The Los Angeles Premiere of Gene Franklin Smith's Life Beneath the Roses, a "ghost story for grown-ups," opens at the Bitter Truth Theatre in North Hollywood, Feb. 7, running through Mar. 30.

Roses is based on the true story of a late 18th century Cape Cod house. An archeologist working in the backyard makes a startling discovery. Five family members spending Halloween vacation there are confronted not only with their dysfunctional demons of the past, but also with real ghost.

Gene Franklin Smith's play was produced off-Broadway, and won Theatre Americana's David James Ellis Memorial Award for outstanding play of their 1992-93 season. He has written nine full length plays, including Rubicon, which is currently receiving it's world premiere at West Hollywood's Coast Playhouse.

Hope Alexander-Willis is an actress who has been an award-winning director in California since 1980. She received last year's Drama-Logue Award for Israel Horovitz's Park Your Car at the Harvard Yard, which ran for an extended time at the Fountain and Odyssey theatres. Alexander-Willis will direct the new Horovitz play Fighting Over Beverley opening at the Fountain later this month.

The cast of Life Beneath the Roses features Tammy Kaitz, Brandon Kaplan, Kathleen Marshall, Eric Zivot and Wendy Axelrod. For tickets or more information, please call (818) 755-7900, or refer to The Bitter Truth Theatre regional listing on Playbill On-Line. --By Blair Glaser