"The antibullying message is beyond reproach, and it pulls heartstrings successfully. But the characters are familiar and often bluntly drawn, and the central mystery lacks depth and suspense. A blend of 'Law & Order,' 'The Laramie Project' and 'Encyclopedia Brown,' the play does not sprout far enough beyond its teen-lit roots."
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"There’s not much mystery here, nor much drama of any other sort. Instead, we get a series of amusing if sometimes too cute impersonations of people...If the play weren’t so sincere, you’d have to laugh. As it is, you simply disengage from the story, refocusing on the technique. And though Lecesne is an experienced storyteller, the genre needs more than mimicry to achieve expressiveness."
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"COLORFUL CHARACTERS spill out of James Lecesne, like the door to central casting...Each plays a role in Lecesne’s engrossing and touching one-man work...Lecesne crafts an airtight 75-minute story about tolerance, evil and legacy...'Leonard Pelkey' is streaked with darkness, but Lecesne shines bright."
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"Not all of the characters are convincing, but what they have to say about Leonard is very interesting, indeed...Although we never actually meet Leonard but come to know him from the fond memories of his neighbors, he seems very much alive."
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"There's so much to admire about 'The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey' that one practically feels guilty for not liking it more. James Lecesne's solo play is clearly a labor of love, and the writer-actor, playing nearly a dozen characters, delivers a tour-de-force performance. But for all its good intentions, the piece feels thin and formulaic."
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"Lecesne delivers a message of acceptance without being preachy. Intimate and affectionate, 'Absolute Brightness' is about the difference one person can make — and perhaps, with any luck, one show."
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"Exquisitely acted, beautifully written, and thoroughly facile new solo play...The story is as sympathetic as it is predictable, leaving the viewer with the hollow feeling of having one's beliefs reinforced, but not challenged...It's just not adding much to the conversation. A writer and performer as transfixing as Lescene has the ability to challenge us to dig much deeper."
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"'The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelke'y should be on your short list of Off-Broadway plays to be seen this summer. It is an absorbing, poignant and cleverly conceived one-man/multi-character play. I can urge even to those who avoid one-person shows not to miss this heart-breaking story."
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