THERAPIST ZERO to Return to San Francisco at Playground Solo Performance Festival

THERAPIST ZERO, a solo performance written and performed by Brian Leonard, will return to San Francisco as part of the PlayGround Solo Performance Festival following sold-out runs Off-Broadway and at the San Francisco Fringe Festival.

The production will play a limited engagement at Potrero Stage, marking a homecoming for the work after its initial San Francisco premiere. The festival run will include four performances presented on a sliding-scale ticket model.

THERAPIST ZERO is a solo show centered on Leonard’s experience raising a neurodivergent daughter and navigating years of misdiagnoses, therapeutic interventions, and emotional uncertainty. The piece also reflects on Leonard’s own childhood and how those experiences informed his approach to parenting. The work traces a long-term family journey shaped by frustration, resilience, and moments of connection.

Following earlier performances, the show drew responses from parents, mental health professionals, and artists who identified with its subject matter. “Parents of neurodivergent kids, parents of troubled kids, and mental health professionals told me after seeing the show that this is a story that resonates far beyond my own family — it’s about every parent, every family,” Leonard said.

Leonard is an award-winning filmmaker and editor whose work has appeared in feature films, documentaries, and national broadcasts. THERAPIST ZERO marks his continued work in live performance, bringing personal storytelling to the stage.