THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY, Written and Performed by James Lecesne, to Play 12-week Engagement at the Westside Theatre

Following a critically-acclaimed, sold-out run at Dixon Place, the much talked-about play THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY, written and performed byJames Lecesne, will shine brighter and longer in a limited 12-week engagement at the Westside Theatre (407 West 43 Street).

This "remarkable and moving" (New York Times) new play is directed by Tony Speciale, with original music by Tony Award-winning composer Duncan Sheik. Performances of THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY will begin Thursday, July 9, 2015. The limited engagement will officially open on Thursday, July 23, 2015. Design team to be announced shortly.

One of the greatest storytellers of his generation, James Lecesne 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 goes missing. A luminous force of nature whose magic is only truly felt once he disappears, Leonard becomes the unexpected inspiration for a town as they question how they live, who they love and what they leave behind. "Absolute Brightness leaves you beaming with joy." (New York Times).

James Lecesne wrote the screenplay for the Academy Award winning short film Trevor, which inspired the founding of the organization, The Trevor Project. James has created several solo shows including Word of Mouth, which was presented by Mike Nichols and Elaine May and directed by Eve Ensler (NY Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award) and the acclaimed One Man Band. Acting credits include Cloud 9 (Lucille Lortel), The 30th Anniversary production of Boys in the Band (Lucille Lortel), I Am My Own Wife (Hartford Stage), Motherhood Out Loud (Primary Stages) and Gore Vidal's The Best Man on Broadway. For television, he adapted Armistead Maupin's "Further Tales of the City" for Showtime (Emmy Award nomination) and was a writer for "Will and Grace". His play The Mother of Invention starred Linda Lavin and premiered at NY Stage and Film. His young adult novel, Absolute Brightness, published by Harper Collins, received The William Morris Award by the American Librarian Association and was nominated for The Lambda Literary Award. Mr. Lecesne is a co-founder of the L.G.B.T. youth organization The Trevor Project, the only national 24-hour crisis intervention and suicide prevention Lifeline for LGBT and Questioning youth.

Tickets for THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY are $85, and available now at Telecharge.com (212-239-6200), or at ABSOLUTEBRIGHTNESSPLAY.com. THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTESS OF LEONARD PELKEY is produced by Darren Bagert (An American In Paris, Buyer & Cellar) and Daryl Roth (Kinky Boots, It Shoulda Been You).

THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY plays: Monday through Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm, with matinees Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm, and Sunday at 3pm.