#malcolm madera

House of Cards / Chapter 55

A Red Letter Day at the Derby

Derby Day

By Samuel Brett Williams

The Clurman Theatre - Theatre Row

Directed by Michole Biancosino

Dark comedy is a tricky beast. It is a rare play that can make an audience laugh heartily at other people’s misfortunes, and a rarer play yet that manages to do so while maintaining strong, realistic characters. Derby Day, a world premiere by Samuel Brett Williams, deftly accomplishes this delicate balance. As I laughed, gasped, and cringed along with the rest of the audience I realized how unique this plays is, and how happy I am that it is being produced by Camisade Theatre Company.

The scene opens on Alfred Schatz’s lifelike rendering of the interior of a room overlooking the Oaklawn Racetrack in Hot Springs, Arkansas. As we meet brothers Frank (Jared Culberhouse), Johnny (Jake Silbermann), and Ned (Malcolm Madera), along their beleaguered waitress Becky (Beth Wittig), the environment is readily recognizable. Fortified by alcohol, and fired-up by gambling, the brothers, we learn, are in town for their father’s funeral. However, this seems to be the furthest thing from their minds as they bet, curse, and fight their way through their forced interactions with each other.

I will admit that I was nervous at first about the deep southern drawls, the excessive amounts of alcohol, and some of the language at the start of the play. I have seen my fair share of negative stereotypes of southerners, and I was worried that I was about to be presented with another one. But one of the biggest compliments I can give to Samuel Brett Williams is that there is nothing stereotypical or expected about Derby Day. I am stunned at the amount of character development and attention Williams gives each individual character. After watching these individuals for a little over an hour, I feel like I have known them for far longer than that.

This play provides the audience with unflinching depictions of both the good and the bad in these people. The comedy presented is laugh out loud funny, but is never achieved at the expense of character development. This allows the play to be a true “dark comedy,” in my opinion, as it genuinely achieves comedy while never shying away from the dark aspects of violence and cruelty. Nor does it oscillate too far in that direction. The violence in the play is enough that children should certainly not attend, but I never felt that there was violence for the sake of violence. In fact, I applaud Williams again for the fact that the progression of the play made perfect, logical sense to me and I would not have changed one minute of it.

Of course, Williams’s writing is just part of the winning equation of Derby Day, as a play is only as good as the actors performing it. Director Michole Biancosino has done a fantastic job with a talented cast. Jake Silbermann’s Johnny is our protagonist, and Silbermann gives an excellent performance. Johnny is charming, but troubled, and it is his journey that causes the most direct emotional attachment. We root for him, as he seems to be the most sensitive of the brothers. But looks can be deceiving. Malcolm Madera’s Ned is well played as well, as Madera perfectly embodies the “player” brother who dreams of owning a flower shop. Jared Culverhouse’s Frank is also quite good, though Culverhouse’s voice undercuts his physical presence. He sounds as if he is straining, which both hurts the voice and makes it difficult to hear what he is saying.

Last but certainly not least, Beth Wittig’s Becky delivers a very strong performance of a shockingly strong character. Becky is our connection to the world outside, and though she at first appears to be an ancillary character, we learn quite a bit about her life. I would explain my favorite part of her performance and her part, but I do not want to ruin the experience, so I will refrain. Suffice it to say that Wittig holds her own with these men.