Tia Shearer, Maggie Erwin & More to Star in The Hub Theatre's FAILURE: A LOVE STORY

Casting has been announced for The Hub Theatre's spring production of Philip Dawkins musical, macabre comedy, FAILURE: A LOVE STORY. A trio of sisters played by TIA SHEARER (Jenny June), MAGGIE ERWIN (Nellie) and CAROLYN KASHNER (Gertie) guide us through this wonderful fable of love and life as they all lose their hearts to a gentleman caller embodied by the ever-magnetic MICHAEL KEVIN DARNALL (Mortimer Mortimer). The family is made whole with CHRIS STINSON (John N.) an adopted brother and ROSE MCCONNELL as the melodic Gramaphone

Michael Kevin Darnall , known for his dramatic work on HBO's The Wire, and area wide for his turns in Savage in Limbo (Metro Stage), The Metamorphosis (Constellation Theatre) and Voltaire's Candide (Spooky Action/ Helen Hayes Nomination, Outstanding Ensemble) was last at The Hub in the critically acclaimed production of Big Love.

Darnall is joined by a beautiful trio. Tia Shearer joins The Hub for the first time, having graced area stages in Anime Momotaro (Imagination Stage), Taking Steps (Constellation Theatre), and Titus Andronicus (Taffety Punk).Maggie Erwin was last seen in Edgar and Annabelle (Studio) and Aquarium (Imagination Stage). Carolyn Kashner rounds out the threesome having recently been seen in Rent (Keegan Theatre, Helen Hayes Winner, Outstanding Ensemble) and Witness for the Prosecution (Olney Theatre). The three sisters are accompanied by Hub Theatre Company Member, Chris Stinson. Stinson wowed Hub audiences with his otherworldly Golem in last season's A Man, His Wife and His Hat, The cast is rounded out by the multitalented Rose McConnell who plays a host of characters as well as the Gramophone.McConnell misses nary a step with this musical role as she regularly is seen fronting her band The Keens around the DC metro region and has been onstage locally at Forum Theatre in Mad Forest, Valparaiso , and more.

The witty and fast paced play, which embraces Chicago of old, is directed by Hub Company Member MATT BASSETT. Bassett takes the reins after assistant directin
g Big Love (Helen Hayes 2013 nomination for Best Direction), performing in
The Clockmaker and directing numerous table and staged readings. Regional directing work includes Compass Rose Theater (Eleemosynary), Arts on the Horizon (Under the Canopy and Out of the Box - both co-created with Tia Shearer) and Imagination Stage's Education program ( Sweet Charity, The Wizard of Oz, Bye Bye Birdie) in addition to assistant-directing at Round House Theatre (A Wrinkle in Time). Local performance credits include Ford's Theatre, The Bay Theatre, Washington Stage Guild and Lean & Hungry Theater as well as in short films and the recent miniseries, "The Men Who Built America" for The History Channel. Bassett holds an MFA in Acting from the University of Tennessee. He's on the faculties of Metropolitan School of the Arts, Montgomery College, The National Conservatory of the Dramatic Arts and Imagination Stage.

Philip Dawkins' critically acclaimed play THE HOMOSEXUALS and FAILURE: A LOVE STORY, both received a Joseph Jefferson Nomination for New Work their respective world premieres Having first been part of The Lark's 2011 Playwright's Week, Dawkins' play FAILURE: A LOVE STORY received its world premiere at Victory Gardens Theater in the fall of 2012, under the direction of Seth Bockley. Following that production, FAILURE: A LOVE STORY has been produced at Azuka Theatre, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Catamounts Theater, Stages Repertory Theatre, and Marin Theatre Company. Other credits: DEAD LETTER OFFICE (Dog and Pony Theatre); YES TO EVERYTHING! (Chicago, NY,CA, DC); PERFECT (The Side Project); UGLY BABY (Chicago Opera Vanguard/Strawdog Theatre Company); A STILL LIFE IN COLOR (T.U.T.A. Company); SAGUARO (Estrogen Fest; Estrogenius Festival, NY; 16th Street Theatre, Berwyn; Painted Filly, Ireland.). His plays for young performers are published through Playscripts, Inc. and have been performed all over the world. Philip is a graduate of Loyola University, Chicago, an Artistic Associate of About Face Theatre, and a founding member, with artistic partner Eric C. Reda, of Chicago Opera Vanguard. Philip taught playwriting in public schools for ten years through Chicago Dramatists and is now teaching playwriting at Northwestern University.He also teaches Kung Fu to little, tiny, children through Rising Phoenix Kung Fu.

In FAILURE: A LOVE STORY we meet the Fail sister in their last year of life. Even though it will soon be curtains for these three, one can't help but follow them as they all fall in love consecutively with the ever-charismatic Mortimer Mortimer. Even their reclusive brother John N can't help but like this guy. In the world Dawkins has created, this cast of six will be called upon to not just embody the family, but their pets and their appliances, and they do it all to the tune of 1920's music. This heartfelt, hilarious, zinger of a play explores the richness of family, love and the treasures in life we hold most dear.

The Creative Team for FAILURE: A LOVE STORY includes: PATRICK CALHOUN(Original Music & Sound Design) BESTY MULLER (Scenic Design), CAT GIRARDI (Lighting Design), MARIA VETSCH (Costume Design), SUZANNE MALONEY (Props Design), and KETA NEWBORN (Stage Management).