Ocean State Theatre Company Announces THEY WALK AMONG US Reading, 3/10

Ocean State Theatre Company (OSTC), the not-for-profit which brought new life to the historic Theatre By The Sea for the past five years, will present a staged reading of They Walk Among Us at their new state-of-the-Art Theatre in Warwick on Sunday, March 10 at 7:00 pm.

In commemoration of the ten year anniversary of The Station nightclub fire, which occurred on February 20, 2003, OSTC will present a staged reading of Nicholas O'Neill's one-act play, which was written a year before the fire that took his life. Nicky, as his family affectionately refers to him, was the youngest victim of the fire. The play, which was discovered about two weeks after the fire, is an inspiring story about young people who die and return as guardian angels. Believed to have been written for All Children's Theatre's annual playwriting competition, Nick never submitted the play and it never made it to the stage before his passing.

The Station nightclub fire, which claimed 100 lives, was the fourth worst nightclub fire in U.S. history. The fire was caused by pyrotechnics, which were set off by the tour manager of the evening's headlining band, Great White. The fast-moving fire engulfed the club in 5½ minutes.

The reading will be directed by OSTC's Producing Artistic Director Amiee Turner. The cast will include both cast members of OSTC's current production of Rent, as well as friends and family of author Nicholas O'Neill.

"I was very touched when Nicholas' family approached us to see if we would consider staging a reading of They Walk Among Us," said Ms. Turner. "Although I was not yet living in Rhode Island, I vividly remember hearing news of the fire. Staging the reading at our new theatre, less than three miles from the site of the tragedy, makes this event quite poignant."

The Walk Among Us will be presented at Ocean State Theatre for one performance only on March 10 at 7:00 pm. The theatre is located at 1245 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick, RI. General admission tickets are $20.00 with partial proceeds being donated to The Station Fire Memorial Foundation. Tickets are on sale at the box office Tuesday through Friday from 12 noon - 6:00 pm, Saturdays from 12 noon - 4:00 pm, and from 12 noon until curtain on performance days. Tickets are also available online 24 hours a day at www.OceanStateTheatre.org and via telephone during normal box office hours by calling (401) 921-6800.