Invictus Theatre Company presents Dan Gordon's "MURDER IN THE FIRST" April 2005

The newly founded Invictus Theatre Company (Co-Artistic Directors John Stanisci, Thomas Ryan and Laurie Ann Bulman) is proud to present, as its inaugural Off-Broadway production, the New York premiere of Dan Gordon's gripping legal drama MURDER IN THE FIRST. Adapted from the 1995 Warner Bros. motion picture, MURDER IN THE FIRST plays for sixteen performances only, Thursday, April 7 through Sunday, April 24, 2005 at Theatre 3 in midtown Manhattan (311 West 43rd Street). Michael Parva directs.

Inspired by actual events, MURDER IN THE FIRST is the story of a passionate, young attorney who must prove that one criminal's cruel treatment during three years in Alcatraz turned him into a vicious killer. Through his defense, he uncovers the surprising truths that ultimately lead to the closing of the most notorious correctional institution in human history.

Author Dan Gordon is the screenwriter of many noteworthy feature films, including The Hurricane with Denzel Washington and Wyatt Earp with Kevin Costner. MURDER IN THE FIRST, with an original screenplay by Gordon, was released as a major motion picture by Warner Bros. Studios in 1995 starring Christian Slater, Kevin Bacon, Gary Oldman and William H. Macy.

The cast of MURDER IN THE FIRST features Jeremy Bobb (Baliff/Guard), Laurie Ann Bulman (Mary McCasslin), Suzie Cho (Blanche), James Ecklund (Swenson), James Michael Farrell (Hoolihan), Daren Kelly (Bill McNeil), Mike Lim (Jury Foreman), Allen McCullough (Glenn), Thomas Ryan (Judge Clawson), Stelio Savante (Derek Simpson), Gene Silvers (Willie Moore) and John Stanisci (Henry Davidson).

The production is designed by Mark Nayden (sets), Astrid Brucker (costumes), David Castaneda (lighting) and Quentin Chiappetta (sound).

Michael Parva's numerous directing credits include theater, film and television. He has developed and produced numerous plays including Bad Girls by Joyce Carol Oates, Kilt with Tovah Feldshuh, The Passion of Frida Kahlo with Priscilla Lopez and Bat Boy: The Musical. He currently serves as Artistic Director of The Directors Company.

The Invictus Theatre Company holds a passionate belief in the undying spirit of the artist and their vital need for expression. To that end, the mission of the company is to provide opportunities to highly-skilled artists who are as yet unrecognized by the entertainment industry. Invictus wishes to support the undiscovered talents of artists who work to see their dream fulfilled, year after year, refusing to give up. Thus the company's name Invictus – the Latin for "unconquered" – is born. Through the lifeforce of these artists, a true sense of excitement along with thrilling, spontaneous, raw danger explodes on the New York stage. With this platform, their innovative and unique approach to live theater unites writers, directors and actors who long to reach New York audiences with the true power and beauty of breathtaking dramatic theater.

The Invictus Theatre Company's production of MURDER IN THE FIRST is presented through special arrangement with The Directors Company.

MURDER IN THE FIRST was originally presented by The Rubicon Theater Company of Ventura, CA (Founders Jim O'Neil and Karyl Lynn Burns), and originally directed by Linda Grey.

Tickets for MURDER IN THE FIRST are $17.25 each (including a $2.25 handling surcharge) and are now available for purchase by calling TheatreMania.com at (212) 352-3101. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the Theatre 3 box office (311 West 43rd Street, 3rd Floor) 30 minutes prior to the start of show time for $15 (cash only).

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Thursday, April 7 • 8 p.m.
Friday, April 8 • 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 9 • 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Wednesday, April 13 • 8 p.m.
Thursday, April 14 • 8 p.m.
Friday, April 15 • 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 16 • 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Monday, April 18 • 8 p.m.
Wednesday, April 20 • 8 p.m.
Thursday, April 21 • 8 p.m.
Friday, April 22 • 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 23 • 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 24 • 2 p.m.

BIOGRAPHIES

DAN GORDON (Playwright). As a master storyteller, Dan Gordon creates indelible characters and relationships, which have afforded actors the opportunity to play some of their most unforgettable roles. From Kevin Bacon's haunting portrayal of Henry Young in Murder in the First to Kevin Costner's darkly heroic lawman in Wyatt Earp, from Aiden Quinn's conflicted spy in The Assignment to Denzel Washington's towering portrayal of Rubin Carter in The Hurricane, Gordon's characters are marked by their struggle to maintain their humanity in the face of overwhelming adversity. The Hurricane is adapted from Lazarus and the Hurricane by Terry Swinton and Sam Chaiton and The Sixteenth Round by Rubin Carter. It is the story of a man who stuttered so badly he could not speak, who was imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. He taught himself to write and wrote his story, sending it out like a message in a bottle. After his book had been read and all but forgotten, an illiterate black teenager was taken in by a group of white Canadians, who did nothing so heroic as teaching him to read. The first book that youngster bought was The Sixteenth Round. The boy, who had not been able to read, wrote the man who had not been able to speak a letter. Thus began the relationship which would liberate them both. The film was summed up in one line of Gordon's dialogue, "Hate put me in here. Love is gonna bust me out." Dan Gordon graduated UCLA as a film and television major and later served as a Sergeant in the Israeli Army. His film credits include: Tank, Gulag, Passenger 57, Wyatt Earp, Murder in the First, The Assignment, and The Hurricane. He is, in addition, the author of five novels.

MICHAEL PARVA (Director) is the Artistic/Producing Director of The Directors Company, where he has developed and produced numerous plays and workshops; including Bad Girls by Joyce Carol Oates; Kilt featuring Tovah Feldshuh; The Passion of Frida Kahlo featuring Priscilla López; Good Will, an adaptation of Jane Smiley's award-winning novella, featuring Dana Reeve; and Bat Boy: The Musical. His directing credits include theatre, film, and television and has had the privilege of working with many exceptional playwrights on new plays including Drifting Elegant by Stephen Belber, The Faculty Room by Bridget Carpenter, Brooklyn Bridge by Melissa James Gibson; The Latecomer by David Auburn; Mind the Gap by Kara Manning; Land of Cockaigne by David Ives; Avow by Bill C. Davis; and Trudy Blue by Marsha Norman at The Actors Studio. Other New York productions include: Shots at Fate, The Three Sisters, Kith & Kin, House of Correction, The Common Pursuit, and Scapin. He recently directed a new play at Duke University, Some Things That Can Go Wrong at 35,000 Ft by John Orlock that will make its NY premiere this Fall. Mr. Parva is also the co-Artistic Director of The Harold Prince Musical Theatre Program. He is a member of The Actors' Studio Playwrights & Directors Unit and resident director of the Kesselring Prize for Playwrights.