THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY BACKSTAGE GUIDE 5 James Lecesne wrote the short film TREVOR, which won the 1995 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short and inspired the founding of The Trevor Project, the only nationwide 24-hour suicide prevention and crisis intervention lifeline for LGBTQ. He has created several solo shows, including Word of Mouth (Drama Desk, Outer Critic Circle Awards) and The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey (Outer Critics Circle Award). The New York Times has ranked him among “the most talented solo performers of his (or any) generation.” He starred in Extraordinary Measures, written and directed by Eve Ensler; written three novels for young adults; and created The Letter Q, a collection of letters by Queer writers to their younger selves. Lecesne was the executive producer of After The Storm, a feature length documentary film about 12 young people living in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. He was a writer for Will & Grace, a story consultant for the UK TV show Vicious, and he adapted Armistead Maupin’s Further Tales of the City for Showtime (Emmy nomination). An actor as well as a writer, he has appeared on and Off Broadway in The Best Man, Cloud 9, and the 30th anniversary production of Boys in the Band. ABOUT PLAYWRIGHT JAMES LECESNE Playwright James Lecesne If I weren’t an actor: [I’d do] something still in theatre that I already do: playwright, director or fight choreographer Best career advice I’ve received: “No one wants to work with an a**clown.” Favorite part of the job: Almost all of it Worst part of the job: Memorizing Favorite item of clothing: Pajama jeans What I’d want for my last meal: Lou Malnati’s deep dish Lou. Hash browns with truffle cheese. Bang Bang biscuit. Nori sushi. Palak paneer with raita. Maddie Bird Bakery (RIP) salted caramel cupcake. Tawny port. Angels’ Envy bourbon. If I could invent one thing: Nanotechnology that makes the human body perfectly healthy and beautiful One of my hidden talents: Whistling and humming at the same time in harmony American Blues Theater Ensemble member Joe Foust is the Solo Performer in The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey. We asked Joe to share some lesser-known facts about himself in “The Backstory.” Actor Joe Foust