Stories-time

In a week that's filled with theatrical possibilities (Oddfellows Playhouse teaching artist Matt Pugliese is the director of "Moon Over Buffalo" opening Wednesday July 16 at the Ivoryton Playhouse while ARTFARM's 8 nights of "Twelfth Night" begins Thursday the 17th), it's quite possible one might miss Thursday's presentation of "Word of Mouth" at 8 p.m.in the CFA Theater at Wesleyan.

The one-man show comes from the creative mind of James Lecesne. Perhaps best known for his Academy Award-winning short film "Trevor" (1994), Lecesne populates his show with a dozen characters, from Frankie, the "working class clairvoyant", to an elderly British lady looking back on her eventful life. The playwright-actor believes that everyone has a story to tell, a family life worth examining, or a dream worth pursuing. You may remember Lecesne the actor from his tour-de-force performance in the Spring of 2007 at Hartford Stage playing 30+ plus characters in the one-man "I Am My Own Wife." His ability to move from character without losing a beat or credibility is amazing.

Lecesne has written for "Will and Grace", adapted Armistead Maupin's "Further Tales of the City" for Showtime television and acted on "Sex and the City." After the success of "Trevor", he founded The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention helpline for gay and troubled teenagers. He recently created After the Storm, a non-profit organization (and foundation) working with with teenagers in New Orleans, channeling money into creative projects helping to rebuild the stricken city.

He'll be in residence the Center for Creative Youth at Wesleyan during the day, working with manyu of the attendees on telling "their own stories" the way poet Kate Rushin did earlier this week. At night, he'll take the stage and fill the theater with characters and stories to make us laugh, as we observe the imperfections and possibilities of many people. Call the University Box Office at 860-685-3355 for ticket prices and availability.