The document summarizes the play "Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play" by Anne Washburn. It is split into three acts that move forward in time following a group of characters in a post-apocalyptic world. In the first act, they attempt to recall a Simpsons episode sitting on trash cans. In the second act 7 years later, they perform Simpsons scenes they pieced together through memory. In the third act 75 years later, their performance is more sophisticated with costumes and music resembling the actual Simpsons show. The play depicts societal adaptation without electricity through the lens of a popular TV show.

1. “Mr. Burns, a
Post-Electric
Play”
Sydney Wade

2. Description
• An American Play that falls into the genre of
‘Dark Comedy.’
• Written by Anne Washburn
• Music originally composed by Michael
Friedman
• Originally premiered in May of 2012

3. About the
Playwright
• Anne Washburn is an American Playwright
• She graduated from Reed college, and then
New York University with a Master’s degree
in Fine Arts.
• ”Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play” received a
Drama League Award nomination for
outstanding productions
• This Play has also received praise from major
outlets such as the New York Times

4. The Production
• I viewed this production at Lone Star
Tomball’s Performing Arts Center
• The Play is split in to 3 main acts
• These 3 major scenes move forward in time
through the post electric world.

5. Act 1 Summary
• The Play takes place in a post apocalyptic
world
• The first scene opens to a group of characters
sitting upon trashcans attempting to recount
a popular episode called “Cape Feare” of the
award winning animated TV show The
Simpsons.
• They are seemingly unsuccessful as they get
suck on a couple of lines and cant recount all
of the characters names very accurately

6. Act 2 Summary
• The second act bears the same characters 7
years into the future
• The characters now have adapted to the world
with out electricity
• They have attempted to fill the void of
electronics by traveling and acting out
episodes of The Simpsons that they have
pieced together through memory
• Even interrupting their sets with commercials
just as live TV would do.

7. Act 3 Summary
• The final act of the play is pushed 75 years
into the future
• The production that they create on stage is
much more sophisticated complete with masks,
musicians, and costumes
• This act actually bears slight resemblance to
the TV show most of the audience could
recognize as the Simpsons

8. Act 3 summary
cont.
• Although, some aspects of their recreation still
aren’t very accurate to the actual show
• In this act, Mr. Burns appears as seemingly a
more evil character
• The final act is more like a musical with more
singing than line regurgitating, and the
actors are much more well versed in this final
scene.

9. Interpretation
• The elements that were expressed in the first
act of this play were tragic.
• The first act consisted of several emotions
ranging from hope to utter sadness as the first
characters in the play look for their loved ones
post apocalypse.

10. Interpretation cont.
• The second act holds more so onto the hope
and adaptability aspects of the play as the
characters have seemingly stopped looking for
their loved ones and focused on what the
entertainment aspect. Filling the void of
electricity with a comedic TV show that they
have turned into a way of life for themselves

11. Interpretation
Cont.
• In the end, this play fits into the genre dark
comedy fairly well as the tragedy of an
apocalyptic future has been a topic of
discussion. It gives the audience a view into
what it could look like. It provides us with a
look into the future as it appears to be a shell
of what is life as we currently know it
• It reminded me of other post apocalyptic
shows with this same theme such as The
Walking dead.

12. Evaluation
• The Lone Star College Tomball drama club
put on a production that elicited raw emotion
from the audience as well as one that provided
comedic relief. The production was well
thought out and executed quite well.
• Even as someone who does not have extensive
knowledge of The Simpsons, I was still very
entertained and confusion quickly dissipated

13. Evaluation cont.
• This production provided a comedic relief for
a traditionally unsettling topic.
• This work in its own completely original. It
should be appreciated through the creativity
of taking a popular TV show and using it as
the driving force of entertainment in a post
apocalyptic world.
• It depicts how we would share our memories
and stories of past times after the world we
know is gone.

14. References
• Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play |
TheaterMania. (2020). Retrieved 3 March
2020, from
https://www.theatermania.com/new-york-
city-theater/reviews/mr-burns-a-post-electric-
play_66028.html
• Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play. (2020).
Retrieved 3 March 2020, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Burns,_a_
Post-Electric_Play