The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey by James Lecesne

This totally sparkling & entertaining Off-B'wy play by Acad. Award winner James Lecesne (TREVOR) directs his talents to towards shifting the world towards a more tolerant and vibrant place. TREVOR inspired the establishment of a nation-wide 24 hr. suicide prevention & crisis outreach for LGBT and struggling youths.  BRIGHTNESS is a 1 act, 1 actor play where the actor/author assumes multiple roles in a very charming & seamless thread.   Lecesne begins talking to directly to the audience to set the scene;  NJ 10 years ago.  He reveals himself as the lead detective in a small NJ town where nothing much ever happens or changes.  But evil can happen anywhere. "Hell is empty and the devils are here."(Tempest)  Leonard Pelkey, a flamboyant 14 yr. old is brutally murdered.  Leonard (though not related) has been taken in by Ellen with her teen daughter, Pheobe.  Ellen runs the local salon Hair Today.  Phoebe is going through an awkward adolescence;  having Leonard in the family doesn't make things easier for Phoebe or her mom.  Leonard was remembered for his rainbow, platform sneakers and by the local theater group.  Leonard stood out in a small homogenous town infested with homophobia.  He was one of the few who didn't own a cell phone, "and that may have made him more open to things around him."  The intimate theater utilized videos for added impact.  My favorite characters were Pheobe, the mobster's wife and Ellen's bawdy girlfriend.  Change is a key theme in this cheeky play in a non-preachy way.  This compact play is brimming with irony, humor, philosophy & powerful soliloques.  Several Shakespearean references are made.  This delightful & illuminating play (not compared with W.S.) is still a damn good play.  "This above all: to thine own self be true."(Hamlet)