failure:
a love story

Casey Sams (Director) is Associate Department Head and Professor of Theatre, teaching Movement, Acting, Musical Theatre, and Dance to both undergraduate and graduate students. She earned her BA in Theatre and English Literature and her MS in Motor Learning and Control from Penn State. She is also a Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) in Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute for Movement Studies. She has served on the faculty at Penn State, Interlochen Arts Camp, The Contemporary Art Center of Virginia, and The Governor’s School for the Arts in Virginia. Prior to joining the faculty at UT, Casey served as the Education Director for Virginia Stage Company, where she created programming for students from pre-k to post-graduate. She has worked as a Director, Choreographer, Intimacy Choreographer, and Movement Coach at theatres across the country including The Clarence Brown Theatre, The Guthrie Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, St. Louis Repertory Theatre, The Roundhouse Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival, North Carolina Stage Company, PlayMakers Repertory, Virginia Stage Company, Pennsylvania Musical Theatre, The Knoxville Opera Company, and Vermont Stage Company. She is also a meditation teacher with the American Meditation Society and Koru Mindfulness.

Terry D. Alford (Musical Director) Terry is a Teaching Professor in Theatre and teaches Musical Theatre Performance and Honors Introduction to the Theatre and Acting. Prior to joining the UT faculty, Mr. Alford held the positions of Director of Musical Theatre at The University of Tulsa, and Director of Musical Theatre at The University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. He has worked professionally as a performer, director, musical director, and composer at theaters across the country, including the California Theatre Center, Madison Repertory, Omaha Playhouse, Augusta Barn, Fireside Theatre, Light Opera of Oklahoma, and the Clarence Brown Theatre. Terry has directed or musically directed numerous productions and has created the scores for four original musicals and a variety of chamber and vocal music pieces. He is a member of the Clarence Brown Professional Company and regularly directs and musically directs for the Clarence Brown Theatre. Terry is the director of the CBT Summer Acting Workshop and serves as co-facilitator of Outreach and Education hosting Theatre Tours and Talk Backs.

Leilane Betunes (Scenic Designer) is a designer, actor, director, playwright, and first-year Scenic Designer in the MFA program at the University of Tennessee. Originally from São Paulo, Brazil, she is proud to create her first show at the Clarence Brown Lab Theatre. She holds a certificate in Acting, a bachelor’s degree in Digital Design, and a graduate certificate in Acting and Directing. As a theatre artist, Leilane is the founder of ” Inquietações Theatre Company” an independent theatre company in Brazil where she creates and performs her own plays like Sereníssima?, alongside her company. Some of her previous theatre credits involve collaboration with Dan Rosseto, a Brazilian playwright and director, in plays and musicals such as Tribute to the Scoundrel, Chronicle of a Suburban Love, Rent, Rocky Horror Show, and many others. As a visual artist, Leilane has had her watercolors exhibited in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and at the International Salon of Contemporary Art at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris.

Matthew Carl (Costume Designer) is a first-year Costume Design graduate student at the University. He is thrilled to be designing his first show in the Lab. Past design credits include Luchadora!, Dragons Love Tacos (Orlando Family Stage). La Cage Aux Folles, The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Significant Productions) Associate and Assistant credits include Beautiful the Carole King Musical, Beauty and the Beast (Paramount Theater), Cinderella (Drury Lane Oakbrook). Matthew has also served as a shopper for Parsons Mears Ltd, and Pinter Costumes shopping for multiple Broadway productions.

Miguel Santiago (Lighting Designer) has worked in all aspects of theatre from performing to involvement on the technical side. He specializes in lighting design and has worked as a designer on numerous shows, some of which include Newsies, Sweeney Todd, Antigone, School of Rock, 9 to 5, Tuck Everlasting and Bandstand. He is a 3-time nominee for Best Lighting Design of a Musical by Broadway World. Miguel is a first-year graduate student at the University of Tennessee pursuing an MFA in Lighting Design. You can view more of his work at migueljsantiago.com

Chance Beck (Sound Designer) is a first-year Sound & Media Design graduate student at UT. Failure: A Love Story is their debut show here at the Clarence Brown Theatre. Chance has previously worked with the local Tennessee theatre company River & Rail on It’s A Wonderful Life. They come from The University of Southern Mississippi where they achieved their BFA in Theatre Design & Technology. Chance is beyond excited to bring this beautiful show to life and have greatly enjoyed the collaborative process with the other incredible artists on this production.

