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Nicholas O'Neill (January 28, 1985 - February 20, 2003) was the youngest of the 100 victims of The Station nightclub fire, which occurred in West Warwick, Rhode Island.〔(Documentary film honors youngest victim of Station Nightclub fire ), New England Cable News, February 18, 2008〕 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 (film)'', 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''.〔(41: The Movie )〕 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 (10). ''41'' is based on the thesis that Nicholas may have somehow foreseen his own death, as suggested by his various documented writings. The film (including the extra material featured on the DVD) includes interviews with, among others, Land, radio host Dave Kane (Nicholas' father), writer Ann Hood, medium Robert Brown, and University of Arizona afterlife researcher Gary Schwartz.〔 == Life == Nicholas 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.〔(Fire survivors struggle with guilt of the living ), The Providence Journal, March 16, 2003〕 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.〔(The Victims: Portraits of people who died in the R.I. nightclub fire ), The Boston Globe〕 In ''41'', Nicholas O’Neill’s family and friends emphasize his sense of humor, his natural intelligence and wisdom, and his compassion. They note that, despite the brevity of his life, he had a positive influence on many people, as evidenced by the attendance of over a thousand people at his memorial service.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Nicholas O'Neill (writer)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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