Hartford Stage, Hartford, CT
through April 23, 2017
by Jarice Hanson
 |
| Photo by Mathew Murphy |
In 2008, actor/writer/storyteller James Lecesne published a
book about a young gay man’s disappearance and murder as told through the eyes
of his cousin, a 16-year old girl. In 2015, he adapted that young adult novel
for the stage and is now performing the piece at Hartford Stage. The point of
view has changed for the stage—the story is now told from the perspective of the
hard-boiled New Jersey Detective assigned to the case whose job it is to “look
for shit in the shadows.” In the telling of the story, Lecesne seemingly morphs
from one character to the next, totally embodying male and female roles as
diverse as a 16-year old girl to an 80-year old watchmaker.
We never meet Leonard Pelkey, other than to see a blurry
image of him on a screen where other clues in this modern “who-dunnit” are
projected, but we get to know him through the words of others whose lives he
has touched. Lescesne is a gifted actor and we’re drawn deeper into the police
procedural through the witnesses he creates, sometimes in the blink of an eye,
or a spin on stage. With direction by Tony Speciale and original music by
Duncan Sheik, the performance feels more like a fully staged production than a
one man show. The story is simple and seems so familiar you may think it was
ripped from the headlines, but it actually is a story of personal acceptance
and finding the brightness in one person that gets passed on to others.
Leonard, we learn, accepts himself for who and what he is, and in doing so,
changes the lives of everyone he meets.
Lecesne wrote the novel shortly before the topic of cyber-bullying became well known, and the theme of personal acceptance and
community support is subtle, but very present. The message is upbeat and
heart-warming. Equally heart-warming were the number of young adults in the
lobby, waiting for Lecesne to sign copies of the book. This, as much as the
standing ovation, tells you that the story is timely, important, and James
Lecesne a gifted cultural critic as well as an interpreter of human emotion.
