From ACTORS COLLABORATIVE TOLEDO
John DuVall, one of the founders of Actors Collaborative Toledo, will return to perform the powerful one-man show “The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelky” by James Lecesne to celebrate the troupe’s 10th season.
A Toledo native, DuVall, will present the special engagement on Friday, Jan. 12 and Jan. 13 at 8 p.m. at the Toledo School for the Arts Black Box Theatre, 1401 Adams St., Toledo. Tickets can be purchased at www.act419.org.
“The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey” will be directed by Jeffrey Albright, who along with Mr. DuVall and Barbara Barkan founded ACT in 2013.
Opening night will be a benefit for Actors Collaborative Toledo and will include a post-show reception and a display of Mr. DuVall’s artwork for sale. A portion of the proceeds from the performance on January 13 will benefit PRISM, the LGBTQAI+ student organization at Toledo School for the Arts.
John DuVall portrays every character in a small Jersey Shore town as he unravels the story of Leonard Pelkey, a tenaciously optimistic and flamboyant 14-year-old boy who goes missing. A luminous force of nature whose magic is only 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.
DuVall now lives in Warrenton, North Carolina, and is artistic director of the Lakeland Cultural Arts Center. John began acting in sixth grade, then got into visual art in his 40s. He has had several solo exhibits and won prizes in Toledo art shows.
DuVall first got into jewelry making after wanting to create his own version of the necktie, and now specializes in funky, gender non-specific neckwraps. He finds inspiration by giving mundane objects that might has lost their sparkle a new way to shine.
His art reflects that inspiration, often playing on light and shadow or the contrast between new and repurposed materials. His social justice series illuminates white privilege from the viewpoint of a gay man, and DuVall finds joy in bringing discarded photographs back into the spotlight.
