THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY to Donate Portion of Ticket Sales to The Trevor Project

Tony Award-winning producers Darren Bagert (An American In Paris, Buyer & Cellar) and Daryl Roth (Kinky Boots, It Shoulda Been You) announced that for every full priced and premium ticket purchased to the critically-acclaimed new play THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY, the production will donate $5.00 directly to The Trevor Project.

THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY, written and performed by James Lecesne, will shine brighter and longer in a limited 12-week engagement at the Westside Theatre (407 West 43 Street), now beginning performances Saturday, July 11, 2015, at 8pm, and officially opening Monday, July 27, 2015.

The Trevor Project was co-founded in 1998 by James Lecesne who wrote the screenplay for the Academy Award-winning short film Trevor, which inspired the creation of the organization. Lecesne's novel, Trevor, was just selected one of Italy's ten must-reads for young adults, in a list that also includes Hans Christian Andersen, Roald Dahl, Nick Hornby and J.K. Rowling.

The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing 24-hout crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24. The mission of The Trevor Project is to end suicide among gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning young people. The organization works to fulfill this mission by providing crisis counseling, offering resources, education and political advocacy.

This "remarkable and moving" (New York Times) new play is directed by Tony Speciale, with original music by Tony Award-winning composer Duncan Sheik. THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY design team will 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 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 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.

Tickets for THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY are $85, and available now at Telecharge.com (212-239-6200), or for more information visit AbsoluteBrightnessPlay.com. THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTESS OF LEONARD PELKEY is produced by Darren Bagert and Daryl Roth.

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. Please note there will be no performances Monday, July 13, Friday July 17 and Friday, July 24, and added 8pm performances Thursday, July 16 and Thursday, July 23.