Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, running at Trustus Theatre, is, to put it mildly, a challenging production. Ann Washburn’s three act 2012 dark comedy (with a score by Michael Friedman) follows a group of individuals who have just experienced an unspecified cataclysmic event (although all signs point to a meltdown of multiple nuclear power plants) which has destroyed life as they know it. Like humans throughout time, the near-strangers strive for some sense of normalcy by sharing stories. In this case, they frenetically try to reconstruct an episode of the long-running animated series, The Simpsons. The group has settled on “Cape Feare,” an episode where Bart Simpson (that spirited little scamp) is stalked by Sideshow Bob, an ex-convict who has a long-standing hatred of Bart. Based in part on the two versions of the “Cape Fear” movies, the episode follows the Simpsons as they try to escape Sideshow Bob by moving from their home to a houseboat, to no avail. Sideshow Bob appears with murderous intent, and Bart distracts him by asking for an entire production of “HMS Pinafore,” to which Sideshow Bob gladly assents.
But back to Mr. Burns: A stranger appears in the dark; guns are drawn. Suddenly, the camaraderie is broken. But the stranger proves he, too, has some sense of the Simpsons episode, and the process begins again and is enriched.
Act II finds the same group of individuals seven years later, bonded together as a theatre company, roaming the land with its version of the “Cape Feare” episode, complete with commercials. And it turns out other theatre troupes exist, and they compete for audiences of survivors by “buying” material to produce better shows. It seems cockroaches and capitalism both survive nuclear holocaust.
Act III occurs 75 years later and operates as a standalone production of what the original story has become. A Greek pageant complete with stylized masks and costumes, many details of the original “Cape Feare” episode have evolved and changed, and the production tells a story of the dichotomy between good and evil.
In the Trustus production, the ensemble cast works well together. Particular kudos go to Patrick Kelly, whose dizzily horrifying performance in Act III is breathtaking. Allison Allgood is equally strong in Act III, balancing Kelly’s necessarily oversized performance with seeming ease.
Both the simple and inventive set by Danny Harrington, and the light design by Marc Hurst enhance the dystopian script. While the staging is a bit static in Act I, it completely evolves by Act III.
As noted, this is not an easy production to take in. It is dark and dystopian in its comedy, and that may not be for you. But true to Trustus’ history and mission, it is a show that won’t leave you right away. You will likely mull it over on the way home. You will probably think about it the next day. And that’s a good thing.
Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, runs at Trustus from January 20 through February 4, 2023.