Before PURE, he worked three seasons with New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, spent a year as a resident actor with the George Street Playhouse, and performed in various Los Angeles venues including the MET Theatre, HBO Workspace, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles Theatre Center, and the Egyptian Arena Theatre.
He directed PURE’s productions of Annapurna and Grace. The play will be performed solo by PURE Core Ensemble Member David Mandel, who has been with PURE Theatre since 2004, acting in True West (2004 & 2019), Straight White Men, Citizen: An American Lyric, Glengarry Glen Ross, Outside Mullingar, Russian Transport, Penelope, Clybourne Park, The Motherf**ker with the Hat, Time Stands Still, Race, AWOL, Low Country Boil, Killer Joe, The Last Five Years, the one-man show Thom Pain (based on nothing), This Is How It Goes, A Number, American Buffalo, The Beauty Queen of Leenane (2004 & 2016), The Seafarer, and Jesus Hopped the “A” Train. The characters we meet in Leonard Pelkey are all pulled toward Leonard’s bright light, compelled to follow suit and to find the parts of themselves that are brave enough to emulate his shining example. “Season 19’s tagline is ‘Emergence’ because all of the plays in the season explore this process of coming into being or becoming prominent. I love the idea that we, just as we are, are enough,” says Sharon Graci, PURE Theatre’s co-founding Artistic Director and the production’s director. “If we just read the official synopsis of The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, it tells us all we need to know about the power of this play because it talks about all of the positive effects one person can have on others, just by their pure commitment to being themselves. PURE Core Ensemble member David Mandel portrays all nine characters spotlighted during the investigation-ranging from teenagers to seniors-all of them deeply impacted by Leonard. Chuck DeSantis, a no-bull detective working his slow beat in a small town down the Jersey shore, suddenly finds himself in the center of a high-profile investigation into the mysterious disappearance of Leonard Pelkey, a luminous force of nature whose magic is only truly appreciated after he goes missing.
The short but sweet hour-long production is rich with local color and unforgettable characters. The special engagement at the Dock Street Theatre will include live, in-person performances September 29th through October 8th. PURE Theatre launches Season 19 with the South Carolina premiere of The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey by James Lecesne.
0 kommentar(er)
