Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play (2024)
Nevada Conservatory
Theatre
Director: Kirsten Brandt
Set Design: Dana Moran Williams
Sound Design: Mary Alice Lyons
Costume Design: J.D. Anderson
Assistant LD: Matthew Hills
By Anne Washburn
"He's toxic, you're slipping under." | "I was going to blow you away, I swear to God." | "I'm here for a hundred years." |
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"The woods are ablaze." | "It's all broken, you know it has!" | "Yes, that's right Ghost Simpsons, I'm not deaf." |
"Becca Wright. 12... You don't have her." |
Plot
It's the near future, and the electric grid is permanently down. Washburn's play looks at this post-electric society 7 months, 7 years, and 75 years after the death of electricity in Acts 1, 2, and 3. Throughout it all, the community holds onto The Simpsons, but the stories themselves warp over time. In Act 1, a group of survivors recount bits from the Simpsons around a fire. In Act 2, they perform episodes as a traveling theatre troupe. In Act 3, a reverent group of worshipers have created a ritualistic opera telling the morality tale of Bart Simpson fighting the evil Mr. Burns. The play tackles our multifaceted relationship with entertainment and how we mold living stories to fit our needs.
Research Images
Campfire
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Nighttime woodsy texture
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Post-electric light sources: Moonlight and campfire
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Reds footlights and cool white fronts
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Practical wireless firepit
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Use humidifiers in the fire effect for actor comfort