Honest Pint Theatre Company
Presents
The regional premiere of
The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey
by James Lecesne
April 6 - 21, 2018 at William Peace University’s Leggett Theatre
Who: Featuring David Henderson
Directed by Susannah Hough
Where: Leggett Theatre on the campus of William Peace University
15 East Peace Street, Raleigh, NC 27604
When: April 6 & 7 at 7:30 pm, April 8 at 3:00 pm
April 12, 13, 14 at 7:30 pm
April 19, 20, 21 at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $20 general admission, $15 students/under 25
Veteran Raleigh actor David Henderson portrays every character in a small Jersey shore town as they unravel the story of Leonard Pelkey, a tenaciously optimistic and flamboyant 14-year-old boy who has gone missing. A luminous force of nature whose magic is only truly felt once he is gone, Leonard becomes an unexpected inspiration as the town’s citizens question how they live, who they love, and what they leave behind. An amazing tour-de-force one-man performance that will enthrall you as several characters are brought fully to life without the use of costumes or props.
If you’re the kind of person who enjoys human-centered stories, who can’t resist a detective yarn no matter how basic and who enjoys watching an actor impersonate a town full of kooky yet hilariously recognizable characters, then click off the television and head to Leggett Theatre at William Peace University. This show, which was an off-Broadway sleeper, is what you’ve been waiting for.
James Lecesne is the author of the screenplay for “Trevor,” the Oscar-winning short film that gave rise to the founding of the Trevor Project, an organization focused on suicide prevention among LGBT youth. Lecesne has a moral, but fortunately it’s a darn good one. Chuck, musing in his Shakespearean way, asks when reflecting on the troubled yet inordinately bright life of Leonard: “Is there anything in this world more unexpected than a human being?”
“Featuring a tender score by “Spring Awakening” and “American Psycho” songwriter Duncan Sheik, “Absolute Brightness” is a must-see story of love and faith that will challenge you to embrace those around you for their differences. Go see it -- and bring a box of tissues.”
— NBC News
“…shines with humanity…an affecting and entertaining testament to the beauty of a world in which difference is celebrated rather than denigrated.”
— Charles McNulty, The Los Angeles Times
“A superlative show that leaves you beaming with joy… Like that great storyteller (Dickens), Mr. Lecesne evokes a grittily specific world, but one in which good and evil are real presences. Given the appalling state of international affairs, it’s a notion that feels grimly in sync with the zeitgeist.”
— Charles Isherwood, The New York Times
More info: www.honestpinttheatre.org or find Honest Pint Theatre Co. on FaceBook