{"id":297910,"date":"2025-10-12T18:21:24","date_gmt":"2025-10-12T18:21:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/297910\/"},"modified":"2025-10-12T18:21:24","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T18:21:24","slug":"brian-leonard-brings-darkly-funny-solo-show-therapist-zero-to-theatre-row","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/297910\/","title":{"rendered":"Brian Leonard Brings Darkly Funny Solo Show THERAPIST ZERO to Theatre Row"},"content":{"rendered":"

On October 16 and 18, comedian and actor Brian Leonard brings Therapist Zero<\/a>, which he wrote and stars in, to New York City\u2019s Theater Row as part of the United Solo festival. The show is \u201can unflinching, darkly funny solo show” tracing a decades-long journey through misdiagnoses, meltdowns, and moments of grace with Leonard’s troubled but brilliant daughter. Along the way, Leonard reflects on his own chaotic childhood: smoking by second grade, forgotten during a family trip to Niagara Falls, etc., and how that upbringing shaped the parent he became.<\/p>\n

We spoke with Leonard about the upcoming NYC performances of the show.<\/p>\n

What are you most looking forward to about bringing Therapist Zero to NYC\u2019s United Solo festival?<\/strong>

\nI\u2019m thrilled to be bringing this show to New York because this is a city that appreciates stories told raw, without varnish. Therapist Zero is darkly funny and unflinchingly honest, but it\u2019s also deeply hopeful. New Yorkers know a thing or two about chaos and resilience, so I feel like they\u2019ll get it in their bones. And Theatre Row is such an intimate space; it\u2019s the perfect container for this story.<\/p>\n

How would you pitch this show to someone unfamiliar with you?<\/strong>

\nIt\u2019s the story of raising a brilliant but troubled daughter, and the endless revolving door of therapists who couldn\u2019t help her. Along the way, I weave in my own chaotic childhood, and how that shaped the parent I became. It\u2019s a mix of gallows humor, absurdity, and heart\u2014like if Spalding Gray<\/a> and Fleabag had a very dark, but ultimately redemptive baby.<\/p>\n

When you tour with a show like this, how much revision do you do between performances? Between runs? Have you discovered anything about the show by performing it?<\/strong>

\nOh, constantly. It\u2019s part stand-up, part storytelling, part excavation. Every time I perform, I learn where the laughs really land and where the silence carries more weight than words. At first, I thought the show was about failure – the therapists, the meltdowns, the missed chances. But what I\u2019ve discovered performing it is that it\u2019s really about survival, persistence, and the imperfect ways we love. The audience teaches me that every night.<\/p>\n

What next steps do you have planned for Therapist Zero?<\/strong>

\nAfter New York, I\u2019m looking at taking the show to other fringe festivals: Toronto, maybe Edinburgh. And I\u2019d love to record a filmed version, because these stories resonate with parents, teachers, and anyone who\u2019s ever tried to help someone they love and felt completely out of their depth. The story keeps evolving, and so does my sense of where it belongs.<\/p>\n

Aside from working on this show, what have you been filling your time with lately?<\/strong>

\nWell, I\u2019m a longtime video director; I just finished a really nice piece, co-directed with my wife, for a kids’ non-profit called Yoots. I\u2019m grateful to have some time right now to do pro bono work for projects like that. We love to travel, I think our next trip is to the UK to see a musical about The Kinks. And I\u2019m always finding an excuse to go see live music any chance I can. <\/p>\n

Is there anything else you\u2019d like to add?<\/strong>

\nIf you\u2019ve ever sat in a waiting room wondering if the person you love will ever get the help they need, or if you\u2019ve ever wrestled with your own demons and found humor in the absurdity of it all, this show is for you. Come laugh, cry, and maybe recognize a little of yourself in Therapist Zero.<\/p>\n

Learn more about Leonard, the show, and how to buy tickets to the upcoming NYC performances at\u00a0www.therapistzero.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Regional<\/a><\/p>\n

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