Peter Wren's The Ballad of Lizard Gulch, a play about a desert dweller who may have acquired the mystical powers of Native American legend, will have its world premiere at the Stella Adler Theatre on Jan. 21. The run, which started previews Jan. 15, is through Feb. 27.

Directed by Mel Johnson, Jr., produced by Steve Cardenas and Farrell Hirsch, Wren's play also involves a developer so greedy and vile "that he makes Donald Trump and Bill Gates seem positively benevolent," and the beautiful woman the two men adore. Wren's previous plays include Billy Bob and the Gospel, which ran over four months in Los Angeles.

Johnson is co-artistic director of Imagination Workshop and is executive producer for Alchemy Entertainment. He is also an actor, with credits in "Total Recall" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine."

The cast includes Jeremy Ratchford, Jack Kissel, John D'Aquino and Daphne Ashbrook.

Stella Adler Theatre is located at 6775 Hollywood Blvd. For tickets and information call (310) 289-2999. -- By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent