Effie Kammer, a writer and actor, can’t remember when exactly she came across the poem “Goblin Market” (1862) by Christina Rossetti. However, she does remember the impact the poem had on her.

“It lived in my memory,” Kammer said. “As my life went on, I saw this parallel between that poem and my own experiences.”

In the poem, two young girls hear the call of goblin merchants urging them to buy their fruit. Many interpret the poem as a call to sensual experiences with themes of temptation, as well as sisterly love and sacrifice. For Kammer, these themes were a “fundamental human thing” and she became interested in exploring it theatrically.

“The Melon’s Cry,” an original play written and directed by Kammer, will have its world premiere as part of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, with performances on Sept. 10-13 at Rutabaga at the Falls Center in East Falls.

“The Melon’s Cry” is set in the halls of a private high school in New York City on the eve of 9/11. The story follows the day-to-day lives of two best friends, Laura and Lizzie.

They are “pursuing the academics of their pretty rigorous private school … and as they are doing that, trying to get their homework done, they’re also having experiences outside of school that take them in these different directions,” Kammer said.

According to Kammer, the play reveals how both external and internal forces play a role in the girls’ development.

One major external force is the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001, what should have been a typical school day for the pair. Although Kammer is not looking at 9/11 from a historical or political perspective, she said she was more interested in the way such a momentous event impacts daily life.

“It was a day that, from my own memory and looking back on it now, was a type of loss of innocence in my own mind about this conception of American purity or exceptionalism that was penetrated by something external and fundamentally changed,” Kammer said.

Some of the internal forces the girls face in the play are related to mental health struggles. According to Kammer, this was inspired by her own friendships with those who have struggled with mental illnesses and died by suicide.

“My own experiences with depression and suicidal ideation … these feelings come into my life as if they’re from a fantastical place… kind of like a goblin market in my own mind,” Kammer said. “So the plot is exploring those things, and how the very basic quotidian or day-to-day relationship becomes pulled apart by these calls or forces that are coming from inside.”

Kammer said she had been working on writing “The Melon’s Cry” for six years. When it came time for selecting the actors she wanted to work with, Kammer knew plenty of options.

“There are so many wonderful, talented actors in Philadelphia that I know through acting classes mostly,” Kammer said. “Whenever I’m in an acting class with them, I’m like, ‘Oh my God, they’re so talented. We need to do stuff.’”

To lead the production, Kammer tapped Sylvie Schuetz (Lizzie) and Brynn Smith (Laura).

Smith, originally from Rochester, New York, moved to Philadelphia in 2021 to attend The University of the Arts. Following its closure, she spent a semester at the British American Drama Academy and graduated with a degree in musical theater from Temple University.

Schuetz, who has roots in South Orange, N.J., received her bachelor’s degree in contemporary theater from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She now works as an actor in Philadelphia.

Kammer said it’s “very satisfying” to write for such actors, and it keeps her motivated to finish and produce the work.

When audiences go to see “The Melon’s Cry,” Kammer is hopeful that they will take away an appreciation of the duality in life.

“There can be lots of things in our life, in our experience, that are paradoxical,” Kammer said. “Many things can be true at the same time. It’s hard because I think nuance and opposite ideas are hard to sell or hold onto, but it’s really interesting to me.”

“The Melon’s Cry” will run Sept. 10-13 at the Rutabaga at the Falls Center in East Falls. To see show times and buy tickets, visit phillyfringe.org/events/the-melons-cry. The play is recommended for ages 18 and up.

Maggie Dougherty can be reached at Margaret@chestnuthilllocal.com.