Students will produce, act, stage manage Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play
February 2025 – Stemming from Drew University’s New York Semester on Theatre, a production of Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play is set to debut this week.
Throughout the 2024-25 academic year, students in the New York Semester on Theatre have traveled into Manhattan each week to work with the renowned Tectonic Theater Project, whose most recent show has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
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Learning alongside professionals gave students a chance hone their artistic skills and prepare for the Mr. Burns production.
“The New York Semester has been a wonderful meditation on the power of collaboration and the importance of fun,” said Alexa Kerr C’25.
On one of the class’ trips into New York, students got a special visit from Mr. Burns playwright Anne Washburn. The play begins in a post-electric world following a global crisis and follows a group of people comforting themselves by trying to recount a 1993 episode of The Simpsons, “Cape Feare”, a spoof of the 1991 Hollywood film remake Cape Fear. Washburn discussed the play with the class and watched the students work, coming away impressed by the “bright sparks” they brought to the process.
After getting hands-on experience in all things New York theatre throughout the semester, students fill roles up and down the Mr. Burns production, serving as actors, stage managers, dramaturgs, and designers.
“This experience has stretched me as a theatre artist in the most rewarding way,” said Isabel Kirk C’25. “I’ve learned and rediscovered so much about this craft and the ways it always inspires me.”
“Working on this show has provided a new perspective on how to tackle not only new methods of creating a show, but also ways to tackle issues in our society,” added Seth Okumura C’25. “Plus, it’s a damn good show.”
The show will run from Thursday, February 27 through March 1. See showtimes and get tickets here.
