There have been glimmers of plays since — Glimmer, Glimmer & Shine at Manhattan Theatre Club and assorted one-acts at Ensemble Studio Theatre, for instance — but now he seems to be inching back to his stage roots. "There's a rumor of a play in the autumn of this year," he confesses, "but I can't talk about it yet."

After Side Man, Leight loped off to the green, green, lucratively green fields of TV — starting as a freelance writer for "100 Centre Street," then as writer/producer and eventually executive producer and head writer for "Law & Order: Criminal Intent." He just finished his second season as executive producer/showrunner for "In Treatment," and will serve in those capacities for a new show for the FX network called "Lights Out."

"You can make your own pun," says Leight about the title. "It's about a boxer who's coming back five years after his retirement."

He notes, "There're theatre people involved. The boxer is Hoyt McCallany, whose mom is Julie Wilson. His father is being played by Stacy Keach, and his brother is played by Pablo Schreiber. Catherine McCormack, the English actress who was in 'Braveheart,' is his wife. We start shooting in March, and it airs in winter."

By then, Leight should know if he's a lapsed playwright or not.

— Harry Haun