elite gaming. Will Cora help her team win the high-pressure Interglow championships — and what about her twin brother Seth, the one left behind? At its heart, PARTICLE is a story about connection and the transcendent power of love.
The Writers
Selda Sahin’s (Book & Lyrics) musicals Modern, Off Season (with Derek Gregor) and PARTICLE (with Gregor and Autumn Reeser) are being developed throughout the country. Developments have included, among others, the ASCAP Stephen Schwartz and Grow-A-Show Workshops, The Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, and The Village Theatre Festival Of New Musicals. She was commissioned to write the libretto to the opera Steele Roots at The Atlanta Opera and wrote the original songs for the feature film American Reject and short film GRIND (starring Anthony Rapp). She wrote the music and lyrics to the musical All Fall Down which was directed by Lonny Price.
Autumn Reeser (Book) has enjoyed a long career playing strong female leads in shows like “The OC” and “Entourage,” and starring in romantic dramas on the Hallmark Channel. She continues to perform live with theater group The Workjuice Players, currently on a 20-year anniversary world tour with their stage show, The Thrilling Adventure Hour. In recent years she’s executive-produced multiple films for Crown Media, as well as co-writing and directing additional projects for stage and screen. She’s also expanded her reach online, where she has built a conscious community and mentorship program known as Earth School.
Derek Gregor (Book & Music) is a composer for the stage and screen. Derek’s musical Unlock’d (Sam Carner–Kleban Prize book) received an extended Off-Broadway run at the Duke Theater, after development at the Ravinia Festival, TheatreWorks Palo Alto and Princeton University. His musicals Island Song and Techies! (both w/ Carner) are licensed world-wide with Concord Theatricals, and their musical Love Splat tours with TheatreWorks USA. Derek wrote the original songs (Selda Sahin lyrics) for the feature film American Reject. Selda and Derek’s musical Modern was selected for the Stephen Schwartz ASCAP Workshop and the ASCAP “Grow A Show” Workshop, Particle (w/ Sahin) was selected for MSU’s Imagen series and included in the NAMT 2025 Festival of New Musicals. Derek has been a proud participant of Rhinebeck Writers Retreat twice (Off Season w/Sahin), Orchids w/Kreutz, Lind) and a resident of Yaddo.
Development History
PARTICLE was written during the pandemic over Zoom by a bi-coastal writing team. The musical was also developed during a two-week workshop at Michigan State University, a workshop at Nazareth College, and a 29-hour reading at Missouri State (co-produced by Broadway Unlocked).
Connect
Selda Sahin, seldania@gmail.com, 917-568-1003