Voodoo Theater Company presents The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey by Celeste Lesesne
March 1-3 & 8-10.
One actor portrays every character in a small Jersey Shore town as he unravels the story of Leonard Pelkey, a tenaciously optimistic and flamboyant fourteen-year-old boy who goes missing. A luminous force of nature whose magic is only truly felt once he is gone, Leonard becomes an unexpected inspiration as the town's citizens question how they live, who they love, and what they leave behind.
Starring Alvaro Cortez
Directed by Patrick Kibbie
Assistant Directed by Jack Cobabe
"Every now and then, a theater production comes along that is so exquisite that it makes you forget everything around you. For me, this last weekend, that was Voodoo Theatre Company’s The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey"
"He (Cortez) and Kibbie, along with assistant director Jack Cobabe, ensure that every moment is dug into and mined for all its’ nuances. One could actually see the audience craning forward, eager not to miss one single second. "
"I loved every aspect of the play from beginning to end. Every character and every location, thanks to the absolute brilliance of Lecesne’s writing paired with Cortez’ beautifully nuanced performance and Patrick C. Kibbie’s smooth direction, comes to life with vivid brilliance. "
-Daisy Blake, Gephardt Daily
"The character work that Cortez and the production team engaged in to produce such individualized characters is impressive. It is incredibly difficult for one actor to engage an audience for 75 minutes with such a minimal set—one bench—but Cortez and his storytelling ability completely blew me away. "
"I am a big fan of Director Patrick C. Kibbie and his work. He and Assistant Director Jack Cobabe have articulated this story with the utmost respect. "
-Keolanani Kinghorn, The Rhetorical Review
