Crown City Theatre Opens NIGHT HAWKS World Premiere Tonight

Crown City Theatre Company presents a World Premiere play, NIGHT HAWKS by Dennis A. Pratt & Robert Vincent O'Neil, directed by Barry Pearl and Robert Vincent O'Neil. NIGHT HAWKS is a unique and provocative story about 2 old men caught in the crossfire of their own personal purgatory.

Dennis A. Pratt: Famed TV actor (JUDGING AMY, ALIAS, HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN and too many more to name) and writer (THE CABIN, THE STORM, DEPTH CHARGE, etc.) Dennis brings his snappy, creative dialogue to the stage with writing partner...

Robert Vincent O'Neil: Writer, director of such films as ANGEL and AVENGING ANGEL and writer of VICE SQUAD, DEADLY FORCE and TV's LADY BLUE, Robert returns to his first passion the stage. Having worked along side such greats as Jack Nicholson and Bruce Dern, he comes to Crown City with his latest creation.

CO-DIRECTED BY: Barry Pearl: Barry started his acting career 52 years ago in the original Broadway productions of BYE BYE BIRDIE and OLIVER. More recently he added THE PRODUCERS and BABY IT'S YOU! to those Broadway credits. Having done numerous tours and regional stage productions as well as several TV series and scores of episodics, he is best known as Doody in the film GREASE. Some of his directorial credits include: OLIVER! (starring Sid Caesar), Sam Bobrick's THE CRAZY TIME and, most recently, the stage version of GREASE for Cabrillo Music Theatre.

Robert Vincent O'Neil: In his early career Robert directed many stage plays throughout Arizona and Texas as well as directing the west coast premiere in L.A. of Neil Simon's PRISONER OF SECOND AVENUE.

THE STORY: Harry and Ray are partners who've had each other's back for decades. They've always met for breakfast at their favorite deli because Harry's a creature of habit. However, today Harry has chosen to meet at a rundown diner in a low class neighborhood. In this mysterious diner is a strung-out, young waitress. When it becomes obvious to Ray that this isn't Harry's first time coming to this joint and that Harry may have some feelings for this woman half his age he demands to know why they're there. Harry explains that he wants Ray to help him kill a man. When the waitress's boyfriend comes in with his associate things start to heat up and the machismo between two old goats and two young thugs escalates. It's not the "who, what, where or how" that makes this "hit" difficult for the two, it's the "why" Harry wants this man dead that is so damned disturbing. A unique and provocative story about 2 old men caught in the crossfire of their own personal purgatory.

THE CAST: Gary Lee Reed as Harry and Matthew Kimbrough as Ray, with Claire Bermingham as Sadie, Jad Mager as Raz and Adam Conger as Jimmy.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Set Design - Madison Orgill; Costume Design - Tanya Apuya; Lighting Design - TBD; Sound Design - Mark Duggar; Prop Design - Joanne McGee; Production Stage Manager - Zad Potter; Producers - Gary Lamb, Ben Rovner and William A. Reilly; Publicity - Gary Lamb & Zad Potter; and Graphic Design - Douglas Haverty - Art + Soul Design.

Crown City Theatre Company has been around since it first put up their musical "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" at the Ivy Substation in 1996. Since then they have produced many productions including "Godspell" and "The Boys From Syracuse" at the Excalibur Theater and 8 years of Shakespeare in Nevada. After changing the name of the company from La Petite in 2005 to Crown City they produced 3 seasons of the Pasadena Shakespeare Festival until they found a home at the end of 2007 here in North Hollywood. They have produced 4 world premieres and 16 other plays/musicals in the 5 plus years they have been located in St. Matthew's Church (not affiliated). Their company has won numerous awards and has been seen on NBC Nightly News and KTLA Morning News.

"NIGHT HAWKS" By Dennis A. Pratt & Robert Vincent O'Neil will play the Crown City Theatre, located at 11031 Camarillo Street, North Hollywood, Calif. Previews June 7, 8 & 9; Opens June 13, playing Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 3 pm. Scheduled to run thru July 14. Tickets $20 for previews, $25 general admission. Special Gala Opening Night Reception Thursday, June. 13- $35.

For more information: www.crowncitytheatre.com or 818-605-5685.

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