[NoHo Arts District, CA] – After sold-out runs Off-Broadway and at the San Francisco Fringe Festival, award-winning filmmaker and performer Brian Leonard brings his acclaimed solo show Therapist Zero to the 2026 Hollywood Fringe Festival this June.
Therapist Zero Hollywood Fringe Festival solo show delivers a darkly funny and unflinching look at parenting, mental health, and family.
About Therapist Zero
Therapist Zero is an unflinching, darkly funny solo performance about raising a brilliant but troubled daughter – and the endless revolving door of therapists who couldn’t help her. Written and performed by Leonard, the piece traces a decades-long journey through misdiagnoses, meltdowns, and moments of unexpected grace.
Along the way, Leonard reflects on his own chaotic childhood: smoking by second grade, being left behind at age five for a family trip to Niagara Falls, and how that upbringing shaped the parent he became.
Praise for Therapist Zero
Following its San Francisco premiere, the show was selected as a Critics’ Pick by the San Francisco Chronicle, and resonated strongly with audiences, including parents, mental health professionals, and fellow artists, who praised its candid storytelling and emotional impact. Audiences have hailed the piece as “funny, vulnerable, and captivating.”
TheaterMania praises the show for its “…unflinching honesty, warmth, and wit,” and SFFringe calls Therapist Zero “…an absolute gem of a show! Leonard takes the audience on an unforgettable journey.”
The Team
Brian Leonard – Writer, Performer
Brian Leonard is an award-winning writer, filmmaker, actor, and stand-up, or as his mother would say, “He’s unemployed in many fields.” With Therapist Zero, he brings his storytelling craft to the stage in a performance that is equal parts intimate confession and universal exploration.
A veteran of the stand-up circuit in the 1980s and 1990s, Brian appeared on numerous TV comedy shows, earning praise as “…one of San Francisco’s most intelligent and funniest comedians” (San Jose Mercury News).
As an actor, he’s appeared in films like Bottle Shock and Bee Season, TV shows including Nash Bridges and David E. Kelly’s Girls Club, and regional theater productions from San Francisco Shakespeare and TheaterWorks, among others.
His writing credits include writing and directing for Ellen DeGeneres, Jason Sudeikis, and Mindy Kaling; writing for BBC Radio’s The Treatment, and story consulting for Pixar Animation. He’s also had an animated series optioned by NBC/Universal.
Brian’s work has been honored with a Silver Hugo from the Chicago International Film Festival, and his writing and directing of a UK campaign to de-stigmatize fertility issues was recognized by the Webby Awards. With a background in both performance and writing, Brian brings humor, heart, and sharp storytelling to the stage in Therapist Zero, his first solo show.
Ken Sonkin – Director
Ken Sonkin is an award-winning actor and director with an extensive career on stages throughout the Bay Area and beyond, including American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Rep, San Francisco Playhouse, The Magic Theatre, and Z Space. His regional credits include The Denver Center Theatre Company, Grove Shakespeare Festival, and the Pacific Resident Theater in Los Angeles.
A seasoned performer and director, Ken has collaborated with acclaimed playwrights such as Oliver Goldstick, Brian Thorstenson, and Lynne Kaufman. He has served on the acting faculty at American Conservatory Theater and taught at Northwestern, Stanford, and the National Theatre Conservatory.
Ken is currently a professor at the University of San Francisco, where he teaches acting and directing, and has helmed productions of Angels in America: Perestroika, Metamorphoses, and Tartuffe. He is a proud member of Actors’ Equity and SAG-AFTRA.
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