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Nick O'Neill

NICK O'NEILL  (1985 - 2003)

Nationality:    USA
email:    Click here to contact     Website:    n/a

Literary Agent:    n/a

Nick's brother, Chris O'Neill [dekutree41@gmail.com], is one of the arbiters of his estate and people can contact him if they are interested in producing his play. Nicholas O'Neill was the youngest of the 100 victims of the Station nightclub fire, which occurred in West Warwick, Rhode Island in February of 2003. He had turned 18 in January of that year. His life and work as a writer, actor and musician has been memorialized by the documentary ''41'', the independent feature film "they Walk Among Us" (based on a play of the same name written by Nicholas), and in the book ''41 Signs of Hope''. Another screenplay adaptation of "they Walk Among Us" has been written by novelist Jon Land, and there have been numerous stage productions of the play, including a New York City production in 2008. O'Neill was born on January 28, 1985, the son of Joanne O'Neill and Dave Kane. He lived for most of his life in Cranston, Rhode Island with his mother and his half-brothers Christian and William. O'Neill began acting at a young age in church, school and community Theater productions, playing such roles as Linus in "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and Conrad Birdie in "Bye Bye Birdie." By the age of 14, he was performing improv comedy and by the age of 17, he had taught himself to play guitar and performed as front man with the rock band Shryne, using the stage name Nicky O. Meanwhile, he began to struggle with school, eventually losing interest in it entirely and dropping out. During his last years, he was focused on acting with the Providence company All Children's Theater, and writing and performing music. He was involved in a serious, long-term relationship with his girlfriend, Gabby SherbA. O'Neill's family alleges that toward the end of his life, he began having mystical experiences, which they claim influenced much of his writing, including his songwriting, journals, and his play, "they Walk Among Us," which features a character that O'Neill seemed to have based on himself. the character is a teenager who has died and become a guardian angel who watches over other young people. O'Neill was at the Station nightclub for the concert by the band Great White on February 20, 2003 with his bandmate from Shryne, Jon Brennan, and another friend, Albert DibonaventurA. Of the three, only Brennan made it out of the club alive. Shryne was scheduled to perform at the Station the following night, and O'Neill had reportedly befriended Great White lead singer Jack Russell in the days before the fire.

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below is a list of Nick O'Neill's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

        they Walk Among Us



they Walk Among Us

Synopsis:
Written by Nick O'Neill, the youngest victim of the Station nightclub fire, they Walk Among Us tells the story of a young man struggling to reconcile his sexual identity and his relationship with God. It is also the story of the three angels, teens who died before their time, who have been assigned to help him along the way-one of whom seems to be based on Nicky himself. they Walk Among Us, with its uncanny prescience, provides a comfort not only to the playwright's family, but to the world at large as we search for reasons to continue to hope. This performance marks the fifth anniversary of the fire.
- press release

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Spoon Theatre, NY    2008

Organisations:
Rene Bionat/ Rene's Project and My Own Delirium

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

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If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Gay, one act

Parts:
Male:  6            Female:  12            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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