Buntport’s new comedy ‘This Is The Day ’91’ centers a very weird world record

The current Guinness World Record for most soft toys caught blindfolded in one minute is 25. Beginning Friday, May 22, Denver’s Buntport Theater will spend three weeks attempting to beat the record live onstage in “This Is the Day ’91,” an original comedy about three friends desperate to reclaim the Guinness World Record they once held.

“We’d need to catch more than 26 stuffed animals blindfolded in under a minute to beat the record,” says Buntport ensemble member Brian Colonna. “It is conceivable, in terms of the stage business of ‘This Is The Day ’91,’ that we could break this record onstage. Now, I think we’d have to concentrate a lot more on training to actually break the record, but it could happen. It’s a silly record, but even so, it’s not easy to do.”

Two weeks out, “we have not been close to breaking that record live,” Colonna admits. “But the characters are doing in earnest in the play. It’s one of those meta things where we set a timer, put on blindfolds and toss stuffed animals because the characters are attempting to break the record.”

“This Is The Day ’91” is the latest original work from longtime Buntport ensemble members Colonna, Hannah Duggan, Erik Edborg, Erin Rollman and SamAnTha Schmitz, who have spent the past 25 years building a devoted Denver following through their collaboratively created comedies. The play follows Kaelyn, Misty and Elliott, three old friends who reunite decades later to reclaim a Guinness World Record they once held for catching small stuffed animals while blindfolded.

“To increase their odds, they put together an elaborate recreation to channel their 1991 selves to inspire a rebreak of the record,” Colonna says. “My character, Elliott, was there the day Kaelyn and Misty first broke the record and has agreed to come back to help them try to rebreak the record in 2026.”

Elliott originally filmed the VHS tape of the record attempt and now returns decades later to document the reunion.

“He calls himself their best friend, but he’s maybe second tier,” Colonna says. “He wishes he were higher up on the friend list, and that dynamic is explored in the play.”

As the characters attempt to recreate the past, adult responsibilities begin intruding on the fantasy. Elliott now has children, and calls from his son start disrupting the increasingly obsessive record attempts.

“A lot has changed since they first attempted to break the record,” Colonna says. “Of the three friends, Elliott is the only one who has kids. He gets calls from his son about a physics final, and it annoys the other characters who doubt his commitment to the cause. That’s really one of the underlying themes of the play — you don’t have the same time as an adult when you’re a kid.”

As Buntport rehearses “This Is The Day ’91,” the ensemble is also juggling a $2.65 million capital campaign to purchase and renovate its longtime home at 717 Lipan St. Since launching the campaign last fall, the company has expanded into neighboring warehouse space and opened a new rehearsal room now being used by other local arts organizations.

“Thus far, we’ve raised $1,453,638, which is 55% of the way to our total goal,” Colonna says. “A lot of our regulars, both individuals and foundations, gave money early. Now this next phase is about building some new relationships and inviting in people who maybe support this tier of theater in Denver generally.”

The rehearsal space has already become part of that pitch. Even for people unfamiliar with Buntport’s work, the company hopes the expanded building can serve as a resource for Denver’s increasingly space-strapped arts community.

“With the rehearsal space, it’s helpful to a broader amount of people,” Colonna said. “You may not necessarily be a Buntport fan, but you support artists having affordable space to rehearse and create.”

The new rehearsal room has already hosted groups including Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company, Batala Colorado, Menace Theatre Company and Flying Solo Presents. Future plans include potentially adding sprung flooring for dancers and circus artists, along with expanded storage and workshop capabilities.

But despite the fundraising meetings, renovation work and logistical juggling, Buntport’s immediate focus remains on opening “This Is The Day ’91.”

“It’s one of those silly comedies because we feel like people need to laugh,” Rollman says. “So that’s what it is.”

Fortunately for audiences, the show will not abruptly stop if the ensemble somehow manages to break the record mid-performance. Colonna says the play is structured so the attempts happen earlier in the evening rather than building toward a final high-stakes climax.

“Without giving away too much, it’s constructed in a way where you are seeing the attempts early on rather than later,” Colonna says. “The record was the inspiration, but in the creation process, we moved away from making it only about the record.”

Still, after months spent rehearsing blindfolded stuffed-animal catching, Colonna admits the ensemble has started wondering whether the skill could have a life beyond the production.

“I was joking that maybe we get better at this and try to break the record again later,” Colonna says. “Maybe we could roll that into some other side entertainment.”

The odds of Buntport actually breaking the record may be slim. But then again, this is a company that has spent 25 years making very strange ideas work.

“This Is the Day ’91” runs Friday, May 22, through Sunday, June 14, at Buntport Theater, 717 Lipan Street. All tickets are “name your price.” Learn more at buntport.com.