What is Therapist Zero?
Therapist Zero is an unflinching, darkly funny solo show about raising a brilliant, but troubled daughter – and the endless revolving door of therapists who couldn’t help her. Written and performed by Brian Leonard and directed by Ken Sonkin, the piece traces a decades-long journey through misdiagnoses, meltdowns, and moments of grace. Along the way, Leonard reflects on his own chaotic childhood: smoking by 2nd grade, forgotten during a family trip to Niagara Falls, etc., and how that upbringing shaped the parent he became.
Blending biting humor with deep vulnerability, Therapist Zero isn’t just about parenting a child in crisis; it’s about the generational echoes we carry, the limits of expertise, and the stubborn, imperfect love that sometimes requires walking away to find your way back. Under Sonkin’s deft direction, the show walks a tightrope between laugh-out-loud absurdity and raw emotional truth.
At its heart, Therapist Zero asks a deceptively simple question: What happens when everything you thought would work… doesn’t?
A story of failure, persistence, and hard-won healing, Therapist Zero will resonate with anyone who has ever tried to help someone they love, especially when that love defies easy answers.
About Brian Leonard
Brian Leonard is a writer, performer, and storyteller whose career spans stand-up comedy, television, theater, and animation. 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 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 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 for 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.
About Ken Sonkin
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 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.
