While the actual spirit of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas is said to reside at New York City's White Horse Tavern, where the writer took his fateful last drinks, Dylan's Ghost will travel to Los Angeles for a Oct. 12-Nov. 19 run at the Coast Playhouse. The comedy will open Oct. 14 with direction by the author, Mark Leonard. In Dylan's Ghost, two unlikely friends, a failed country western singer from Texas and a New York City bartender, set out to prove Thomas, known for his poem "Do not go gentle into that good night" and "A Child's Christmas in Wales," lives on in a Greenwich Village pub every Christmas season. Originally titled The Man in the White Horse, Dylan's Ghost won the George S. Stevens Playwriting Award from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the President's Council on the Arts and Humanities. Leonard's other works include Cracks in the Ice, Not Post Toasties, The Loast Armadillo Cafe and The Whole World Has Gone to Pot.

A published poet and actor, Elvin Whitesides stars as Dylan Thomas, with Christy McBrayer as Gaylen. The roles of Billy and Dougie are double-cast with Kevin Brown and Jay Laisne sharing Billy and Ryan Michaels and Joe DeMonico sharing Dougie.

The design team features Rob Mulholland with sets and Richard Hellstern with lighting.

Preview tickets are $5 with regular run prices at $20-$10. The Coast Playhouse is located at 8325 Santa Monica Boulevard. For reservations, call (323) 655-TKTS. D'Art Productions and Dylan's Ghost are on the web at http://www.dartproductions.com.

-- By Christine Ehren