Photo Flash: Opening Night Of Derby Day at Clurman Theatre

The Camisade Theatre Company will present their inaugural theatrical production, the World Premiere of Derby Day, written by Samuel Brett Williams and directed by Michole Biancosino, starring Jared Culverhouse, Malcolm Madera, Jake Silbermann and Beth Wittig. Derby Day runs from November 30 to December 17, 2011 in a limited engagement at The Clurman Theatre, located in the Theatre Row Complex at 410 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues in New York City.

Performances are Wednesdays – Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 3pm, with an additional performance on Tuesday, December 13 at 7pm. Tickets are $18 and can be purchased online at http://www.Telecharge.com or by calling 212-239-6200. The play contains strong violence and language. Running time is 75 minutes. The theater is accessible from any train to Times Square/West 42nd Street. For more information on the company and the play visit http://www.CamisadeTheatre.com.

It’s Derby Day and the Ballard brothers have a luxury box at the Oaklawn Racetrack in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Their father has just died, and Frank, the oldest, has flown down from Chicago to see the angry newlywed Ned and the ex-con Johnny. Over the course of one long day the Ballard boys destroy everything and everyone in their way – drinking, cursing and revealing family secrets that might just tear them apart forever. Playwright Samuel Brett Williams explores family, love and mortality in a dark comedy that culminates in a race that you will never forget.

Camisade Theatre Company is devoted to telling visceral, honest stories that portray an America rarely seen on stage. Founded by Jake Silbermann, Malcolm Madera, and Samuel Brett Williams, Camisade believes in stories that are told with integrity and clarity. Camisade aims to produce contemporary plays with unashamed passion and empathy. Silbermann was born and raised in New York City; Madera is from New Mexico; and Williams grew up in Arkansas. With their divergent upbringings they hope to use Camisade to showcase plays about America’s forgotten and unnoticed.

Samuel Brett Williams’ (Camisade Theatre Company co-founder) plays have been developed/produced at the Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, Cherry Lane Theatre, Ars Nova, New York Theatre Workshop, Naked Angels, the Lark, the Kennedy Center, Yale University, Actors Theatre of Louisville, P73 Productions, WordBRIDGE and the Joseph Beuys Theater in Moscow, Russia. In 2010, his play The Revival was produced by Project Y Theatre Company and was nominated for seven NY Innovative Theatre Awards, including Outstanding Production. The play was then optioned for film by Naked Faith Entertainment and Brett was hired to write the screenplay. His play The Woodpecker recently ran for two months in Los Angeles at Mutineer Theatre Company, where it was a Back Stage Critic’s Pick. The play will be produced in 2012 in Chicago at XIII Pocket (Steppenwolf’s resident company). Williams is a past winner of the Helen Merrill Emerging Playwright Award. Currently, he is developing an original pilot (with Ryan O’Nan) for 26 Keys Productions.

Michole Biancosino is a founder and co-Artistic Director of Project Y Theatre Company. She has worked with Samuel Brett Williams on several world premiere plays including The Revival (NYIT Award nominee for Best Director), The Trashbag Tourist (New Orleans Theatre Experiment) and Steve Avery (Milesquare Theatre). With Project Y Michole has also directed David Rabe’s In the Boom Boom Room, Judith Thompson’s The Crackwalker, Naomi Wallace’s One Flea Spare and the world premiere of Dan O’Brien’s Either/Or at the New York Fringe Festival. She is a recipient of the prestigious S.D.C.F. Gielgud Fellowship for Directing.

Malcolm Madera’s (Camisade Theatre Company co-founder) stage credits include Harry Reems in The Deep Throat Sex Scandal at 45 Bleecker, Al’s Business Cards on Theatre Row, The Pied Pipers of the Lower East Side with The Amoralists, The Off Broadway 24 Hour Plays on Theatre Row, Dance Lessons on Theatre Row, Somewhere In The Pacific with PTP/NYC and I.E. In Other Words at The Flea. While in London he performed at the historic Old Vic theatre in the Old Vic New Voices 24 Hour Plays. His TV credits include “Guiding Light” and “All My Children.” Madera’s a company member of At Play and The Amoralists.

Jake Silbermann’s (Camisade Theatre Company co-founder) television credits include “As The World Turns,” where he originated the controversial role of Noah Mayer, “Guiding Light,” “Gossip Girl,” “The Good Wife” and ABC’s upcoming “Georgetown.” He recently appeared in the World Premiere of Marina Carr’s Phaedra Backwards at the McCarter Theatre, under the direction of Emily Mann. Jake is the writer of the award-winning short film Stuffer, directed by Nathan Crooker.

Jared Culverhouse’s stage credits include Fresh Kills at 59 East 59, Penetrator at American Place Theatre and To Nineveh, winner of 7 NY Innovative Theatre Awards, including Best Ensemble.

Beth Wittig’s stage credits include The Persian Quarter at Merrimack Rep, Blackbird at Hartford Theaterworks and A Moon for the Misbegotten at the Pittsburgh Public Theater. The play features the voice of Frank Simms as the racetrack announcer. Simms has toured the world as a vocalist with both David Bowie and Billy Joel.

Liam Joynt is the play’s producer. Joynt is the Associate Producer of Project Y Theatre Company. With Project Y, he co-produced Samuel Brett Williams’ The Revival.

The creative team consists of Alfred Schatz (Set Design), Shawn Boyle (Lighting Design), Erin Schultz (Costume Design), Amit Prakash (Sound Design), Alberto Bonilla (Fight Choreography), Elizabeth Ingram (Fight Choreography Assistant) and Patrick Bernard Clayton (Production Stage Manager).

Photo credit: Andrea Reese

Andrew Smith, Michole Biancosino and Liam Joynt

Sean Bauer, Derek Ahonen, Sarah Lemp and James Kautz

James Kautz, Lisa Lewis and David Gibbs

John Driscoll, Jake Silbermann and Anthony Sweeney

The Derby Day team

Beth Wittig, Jake Silbermann, Malcolm Madera and Jared Culverhouse

Samuel Brett Williams and Mark Armstrong

Amit Prakash and Michole Biancosino

Samuel Brett Williams and Michole Biancosino

Samuel Brett Williams, Malcolm Madera and Jake Silbermann