After over a year without in-person performances, Bluffton University Theatre is able to bring Failure: A Love Story to the stage. Last fall, there were a collection of 10-minute plays performed through an online video streaming service to help enforce social distancing amid the pandemic. This year, production is able to happen in person with live audiences.
Set in the 1920s, this play follows the Fail family and a suitor who falls in love with the three sisters. Through a mix of emotions, the audience will go on an adventure of love and heartbreak along with the characters.
There are three sisters in the Fail family who each end up with the suitor at different times throughout the play.
Mortimer (Shanaman) and Gerty (Stephens) talking during a rehearsal. Photo by Lou Westcott.
The oldest sister is Gertrude “Gerty” Fail, who is played by junior writing and communication major Payton Stephens.
“She is definitely the most like the parent figure,” said Stephens. “She’s taken over the family’s clock shop. She kind of had to be the one adult for all of them. I like to say that she’s kind of like the meme that says ‘I’m surrounded by idiots,’ that is the epitome of Gerty’s aesthetic to be perfectly honest.”
Stephens has participated in two other shows in her time in Bluffton Theatre. Her role as Abby Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace is similar to Gerty, in the way that both Gerty and Abby push their emotions away/are distant and for the fact they both are the eldest in their family. Stephens mentioned how it was somewhat of a challenge to differentiate the two characters and being able to present them differently and in their own unique ways.
After Gerty, the middle sister is Jenny June Fail, played by junior Psychology and Writing major Audrey Hazelton.
“She’s a strong-minded character,” said Hazelton. “She keeps the family in check and balances the emotions of the other characters.”
Hazelton has been a part of productions during high school but is making her collegiate level debut through this show. This character provides a bit of contrast from how Hazelton is in everyday life, since Jenny is a bit of a tomboy and an athlete, while also wearing modest makeup. Hazelton is interested in makeup normally and has to be able to put herself into the athletic mindset when portraying the character of Jenny June.
Jenny June (Hazelton) doing prop work on a rolling chair, practicing her swim stroke while others look on. Photo by Lou Westcott.
The youngest sister Nelly Fail is played by sophomore Writing major Abby Bush.
“She’s very much the little sibling, she is cute, flighty and jumps from thing to thing a lot,” said Bush. “… I had her described to me as, the show is in the ’20s, so this show doesn’t have a flapper, but if there was a flapper it would be Nelly.”
Bush has been a member of a dance company while growing up, as well as being in one of the Zoom plays last fall. This is her first role which monologues and has longer sections of speech which have been more challenging compared to her other roles. Not only does Bush play Nelly, but she also has some chorus [narrator] lines which have also added to this challenge for Bush.
The suitor of the show, by the name of Mortimer Mortimer, is played by senior Worship Arts major, Adam Shanaman.
“He is the main male character,” said Shanaman. “He shows up at the Fail family clock shop and throughout the course of the play, he ends up falling in love or having some kind of deep, meaningful relationship with all three of the Fail sisters.”
Shanaman has been in multiple shows growing up, and this production will be his fifth show with the university theatre. As mentioned earlier, there are a lot of emotions present throughout this show which ended up being a challenge for Shanaman as he has to portray contrasting emotions one after the other with little time between elatement and sorrow.
The cast and crew have been rehearsing together for close to a month and a half now, and over time, good relationships and connections have been made through their characters as well as through the actors themselves. As a result of these connections, there have been things said which end up in Shanaman’s quote book which he reviews at the end of every rehearsal to remind everyone of the good times and laughs they have shared earlier.
Some memorable quotes:
“I’m sorry I loved you.” – Travon Mason (John N. Fail, brother of the Fail sisters)
“I was in a great shope.” – Adam Shanaman (Mortimer Mortimer)
“I will give the bird to Abby, and I will give the bird to Travon.” Melissa Friesen (Director, professor of theatre and communication)
Live performances will be this weekend, from Thursday, Nov. 4 through Sunday, Nov. 7. Performances Thursday through Saturday will be at 7:30 p.m. with a 2:30 p.m. matinee showing on Sunday.
The performances on Nov. 5 and 7 will have limited seating to allow for social distancing. Masks are required for the audience during all performances.
To purchase tickets, visit https://www.showtix4u.com/events/22611 or call the box office at 419-358-3239.
Editor’s note: Payton Stephens, who is quoted in this piece, is the managing editor of The Witmarsum and was one of two copyeditors for the story.
