Is Sirens based on a play? Here's what we know

Sirens is the latest black comedy show on streaming platform giant Netflix and recently debuted with its episodes streaming all at once. Sirens stars Meghann Fahy, Julianne Moore, and Milly Alcock in the leading roles and is based on a play written by the creator of the show, i.e., Molly Smith Metzler. The play was titled Elemeno Pea and came out for the first time back in 2011. It’s needless to say that Metzler wrote the play based on her own experience, and it soon gathered rave reviews.

Here’s everything that you need to know.

Sirens is based on a play written by its creator, Molly Smith Metzler

Metzler originally wrote the play Elemeno Pea back in 2011, and this eventually became the source material for Sirens on Netflix. The play featured a similar conflict between two sisters who came from the same background but took different paths in life. As the conflict came to a head, both their worldviews collided with each other. Simone and Devon were the two characters, as in the Netflix show, and the play opened to the audience for the first time in Louisville, Kentucky.

The play further featured relatable social commentary aimed at class divisions and hierarchy. While Simone had somehow escaped the clutches of her impoverished upbringing and became the assistant to billionaire’s wife Michaela Kell, Devon was still ravaged by her class position and realized this to her dismay when she visited her sister at her workplace. Metzler utilized her personal experience of working as a waitress at a yacht club at Martha’s Vineyard to write the play. She also commented:

"Class is something that I write about consistently because I think it’s fascinating, but I also think it is a bit of a performance. One of the things that shocked me is that the richest woman at the yacht club, who had the highest net worth, was also the biggest piece of white trash. Class has nothing to do with income. It has nothing to do with net worth. It’s kind of this imposed structure, and it’s a mask that we all put on and wear.”

Molly Smith Metzler opens up about the genesis of Sirens

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Sirens creator Metzler opened up about the genesis of the Netflix show and the manner in which it saw the light of day:

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"I wrote the play almost 15 years ago, and I’ve lived a whole life. I did Maid with Netflix a few years ago and coming off of Maid was so satisfying and wonderful, but it was also a bummer. We were talking about, “Well, what should I do next?” Jinny (Howe, VP Scripted Series, Netflix) who did Maid remembered the play from way back when. We started talking about([how it) might be a really perfect time to adapt that if we can get the right creative team. It’s just such a weird moment for women and wealth and it’s very 2025. I read it, and I was like, you know, I think you’re right. So we started thinking about how to do that."

Sirens is exclusively available on Netflix.

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