About the Show
This exciting and quirky new play tells the story of the Fail family and their seemingly difficult challenge to stay alive. In this upbeat, tuneful, magical fable with music, you can either worry about the ever-impending death or you can live, love, and sing some songs along the way.
meet our cast
Nelly Fail
Jenny June Fail
Gertrude Fail (Gerty)
Mortimer Mortimer
John N. Fail
Chorus
Chorus
Chorus
Upcoming
Events
Failure:
A Love Story
By Philip Dawkins
Gray Lancaster; by Shawn Poynter
The Play That
Goes Wrong
By Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields, and Henry Lewis
Steve Sherman; by Shawn Poynter
about
Clarence brown theatre
Located on the campus of the University of Tennessee for nearly 50 years, the Clarence Brown Theatre is a pillar of the East Tennessee arts community and Knoxville’s own professional theatre. Each season, roughly 35,000 patrons within a 50-miles radius of Knoxville attend the theatre to enjoy our productions.
Fully integrated with the Department of Theatre in all aspects of mission and function, we bring professional actors and designers to the theater to work one-on-one with our students. Our Acting and Design training program is ranked among the best in the world and results in high-quality professional theatre on the stage.
The Clarence and Marian Brown Endowment, support of university leadership, the state of Tennessee, and generous support from our community provide us with a stable financial foundation. In addition, we continue to develop new resources to better our facilities, creative excellence, and national reach.
become a member
Support
We Need You. You are just as important as the actors on our stages and the crew backstage. We would not be where we are today without the support of our best performers – you, our patrons!
And there is no better way to continue your support – while also getting behind-the-scenes access – than through one of our memberships. From personal tours to reading scripts to discounted tickets, we have a membership for you!
Opportunities
- Donate
- Memberships
- Sponsorships
- Volunteering
- Advertising
Donate
New Carousel Theatre
From Award Winning productions to commissioning World Premieres, the Carousel continues to impact our community. Respecting the past, recognizing the present, and revealing the future. Join the legacy of the Carousel by helping us support the future of the new Jenny Boyd Carousel Theatre today!
Donate
CBT Artist Endowment
Your CBT Artist Endowment donation could help us bring professional actors, designers, directors, and stage managers from across the globe right to our stages and classrooms. Not only will they work on our shows, but they will also work with our students, enhancing the training for their careers in live theatre.
Donate
Theatre Enrichment Fund
Donations to the Theatre Enrichment Fund ensure our ticket prices remain reasonable and accessible for all. Your support directly benefits our ongoing operational needs so we can continue to make your theatre-going experience an unforgettable one!
Donate
CBTS Scholarship Fund
From the bright-eyed freshman declaring a major in theatre to the seasoned actor taking their final bow before graduation, donations to the CBTS Scholarship Fund have supported these promising students for years. This scholarship has given many of our theatre students the opportunity to focus on honing their craft rather than juggling a part-time job with their studies.
Donate
In-Kind Gift
Have a nice, vintage suitcase, antique furniture, or 1900s uniform lying around in your attic or storage room? We’ll take them off your hands! The Clarence Brown Theatre Costume and Props Shops are always looking for In-Kind donations of antique and vintage items for upcoming productions.
Memberships
CBT SOCIETY
Members of the CBT Society provide vital investments our programs and activities year after year, all while receiving VIP treatment in return. Become a member today and make a difference in the next generation of theatre artists!
Memberships
MARIAN BROWN’S CIRCLE
It was Marian – Clarence Brown’s wife – who had a passion for the arts and encouraged Clarence to invest in the theatre you see today. The Marian Brown’s Circle membership is our way of honoring her legacy.
Sponsorships
Sponsorships
Put a spotlight on your company and support East Tennessee’s largest professional theatre! For more than 50 years, Clarence Brown Theatre (CBT) has told meaningful stories by providing world-class live theatre to nearly 40,000 patrons who visit us each season. Partnering with CBT as a sponsor not only links your company with our incredible talent and productions, but your contributions also demonstrate your commitment to both civic leadership and your support of the Arts in our Knoxville community. We truly couldn’t do it without you!
Volunteering
Volunteer to Usher
Volunteer ushers are an integral part of our team and essential to creating a welcoming and enjoyable experience for theatre attendees. Duties include assisting patrons before, during and after performances by greeting, scanning tickets, providing directions and other tasks as directed by the House Manager.
Volunteering
Volunteer in Shops
Interested in working spotlight for one of our productions? Want to build scenery? Learn painting techniques? Construct costumes? No matter what your background or your specific interest, we are always looking for engaged and dedicated volunteers to help in our shops and backstage. (Volunteer Technicians must be at least 18 years old.)
Advertising
Advertising
Join us for another incredible season of professional theatre by being a contributing sponsor and advertising in our playbill! For performances in the Clarence Brown Theatre, we will have both print and digital playbills that will feature your advertisement and/or logo. Our Lab Theatre productions will feature a digital playbill. All digital ads will link back to your website. All digital playbills will also be included in our email newsletter sent to more than 20,000 patrons to promote each production in both pre-performance and post-production emails.
news & announcements
Registration Now Open
The Jenny Boyd Carousel Theatre
.....
Our Season