Michaela Lochen (Puppet Design and Construction) is a third-year Scenic Design MFA candidate at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She is originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, and received a BFA in Scenic Design and a BA in Anthropology from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2020. Recent credits include scenic designs for The Giver at the Clarence Brown Theatre; Newsies at Artistry Theater and Visual Arts in Bloomington, MN; It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at River & Rail in Knoxville, TN; The Servant of Two Masters at Lyric Arts in Anoka, MN; and Million Dollar Quartet at Peninsula Players Theatre in Fish Creek, WI. More of her work can be found at michaelalochen.com.

Carol Mayo Jenkins (Voice and Text Director) is recently retired from the Theatre Department, but she is delighted to be back working with the students on this beautiful play. The ability to bring stories, images and passion to life through the spoken word is the actor’s craft, and working on that skill is a gift to any teacher. We have all grown from our experience with Philip Dawkins’ rich and imaginative language. Enjoy!

Belle Holmes (Stage Manager) is a senior in the Theatre program here at UTK. She has previously assistant stage managed shows with the Clarence Brown Theatre and the LAB including Knoxville, Kinky Boots, The Giver, The Moors, and Hair. This one is bittersweet as it’s her last one before graduation. She would like to thank all of her mentors and professors that made sure she is well-prepared for the world. This show is for Granny; she can finally watch all the shows.

Kenneth Martin (Department Head, Artistic Director) Ken comes from the University of Missouri, at Kansas City, where he was the Patricia Mcllrath Endowed Professor and Chair of the Theatre Division. His 26-year career in academia also included nearly 18 years serving as chair of the theater departments of Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina and Ashland University in Ohio. Tremendously successful as an administrator at both institutions, Martin navigated curricular revisions and development, managed resources effectively and efficiently, created innovative collaborations, cultivated significant enrollment growth, and forged international partnerships. A member of United Scenic Artists, his designs have been seen at theatres across the country including Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Florida Repertory Theatre, New Theatre, Ohio Light Opera, Cleveland Ensemble Theatre, Ocean State Theatre and many others. He has also designed shows for many colleges and universities including Marquette University, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Coastal Carolina University, Cuyahoga Community College, and The Ohio State University. Martin has actively served his profession as a respondent for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, as a consultant for several regional theaters and through active participation in organizations like the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Educational Theatre Association and the Southeastern Theatre Conference.

TOM CERVONE (Managing Director) Tom is grateful and honored to serve the Clarence Brown Theatre as Managing Director. Cervone has also served as executive director for both Dogwood Arts and the Historic Tennessee Theatre Foundation, but the CBT/UTK Theatre Department is Tom’s administrative and artistic home. Cervone arrived in Knoxville in 1989 as an MFA candidate in acting and was hired in May of 1993 as the company manager, then promoted to managing director in 1995. And for his brief foray downtown, Tom has been in this chair, blissfully, ever since. Tom is and has been very active within the UTK community, having served as Exempt Staff Council chair for many years, co-chair of the LGBT Commission, a member of the Diversity Council and many other UTK organizations. Cervone is a long-time board member of the WordPlayers and continues to evangelize on behalf of the art and culture community locally and nationally. Tom received the Chancellor’s Citation for Outstanding Service to the University in 2010. Cervone holds his undergraduate degree in Speech and English Education with an emphasis in Theatre from West Liberty University in West Virginia and a Master of Fine Arts and an MBA from UT. He is a graduate of and was selected as the Class Representative of the Leadership Knoxville class of 2011, the best class ever. Cervone was inducted into his undergraduate alma mater’s class of 2015 Wall of Honor and was appointed by the Governor of WV in 2021 to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees of WLU.

