"I really applaud you all for using your voice, speaking out, and telling your stories," Lecesne told the crowd of solo performers while accepting the award. "It’s the greatest thing you can do in your life. Thank you so much for this honor."

Lecesne joins previous recipients of the award, including Anna Deavere Smith, Patti LuPone, John Leguizamo, Fiona Shaw, and Billy Crystal.

Lecesne's monologue play, The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, is headed for a West Coast engagement in January 2016 as part of a planned national tour. In the show, he portrays the various residents of a small Jersey shore town as they struggle to comprehend the mysterious disappearance of a teenager.

Watch Lecesne's video message for the festival below:

The United Solo Theatre Festival is the largest in the world of its kind. This year's event presented 150 one-person shows over a ten-week run, with works from around the globe that featured puppetry, dance, multimedia, documentary, musical, improv, stand-up, poetry, magic and performance art. All shows were staged at Theatre Row.

The festival is now reviewing submissions for next season. Visit UnitedSolo.org for more information.