RLTP Announces Vincent O’Neill to Headline St. Nicholas, Beginning 1/28

Road Less Traveled Productions (RLTP) today announced Irish Classical Theatre Company (ICTC) Founder & Artistic Director Vincent O'Neill will star in the Western New York premiere of Conor McPherson's St. Nicholas beginning on Saturday, January 28th, 2012. O'Neill's performance in the one-man show will mark the first time the legendary Buffalo actor will appear onstage at RLTP's Road Less Traveled Theater, located directly next door to ICTC's Andrews Theater on Main Street in the historic Downtown Buffalo Theater District.

"Vincent was one of the first producers in Buffalo to give me a shot in this town in the late nineties," said RLTP Executive & Artistic Director Scott Behrend, who will direct O'Neill in St. Nicholas . "I was fresh out of college, green and untested, but Vincent took a chance on me, and he's been a dear friend and a mentor ever since."

"Obviously," continued Behrend, "I've been looking for an opportunity to collaborate with him on a production for a long time... and finally, with St. Nicholas, we have a perfect vehicle."

St. Nicholas is a dark, frightening, yet also very funny "tall tale" woven and told by a jaded alcoholic theatre critic, played by O'Neill. "The critic relates to the audience his bizarre, hilarious, sometimes terrifying journey into the heart of a sexy, sinister secret society of vampires," said Behrend, adding that the role was originated in Ireland by famous stage and screen actor Brian Cox. "It's a delicious, juicy role for Vincent to sink his teeth into."

O'Neill is no stranger to the work of playwright McPherson, having starred in ICTC productions of macabre ghost stories The Weir and, most recently, Shining City.

"Returning to the work of Conor McPherson is akin to meeting an old Dublin friend again," O'Neill remarked.

"I am a great believer that our vibrant theatre community grows even stronger through meaningful collaboration and cooperation between companies," said O'Neill, "and it is a real pleasure to work on this exciting McPherson script with one of Buffalo's most successful younger companies, Road Less Traveled Productions, under the direction of another old friend, Scott Behrend."

Conor McPherson is the Irish-born author of eleven plays, including The Weir , Shining City , This Lime Tree Bower , Port Authority , The Seafarer , and The Good Thief , which RLTP presented in 2006 in a critically acclaimed production starring Buffalo-area actor Brian Riggs. McPherson is also the writer/director of the 2010 film The Eclipse .

St. Nicholas opens Saturday, January 28 th , 2012 at the Road Less Traveled Theater and runs through Sunday, February 19 th , 2012. Showtimes are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM. There will be a special 7:00 PM performance Sunday, February 12 th , 2012. Tickets are available online at www.roadlesstraveledproductions.org or through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000.