Susan L. McMillan (Production Manager) is in her eleventh year as Production Manager at the CBT and UT Department of Theatre. In addition, she teaches Stage Management. Prior, Susan was the Production Manager and Stage Management Instructor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, for 6 years. Susan is a member of Actors’ Equity Association, and was a Stage Manager at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for 18 years. Additionally, she has stage managed at the Guthrie Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Portland Center Stage, PCPA, Rogue Valley Opera, Portland Civic Theatre, and has toured to the Kennedy Center. Through science (B.S. degrees in Biochemistry and Biology from Oregon State University) and music (cellist), Susan found her way into theatre (Minor in Theatre from OSU). She is incredibly grateful for all the opportunities and adventures along the way, inspirational mentors, artistic and talented colleagues, amazing students, and the love and support of her family and friends. And very grateful for Molly – woof! This season is fully dedicated to her beloved, beautiful, and deeply missed mother, Grace – a shining light forever.

Samuel Choi (Chorus) is a first-year Neuroscience major from Houston, TX, and is excited to be making his Clarence Brown debut in Failure: A Love Story. Samuel would like to thank his family who got him here and his friends who supported him along the way. Enjoy the show!

Nevaeh Daniel (Chorus) would like to welcome and thank you for attending what will be her last UTK performance as an enrolled student. She is so excited to showcase the years of hard work she has put in, that has awarded her this opportunity. You might recognize Nevaeh from her work with Tennessee Stage Company in Much Ado About Nothing as Hero or A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Hermia; or maybe you caught her as Opal in the River and Rail theatre’s production of the Pulitzer award winning play Fat Ham. No matter where, or if, you have seen her she hopes you enjoy her performance nonetheless and perhaps even continue to follow her journey. 

Mia Eller (Nelly Fail) is a sophomore History and Theatre major at the University of Tennessee. She is beyond grateful to be returning to the Lab stage after appearing in The Moors (u/s Marjory). In the past few years, she has also appeared in shows such as Play On!, Radium Girls, and Mamma Mia!. She would like to extend her sincerest gratitude to Casey Sams, her friends, and her family for constantly supporting her.

J.D. Joiner (John N. Fail) is extremely grateful and proud to be a part of his first Lab Theatre production, but also his last show as an undergraduate student at UT! He will be graduating with a major in Theatre and a minor in History. He would like to thank the director for giving him this opportunity and his parents for their support. 

McKenzie Jordan (Gertrude Fail/Gerty) is a third-year BA student studying Theatre and Political Science at the University of Tennessee. Previous credits include Anon(ymous) and The Moors at the Clarence Brown Theatre. She would like to thank her family and friends for their endless support and Casey Sams for trusting her to help tell this beautiful story.

Juliana “Julie” Maestri (Jenny June Fail) is so excited to be a part of CBT’s family here in Knoxville! Dancing since the age of 5, Juliana has found a second home on the stage. Her past credits include: Mrs.Dodds/Camper in Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief Musical (2021), along with various dance productions with Vols en Pointe, KPDA, and TAME Dance Academy. In addition, Juliana has experience with crew and makeup backstage in previous productions. As she studies Elementary Education with a Theatre Minor here at UT, she’s excited for her future as she works towards becoming a performing arts teacher! 

Samuel R. McRary (Mortimer Mortimer) is very excited to be working with the Clarence Brown Theatre on the production of Failure: A Love Story. He has gained his Associates in Theatre Performance at Pellissippi. He is currently in his second-year studying Theatre Technology at the University of Tennessee. He has worked on many productions with other companies in Knoxville including: Godspell, Guys and Dolls, The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, The Moors, and Anon(ymous). This experience is a huge step in helping him pursue a career in theatre. He is very appreciative of everyone who’s supported him, and is very thankful for all he’s learned through this production of Failure: A Love Story.

Hogan Wayland (Chorus) is excited to be part of this production! This is his sixth and final show at the Clarence Brown as an undergraduate student. He’s previously been seen in HAIR (Woof) and A Christmas Carol 2023 & 2024 (Scadger) and more. He is grateful for his director Casey Sams, and for his wonderful family and friends for always supporting him!