THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY

James Lecesne's performance is campy, poignant, funny, and sad. This short one-man play, told through an investigating detective's eyes, begins with a missing 14-year-old named Leonard. It becomes clear from the start that flamboyant Leonard was determined to be himself no matter who in his Jersey Shore town didn't like it. Relying on stereotypical Jersey accents and larger-than life personalities, Lecesne re-creates the atmosphere of a small town that could be anywhere. He uses humor to keep the story from being too dark. But, notwithstanding the image of Leonard wearing homemade rainbow platform sneakers, the subject of being scorned and reviled because one is different is a serious one. J.E.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2020 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2020]