T H E AT E R
BY RACHAEL CARNES
DIE, BART SIMPSON, DIE!
THE CAST OF MR. BURNS:
A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY
University Theatre goes apocalyptic
with Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play
M
r. Burns: a Post-Electric Play, written by Anne Washburn and di-
rected by Tricia Rodley, imagines an eerie future where firelight
provides the only illumination and recounting old episodes of The
Simpsons kindles the only warmth.
Full disclosure: Anne Washburn and I went to the same small
liberal arts college. (I started college the same year The Simpsons premiered
— in 1989.)
And I remember Washburn was a sharp cookie — but a crap stitcher.
We both had jobs in the costume shop, and whereas I dutifully snipped,
hemmed and mended — whatever tedium the lead costumer threw at me —
Anne just wanted to talk about plays.
Washburn’s soft-spoken demeanor belied a sardonic sense of humor, in
full-display in Mr. Burns, where Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa are exalted to
mythological status.
This play/musical seems prescient, given our loopy moment, with its
unicorn frappuccinos and the imminent threat of environmental collapse,
nuclear annihilation and the total degradation of society as we know it.
Haha! Just kidding.
Um.
I do wonder sometimes, though, how millennials are coping with mounting
threats. They might look to the generation ahead for solace.
Born in the ’60s and ’70s — and mostly ignored by our parents — we were
pretty tough. I don’t know if the benign neglect most of us experienced was what helped us
get through or if, instead, it was the extraordinary amounts of television we all consumed.
(You kids, with your internet and your fancy phones, will never know the comforting
hug of appointment TV.)
In Mr. Burns, Washburn cheekily unravels our entertainment DNA.
Jerry Hooker’s set casts a home-improvement-store/Dumpster-diving mood. Shelbi
Wilkin’s found-object costumes delight. (Marge and Lisa’s bonkers headdresses are worth
the price of admission.)
Janet Rose’s lighting creates the glow of an ominous campfire — and sets up a fun
visual at the end. (No spoilers.)
Cottage Theatre presents
A trivial comedy for serious people
June 9–25
The Importance
of Being
Earnest
By Oscar Wilde
Directed by Alan Beck
$25 Adult, $15 Youth (6-18)
541-942-8001
700 Village Drive, Cottage Grove
www.cottagetheatre.org
26
June 8, 2017 • eugeneweekly.com
Standout performances include Riley Olson as Gibson/Homer, Kelsey Tidball as Jenny/
Marge and Kathryn Butler as Lisa. The strong ensemble shines.
This is a whack-a-doo show — not for everyone, but a lot of fun. The script and score
are imperfect, and Rodley’s direction is draggy in bits, but given the ice-shelf-breaking-oh-
my-God-he-has-the-codes-erosion-of-basic-civilities-will-we-all-live-to-see-another-year
vibe right now, it’s actually quite cathartic.
Two thumbs up from this 1971-vintage audience member.
(Though you young’uns might not get all the TV references.)
Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play runs 8 pm Thursday through Saturday and 2 pm Sunday, June 8-11, at the University of
Oregon’s Hope Theatre. $8-$10, tickets at tickets.uoregon.edu.