Affiliate Students

Leslie L. Smith received his MA in Educational Theater and a Bachelor’s in Creative Writing from NYU. He has also studied at The Circle Rep Playwright’s Lab and at The Actor’s Studio Writer’s and Director’s Workshop. He began his career as a literary intern at the 1991 Young Playwrights Festival. Early in his career he was the associate producer of the Obie-winning Hot Keys (1992) at Naked Angels. In the 1990’s he held staff positions at New York Theater Workshop, The Public Theater, The Theater Development Fund, and Jujamcyn Theaters.  He curated materials for OutFest, LA Independent Film Festival, and The Sundance Institute and worked as a development consultant to Mirimax, FineLine Features, and Paramount Classics. As a playwright, Smith’s works include Somewhere In Between(Carousel Theater Co); his one-man show Finding My Voice On The F-Train was directed by Cindy Tolan in workshop for NYTW and by Ken Elliot in workshop at The Public Theater.  Smith founded Revelation Theater, which he operated as Artistic Director from 2000-2002 and as Producing Artistic Director from 2002-2005. There he directed Temporary Help off-Broadway in 2002.  Smith is a member of the League of Off-Broadway Theaters and Producers where he has served on the Administration Committee for the Lucille Lortel Awards from 2004-2008, and facilitated an 18-month Strategic Planning Initiative in 2009 and 2010.

His social services experience includes senior strategy positions for the American Red Cross (9/11-Katrina), United Way of New York State’s 2-1-1 Iniative, managing inter-agency initiatives for government and non-profit cooperation in social service fields in New York City. He served on the board of The Trevor Project for the agency’s first five years.  He has produced special events that have raised more the $25 million for various LGBT and HIV/AIDS charities.

His novel, Sally Field Can Play The Transsexual, was named a 2015 Reader’s Favorite Finalist.  In 2013, he edited a non-fiction anthology of personal struggles in addiction cycles called Leaving The Res t: Gay men on Alcoholism, Addiction and Recovery. As a filmmaker, Smith wrote, produced and directed David Searching which received a 1997 US theatrical release, played over 45 Domestic and International Film Festivals, and was added the OUTFEST/UCLA Film Archive’s Legacy Project permanent collection in 2011.