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Mr. Burns Behind the Scenes

Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play

Play and lyrics by Anne Washburn
Score by Michael Friedman
Directed by Michelle Ong-Hendrick

Wed-Fri, April 9-11 (7:30 PM)
Goodwin Theater, AAC

Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com.

In Anne Washburn’s darkly funny, grandly operatic Mr. Burns, survivors of a nuclear apocalypse may not have much, but they have Bart Simpson, Sideshow Bob, and Gilbert and Sullivan. Gathered around a campfire, they piece together the plot of a “Simpsons” episode from memory. It’s the first moment of a people establishing a culture through storytelling, and we sing, laugh, and struggle along with the characters as this mainstay of classic pop television, mashed up with songs, contemporary memes, and TikToks, becomes the foundation of a new mythology and artistic tradition.

What follows on this page offers context for some of the play’s references …

 

ANNE WASHBURN, PLAYWRIGHT

Anne Washburn, playwright
Click the image above to listen to Anne Washburn on SoundCloud.

Playwright Anne Washburn and others share thoughts on “The Simpsons,” workshops, and theater in this behind-the-scenes look at “Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play.”

Anne Washburn’s plays include Mr. Burns, The Internationalist, A Devil At Noon, Apparition, The Communist Dracula Pageant, I Have Loved Strangers, The Ladies, The Small and a transadaptation of Euripides’ Orestes. Her work has been produced by 13P, Actors Theater of Louisville, American Repertory Theatre, Cherry Lane Theatre, Clubbed Thumb, The Civilians, Dixon Place, Ensemble Studio Theater, The Folger, London’s Gate Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, NYC’s Soho Rep, DC’s Studio Theater, Two River Theater Company, NYC’s Vineyard and Woolly Mammoth. Awards include a Guggenheim, a NYFA Fellowship, a Time Warner Fellowship, Susan Smith Blackburn finalist, and residencies at MacDowell and Yaddo. She is an associated artist with The Civilians, Clubbed Thumb, New Georges, and is an alumna of New Dramatists and 13P. Currently commissioned by MTC, Playwrights Horizons, Soho Rep, and Yale Rep.

 

“CAPE FEARE,” SEASON 5, EPISODE 2, THE SIMPSONS

The Simpsons
Click the image above to watch highlights of the “Cape Feare” episode of “The Simpsons.”
Why The Simpsons? What makes The Simpsons so culturally significant?

The Simpsons, first airing in 1989, became a cultural phenomenon because it revolutionized animated television with its sharp satire, unique characters, and its blending of high and low culture. Unlike the cartoons we had known before, it wasn’t just for kids; it tackled social issues, politics, and everyday life with humor that appealed to both casual viewers and hardcore fans.

At its peak, The Simpsons wasn’t just a TV show; it was the TV show, influencing comedy, pop culture, and even the way people spoke.

POST-ELECTRIC

Black Sky Hazards
Click the image above to read the BBC article, “What would happen in an apocalyptic blackout?” (October 2019)

According to the EIS Council, “a Black Sky Hazard is a catastrophic event that severely disrupts the normal functioning of our critical infrastructures in multiple regions, for long durations.”

 

 

 

 

 

Nuclear Power Reactors