Leela
Written and performed by Sean Casey LeClaire
Directed by Padraic Lillis
A one-person journey through family, memory and the search for meaning. With humor, honesty and raw vulnerability, Sean Casey Leclaire weaves together childhood stories, brushes with trouble, travel across the world, and encounters with poetry and the people who shaped him. Drawing on the wisdom of Shakespeare, John Donne, Lou Reed, and ancient Sanskrit, LEELA (meaning divine play) invites audiences to reflect on life’s chaos, beauty, and mystery. Intimate, lyrical, and deeply human, this is a performance about finding light in the darkest corners and discovering who we truly are.
“A fierce pilgrimage.”
— Patsy Rodenburg, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London
“Blew my mind.”
— Lee Brock, The Barrow Group PAC, NYC
“…sophisticated, disturbingly raw and funny”
— Benjamin Moore, theatre director, NYC
ARTISTIC COMPANY
Sean Casey Leclaire (Writer/Actor)
Sean’s new work, LEELA has been well received by audiences in Europe and North America including a week-long run at Theatre Lab in New York City. Sean’s actor roles include, Rostand’s CYRANO, (the lead) Chekhov’s THE BEAR, SMIRNOV and Don Nigro’s GROTESQUE LOVESONGS, PETE and although he loves ensemble work, solo performance is his deep passion. Sean’s one-man play SMALL TOWN BOY’S premiered at the Vancouver Fringe Festival. A dual citizen of Canada and the USA, his three books, HUG AN ANGRY MAN AND YOU WILL SEE HE IS CRYING, MUD-WRESTLING WITH MY MIND, and STUMBLING INTO JOY, share a gritty and graceful journey into conscious living. In addition, as the founding partner of Sean LeClaire & Associates, Sean and his colleagues work with global business leaders employing emotional intelligence and Michael Chekhov theatre techniques to support C-suite global leaders, professional athletes, and creatives become better leaders. Sean has co-written and produced six films, broadcast prime time, and performed with percussionist Bob Weiner and saxophonist Charlie Tokarz. He lives in a small town west of Boston, is a father and travels widely. Sean would venture anywhere to play Prospero in The Tempest.
Padraic Lillis (Director)
For the past twenty years Padraic has been dedicated to the development of new plays, artists, and companies. A few of the plays that he has worked on from inspiration to production are Lindsay Joy’s RISE AND FALL OF A TEENAGE CYBER QUEEN (Awarded NY IT Award for Outstanding Director and Outstanding Production), Lee Kaplan’s award winning solo show BULLY (awarded NY International Fringe Festival's Overall Excellence Award for Directing), Scott Hudson’s play SWEET STORM, and Adina Taubman’s award winning solo show A LINE IN THE SAND (a docudrama based on the school shootings at Columbine). As a playwright he has been produced nationally. His play TWO THIRDS HOME is published by Dramatists Play Services, and his award winning solo show Hope You Get to Eleven, or What are we going to do about Sally? has toured nationally. He has taught his play development workshop since 2009 and is an adjunct professor with NYU’s Department of Dramatic Writing. He helped design and oversaw the education program for Labyrinth Theater Company. Padraic was awarded the Humana Visiting Scholar and Artist in Residence at Centre College and was awarded the Dayton Hudson Distinguished Artist Fellowship to be in residence at Carleton College. He is a graduate of SUNY New Paltz and a lifelong Yankee fan.