Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

listen live donate
listen live donate
listen live
donate
  • News
    • News

    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
    News
    • News

    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • Music

    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic

    • Daily Playlist
    Music
    • Music

    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic

    • Daily Playlist
  • Podcasts & Shows
  • Schedules
  • Events
  • Support
    • Support
    • Ways to support
    • Evergreen Donation
    • One-Time Donation
    • Corporate Sponsorship
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Giving
    • Legacy Giving
    • Endowment Support
    • Members
    • Member Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • Member Newsletter

    • Fund drives
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
    Support
    • Support
    • Ways to support
    • Evergreen Donation
    • One-Time Donation
    • Corporate Sponsorship
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Giving
    • Legacy Giving
    • Endowment Support
    • Members
    • Member Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • Member Newsletter

    • Fund drives
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
  • Arts and Lifestyle
  •  

'Mr. Burns,' A Futuristic, Unconventional Show

  •  Jeff Hudson 
Wednesday, September 30, 2015 | Sacramento, CA
Listen
/
Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
  
The title of the show now playing at Sacramento’s Capital Stage gives you a clue as to its unconventional nature. It’s called “Mr. Burns: A Post Electric Play.” The “Mr. Burns” is a reference to the Simpsons tv show, and “post electric” refers to life in the aftermath of a vast technological breakdown.
 
This play consists of three acts. The first is set in the near future – after the electric grid has failed, and untended nuclear plants have melted down. Survivors gather in groups for safety, telling stories in the evenings. In this campfire scene, several survivors fondly remember an episode of “The Simpsons.”

Burns 1788093015P

Act Two is set seven years later. An amateur theater group has taken that Simpson’s episode and turned it into a play, which they rehearse by candlelight since there’s no electricity.  The play includes this musical number where the survivors get nostalgic about the old days, like taking a road trip in the family car.

Act Three takes place 75 years into the future.  A new generation of actors is doing the same “Simpsons” episode. But the show has evolved in spooky ways, becoming a legend about civilization’s fall. The perky tune about “Driving Through the American West” has become something much darker.

Burns 2231093015P

It has now become a ritual interpreting the day that technology collapsed, and cities perished – the way we recall the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 or the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906.

Tales of big, deadly disasters exert a tidal pull on the human imagination. And that’s what this futuristic, unconventional show is about. Is it a comedy, or a tragedy?

It’s both.

The performances are excellent, and beautifully coordinated by Capital Stage’s new artistic director Michael Stevenson.

Some may feel the story, stretched over 80 years, is too diffuse. But I found this show to be spellbinding – especially the haunting final act, something I will remember for years. 

The Capital Stage production of “Mr. Burns: A Post Electric Play” wraps up its run on October 4.

 

 


Did you enjoy this story? Consider making a donation.

DONATE NOW


Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

 theatreCapital Stagetheatre review

Jeff Hudson

Contributing Arts Reporter and Theatre Critic

Jeff Hudson has been contributing arts-related stories to Capital Public Radio since 1995, with an emphasis on theater and classical music. He attends over 100 performances annually, ranging from modern musicals to medieval masses.   Read Full Bio 

 Email Jeff Hudson

Sign up for ReCap and never miss the top stories

Delivered to your inbox every Friday.

 

Check out a sample ReCap newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

Thank you for signing up for the ReCap newsletter! We'll send you an email each Friday with the top stories from CapRadio.

Browse all newsletters

Most Viewed

California coronavirus updates: Americans' life expectancy has dropped to 76 years, second time in a row since pandemic

State may scale down its new home loan program designed to assist first-time homebuyers

Another atmospheric river brings more rain, wind and snow to Northern California

Cooking with gas — or electricity? Californians wonder how electrification might impact the food we eat

10 new California laws that go into effect in 2023

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

California coronavirus updates: Americans' life expectancy has dropped to 76 years, second time in a row since pandemic

State may scale down its new home loan program designed to assist first-time homebuyers

Another atmospheric river brings more rain, wind and snow to Northern California

Cooking with gas — or electricity? Californians wonder how electrification might impact the food we eat

10 new California laws that go into effect in 2023

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    •  
      (916) 278-8900
    •  
      (877) 480-5900
    •  Contact / Feedback
    •  Submit a Tip / Story Idea
  • About

    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Stations & Coverage Map
    • Careers & Internships
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
    • Press
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile Apps
    • Smart Speakers
    • Podcasts & Shows
    • On-Air Schedules
    • Daily Playlist
    • Signal Status
  • Connect

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen Live

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2023, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.