In The News
Daily Republic, January 18, 20201
Petaluma Argus Courier, January 14, 2021
Santa Rosa Press Democrat, January 14, 2021
San Francisco Chronicle Datebook, January 14, 2021
Daily Republic, January 18, 20201
San Francisco Examiner, January 19, 2021
Bay Area Reporter, January 20, 2021
Petaluma Argus-Courier interview w/Michael Pavone, January 21, 2021
Petaluma Argus-Courier interview w/James Celeste Lecesne, January 21, 2021
San Mateo Daily Journal interview w/Michael Pavone, January 22, 2021
Written by James Lecesne
Directed by Nathan Cummings
When fun-loving, flamboyant 14-year-old Leonard Pelkey goes missing from a small New Jersey shore town, the secrets of the townspeople are brought to light, and everyone is forced to examine the effect of one boy’s life on a fractured community.
Adapted from James Lecesne’s novel by the same name, this 80-minute monodrama filled with nine different colorful characters, begins with the news of Leonard’s disappearance and follows the criminal investigation to its startling conclusion.
A luminous force-of-nature whose magic is only felt once he’s gone, Leonard Pelkey becomes the unexpected inspiration for a town as they question how we live, who we love and what we leave behind. While we never meet Leonard, his presence is felt throughout the show by a pair of rainbow-heeled Converse high tops fashioned from flip-flops and sitting on a nearby table.
The play is skillfully directed by Nathan Cummings, who is the Education & Associate Artistic Director of Cinnabar Theater.
The actor, Mike Pavone, a distinguished and versatile actor, embodies the nine characters he plays on stage. He skillfully captures their physical presence, posture and manners of expression as the play stirs quite a range of emotions.
Playwright James Lecesne has a gift for ferreting out hope from anguish. In his 1994 short film “Trevor,” a flamboyant 13-year-old Diana Ross superfan survives a suicide attempt. After that work won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film, Lecesne co-founded the Trevor Project, a 24-hour crisis hotline for LGBTQ youth (call 866-488-7386 or text “Trevor” to 202-304-1200).
Quotes
“A Whodunit with a Heart Of Gold!” —The New Yorker
“BRAVO! LEAVES YOU BEAMING WITH JOY.” —The New York Times
“Life-Changing Entertainment!” —Forbes
“A Crowd Pleaser Loaded With Laughs!” —The Huffington Post