Abingdon to Continue Master Class Series with THE STORY WORKSHOP

Abingdon Theatre Company continues its Master Class Series with THE STORY WORKSHOP, a three-day intensive workshop with award-winning writer and actor James Lecesne, whose work includes the Off-Broadway hits The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey and Word of Mouth. The master class is set for March 18-20 at Abingdon Theatre Company (312 West 36th Street).

THE STORY WORKSHOP offers the tools needed to develop the story of your next play. Participants will find a voice to speak their emotional, political and personal truth. Students will learn to create a structure that carries the story further into the world with power and clarity.

Each participant will have the opportunity to present his or her story to the group, to puzzle out the underlying conflict, illuminate the characters, uncover deeply held beliefs, and create a vivid map of the story.

Over the course of one evening and two days, the work focuses on how to structure a story. By the end of the three days, attendees will be familiar with the landscape of their story and have a clear idea of where to dig for treasure and a plan to continue.

James Lecesne has been telling stories for over 25 years. His most recent play, The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, opened Off-Broadway at The Westside Theater and received rave reviews. Directed by Tony Speciale, the play was recently presented at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles. James wrote the screenplay for the Academy Award-winning short film Trevor, which went on to inspire the founding of The Trevor Project, the only nationwide 24-hour suicide prevention helpline for LGBT & questioning youth. His show, Word of Mouth, was presented Off-Broadway by Mike Nichols and Elaine May and directed by Eve Ensler; he was awarded the NY Drama Desk Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award for best solo performance, as well as the LA Theater Weekly Award. He also wrote the book for his musical, One Man Band, with music and lyrics by Larry Hochman and Marc Eliot.

As a writer, James adapted Armistead Maupin's Further Tales of the City as a mini-series for Showtime (Emmy nomination) and wrote one of the final episodes of the TV series "Will & Grace." He created the stage play, The Road Home: Stories of the Children of War, a play based on interviews with survivors of wars in Tibet, Bosnia and Cambodia, and presented at the International Peace Conference at The Hague. His play, The Mother of Invention, starring Linda Lavin and directed by Michael Wilson, premiered at New York Stage & Film. James has taught at The NYU School of Continuing Education, The New School, The Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, and The New York Film Academy.

His young adult novel, Absolute Brightness, was published by Harper Collins and was awarded The William Morris Award by the American Librarian Association and was nominated for a The Lambda Literary Award. His novella, Trevor, was published by Seven Stores Press in 2012. For more information about James Lecesne, please visit www.jameslecesne.com.

Last December, Abingdon launched its Master Class Series with James Lecesne's THE SOLO STORY WORKSHOP, a three-day intensive workshop focusing on storytelling for solo performers and playwrights.

Now in its 23rd Season, Abingdon Theatre Company is dedicated to developing and producing new American plays by emerging and established playwrights. Under the artistic direction of Tony Speciale, who joined Abingdon in October 2015, the company provides a safe home where playwrights, directors and actors can collaborate within a supportive and nurturing environment. Abingdon searches for stories about the human experience that reflect our social, political, historical and cultural diversity. To date, the company has collaborated with more than 200 playwrights, produced 85 New York and world-premiere plays, presented more than 700 readings, staged 175 ten-minute plays, and commissioned 6 one-act plays. Notable artists who have worked with Abingdon Theatre Company include Carl Andress, Bryan Batt, Robert Brustein, Maxwell Caulfield, Dick Cavett, John Epperson, Jane Greenwood, Roberta Maxwell, Iddo Netanyahu, Nancy Opel, Austin Pendleton, Sam Pinkleton, Marcia Rodd and Mark Waldrop. Abingdon's 2014 production of Brian Richard Mori's Hellman v. McCarthy, directed by founding artistic director Jan Buttram, was filmed and presented by WNET as part of its inaugural Theatre Close-Up series. Abingdon's current production, Charles Messina's A ROOM OF MY OWN, featuring Mario Cantone and Ralph Macchio, runs through March 13.

THE STORY WORKSHOP with James Lecesne runs March 18-20 (Friday 7-9pm; Saturday and Sunday 10am-5pm) at Abingdon Theatre Company (312 West 36th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues). Tuition is $500. The class is limited to 10 participants. To register, visit www.abingdontheatre.org or call 212-352-3101.

Photo by Matthew Murphy