The Chorus can take any number of shapes. Multiple people, one person, puppets … Feel free to reassign some or all of the Chorus’ lines to other characters. You want to have the Fails talking about themselves in third person? Awesome. You want the two dead parents to comprise the chorus (Oh, they’re dead. Spoiler alert?)? Go for it. You want a trio of hear-no/see-no/speak-no evil monkeys narrating the story? Rock on. The chorus is there to be tailored to your specific production. Make it as simple or complex as you see fit.

Also, you’ll notice a bunch of other characters such as “Henry Fail,” “Grandfather Clock,” “Gramophone,” “Dog,” “Grantland Rice.” These roles can be played by members of the chorus, by other characters, pre-recorded, etc. Again, feel free to use your creativity and pull from the strengths and shape of your production.

It is possible, though not required, for the same actress to play all three Fail sisters. If you want the Fail sisters to be played by three different actresses (or even seven different actresses), by all means, sally forth.

All this to say, this play is meant to be tailored to fit the needs and size of your production. It is possible to tell this story with as few as four actors or as many as fifty. So, have fun.

– Philip Dawkins, Failure: A Love Story