About the Play:

The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey is a full-length drama by James Lecesne. Leonard Pelkey is a teenager intent on living life out loud while marooned in a sleepy Jersey Shore town. When he suddenly vanishes, a hardboiled detective confronts the horrors of bullying and sees how a community can learn to embrace their differences by having the courage to stay true to their individuality.

The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey takes us to a small Jersey Shore town to unravel the story of Leonard Pelkey, a gay 14-year-old boy who has been bullied by his peers. Leonard has gone missing and one actor portrays Chuck DeSantis the brash detective assigned to the case, a withdrawn teenage girl, a brusque yet gentle hairdresser, and a dozen other intriguing characters as they join forces to solve a mystery that will forever change their lives. Digging deeper and deeper into Leonard's life, Chuck follows clues that lead him to unexpected places and show him how one boy's bravery can light the way toward truth. Written by Academy Award-winner James Lecesne, this hilarious and heartwarming one-man show celebrates the power of one person to uplift an entire community. The New Yorker called it, "A whodunit with a heart of gold.”

The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey premiered in 2014 at the Afterglow Festival in Provincetown, Massachusetts. It opened Off Broadway in 2015 at The Westside Theater in New York City and received rave reviews. The play has been performed in regional theatre productions.

Cast: 1 man

What people say:

"…leave[s] you beaming with joy…a superlative solo show… Mr. Lecesne is a writer of wit and keen observational skills, who here unfolds a dark tale that shimmers with the needling suspense you associate with the best police procedurals… Perhaps most remarkably, he's the rare artist who doesn't shy away from sentimentality…you may find yourself choking back a tear or two…." — The New York Times

"…moving…[Lecesne] delivers a message of acceptance without being preachy. Intimate and affectionate, The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey is about the difference one person can make—and perhaps, with any luck, one show." — New York Post

"…shines with humanity…an affecting and entertaining testament to the beauty of a world in which difference is celebrated rather than denigrated." — Los Angeles Times

About the Playwright:

James Lecesne is an American author, actor, and LGBT rights activist. He is co-founder of The Trevor Project, the only 24-hour national crisis intervention and suicide prevention Lifeline for LGBT and Questioning youth; he wrote the screenplay for the Academy Award winning short film, Trevor, which inspired the founding of the organization. He is the author of Absolute Brightness, the book that inspired the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway play The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey.