Hannah Rublaitus

"Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play"

Iowa State University

765 Avalon PL, Coralville, IA, 52241

319-321-1880

hrublaitus@gmail.com

October 2016

Statement 1:

When beginning to work on dramaturgy I like to become as organized as possible. Figure

out what kind of research I will be needing to do, how to do the research, and how I can schedule

all of that within the time period of the production. Usually this is pretty easy for your typical

play… “Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play” is not your typical play.

This play required extensive studying of not only the text that Anne Washburn wrote but

also pop-culture, music, locations, nuclear science, and of course: The Simpsons.

Though the text is written with naturalistic dialogue, Anne Washburn writes in little

secrets just as a playwright such as Shakespeare would. One instance came from the dialogue

and the music. A large aspect of the play is the presence of notebooks that hold the character’s

knowledge of who is alive and where for when they meet other survivors. One line that

references this is when they discuss how many names they’ll say aloud to other survivors. They

argue whether they say eight names or ten. Later in the show in Act 3 we here the chorus in their

opening song begin to sing names similar to the notebooks. But, the secret within that is they

sing these names randomly for a total of eight counts, similar to the eight names the survivors

would say from their notebooks.

Because this play bases itself around the idea of building cultures researching the culture

referenced within the show was key. The play references the memory of movies, actors, and TV

shows, but also uses musical medleys to show their memory of popular songs. Most songs came

from the early 2000’s from artists such as Destiny’s Child and Britney Spears. If any songs came

from before 1970, more likely than not it came from a movie or an episode of the Simpsons.

Statement 2:

I was finishing my semester at Iowa State when I was sitting in my theatre history class

taught by Amanda Petefish-Schrag. We were discussing the end of the school year and where we

were all going to go on as our lives continue outside of school. She mentioned that in addition to

the departments auditions for the production of “Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play” she was also

looking for a theatre history lover to tackle the daunting task of doing dramaturgy for the play as

well. Though she mentioned this very nonchalantly I didn’t let it pass me. At the time I thought

that everyone would be jumping to be able to work on such a challenge. I ran to Amanda the

minute class got out to make sure that she knew I was interested. Little did I know, I was the

only one.

I was invited to become not only the dramaturg for the production but to also perform the

Act Three character of Edna and teach the cast the musical numbers in the show. The idea behind

this was so I would be performing the same tasks, we believe, Edna would perform within the

world of the play. Edna is the keeper of knowledge and choragus within the third act. She leads

the cast, her fellow survivors, in telling the story of their people. I similarly lead the cast, my

fellow students, in telling to story of these characters.

The process of cultivating the dramaturgical information began in the middle of the

summer. I began by really getting to know the script that I was going to be tackling starting with

re-reading the script over and over again, making sure I knew the story well enough where

telling it would be as easy as if it were my own to tell. After reading the script I went through

again and marked each part with post it notes, marking each cultural reference. The different

types of reference were categorized and organized by color. They were as follows: Simpsons,

Music, Television/Movies, Culture, and History. The Simpsons category revolved around any

reference made to The Simpsons television show whether that be a character, line, setting, or

episode. The Music category focused on whatever musical references were made in the play,

whether the characters mention a lyric or a song is song within one of the many medleys sung

within the second and third act. Television/Movies were categorized with any references made to

any show or movie that weren’t The Simpsons. For example, the movie Cape Fear (both the

1962 and 1991) is referenced a lot throughout the entire show. The Culture and History category

had to do more with the references made within the show. I would categorize if, for example, a

character were to do an action that is reused within the show. History would be categorized if a

character would mention a time or date within the world of the play, such as “that happened two

weeks ago.” This type of organization helped me determine what the research.

Organizing my script this way also helped me begin cataloging my research on a website

for the show. I believed that a website would be the best way to showcase the information for the

show for myself, cast/crew, my fellow peers, and audience members. Similar to my script I

began by organizing my site with the information I felt was most in demand or that should be

known. The website was divided with the categories The Play: Detailing how the show started

and who Anne Washburn is; The Simpsons: A glossary of all of the Simpson references within

the play; The Music: Containing a playlist of all of the songs within the show, as well as

information about each song; The History: Containing a timeline of everything within the show,

including references and any mentions to time within the play, as well as information of how the

show relates to Greek Theatre; The Locations: Including maps of each location referenced in the

show; The Science: Detailing information on what it would be like if the power grid went down

today.

This site helped on many levels to both communicate information to the cast and promote

information to interested audience members.

Once the rehearsal process really went under way I would have discussions with my

fellow cast members to make sure we were all on the same page with creating the world of the

play. These efforts were all made very casually. For instance, since I was also a cast member in

the show, we would have cast member nights where we would all get together and watch

episodes of The Simpsons that were relevant. And of course we watched Cape Fear.

The first few rehearsals that were used for table work were also used for creating the

backgrounds for these characters we would be exploring for the next five weeks. Each actor

described where they came from, who they were before the power grid shutdown, and then who

are they have become since the power grid shut down. Some characters were more clear than

others, having specific details about where they were before the opening scene of the show and

even some relationships. This helped me create a map laying out all of the locations mentioned

pre- “apocalypse” and even helped me determine where this first act may have taken place in-

surprisingly, it may just be Springfield, MA which may have been the reason why the discussion

of The Simpsons arose. The process was used for the second act as well.

Since the third act takes place 75 years after the first act the process of determining who

the characters are and where this chapter of the story takes place needed to be adjusted compared

to the first two acts. This was where researching ancient theatre came into play. One of the

largest component of the storytelling in the third act is the presence of the Greek chorus and

choregus. This also lead to research about the different types of characters within the act. For

instance, a lot of the characters fell perfectly under categories within the Comedia Del Arte

character archetypes. True, most characters have their archetypes they fall under, but when there

are so many similarities to ancient theatre within the third act it’s noticeable that these archetypes

are much more prevalent and a lot less subtle.

When it came to a display for audience members I knew that this information I had

cultivated needed to be given to them before seeing as big of a show as “Mr. Burns: A Post

Electric Play.” I decided I would display most of the information from my research and website,

but I also wanted this to be a way for the audience to play a part in the show as well. Next to the

main display I set out a table containing note cards, pens, push pins, and a note instructing

audience members interested that they may put any memory of The Simpsons on the card and

place it on the board. I did this because the idea of the show was the cultivation of memories

which in the end creates culture. I decided to use the audience’s memories to create a culture of

their own before seeing the show. The display also a TV playing clips of The Simpsons

referenced in the show.

7 January 2017

Dear Ms. Gleason:

I am pleased to nominate Hannah Rublaitus for the LMDA/KCACTF Student Dramaturgy Award. As the

director of Iowa State’s recent production of Mr. Burns: a post-electric play, I was able to benefit first-

hand from Hannah’s thorough and innovative dramaturgical work on this production.

As dramaturg, Hannah was always ready to embrace the challenges of this unique script. This play is a

bit of a monster: each act is completely distinct stylistically – ranging from naturalism to opera; character

and plot development hinges on seemingly insignificant references to a broad gamut of pop-culture

music, television, advertising, etc. The play defies conventional categorization, and thus, conventional

approaches to dramaturgy. The fact that Hannah approached this work with vigor, enthusiasm, and skill

was invaluable in giving all of us involved in the production the confidence necessary to tackle this

challenging work.

One of Hannah’s primary responsibilities on Mr. Burns was to assist the actors and production team as

they navigated the myriad and layered pop culture references vital to each of the play’s three acts.

Tracking these references - most notably those specific to the Simpsons television series - and their

evolution over the course of three acts was a significant undertaking. Perhaps even more significant was

determining the best way to communicate those evolutions to the actors and production team. Hannah’s

solution to this challenge involved developing a production website. The website was easy to access,

well-organized, and interesting to peruse. Not only could we easily look up something such as the lyrics

and melody to one of the dozens of songs referenced and used in the text, the website allowed us to

quickly see the way in which the text was deviating from the original reference. Because these deviations

provided critical insight to characters, the ability to quickly determine where and when

deviation/evolution was occurring proved invaluable, particularly to the actors.

Hannah had a unique dual role in this production in that she served as the dramaturg, and as the Chorus

Leader, Edna Krabappel, in Act III. Through her research into the emergence of the “myth keeper” in

early ritual theatre and the functional roles of both the didaskolos and choregos, Hannah was able to

marry her dramaturgical role to her on-stage role. As the “knowledge keeper” for this production, Hannah

was frequently able to steer the direction of the chorus based on both her understanding of our goals for

this particular production, as well as her understanding of the historical role of the chorus leader.

Hannah’s work on Mr. Burns was exemplary. If I can be of any further assistance in helping you evaluate

Hannah’s abilities or potential, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Amanda Petefish-Schrag

Assistant Professor Theatre, Iowa State University

515-294-8179 / apschrag@iastate.edu

3105 Bayberry Road

Ames, Iowa 50014

January 6, 2017

LMDA/KCACTF Student Dramaturgy Awards Committee

KCACTF Region V

To Whom it May Concern:

My name is Vivian Cook, and I performed as Jenny/Marge in Iowa State University’s Fall 2016 production

of Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play. It is my honor to nominate Hannah Rublaitus, who was dramaturg

for our production, for the LMDA/KCACTF Student Dramaturgy Award.

From the very first day of rehearsals, Hannah served as an invaluable resource for all cast and

production team members as we began to navigate our way through Anne Washburn’s complex story of

pop culture, origin stories, and the rise and fall of civilizations. This script is filled with references to

films, tv shows, The Simpsons, music, people, places, grid failures, and nuclear meltdowns. We were

overwhelmed. But from the beginning, Hannah provided information on the basic history, conception,

and references of the show and on Greek theatre and origin stories, which aligned with Director

Amanda Petefish-Schrag’s concept. She created and shared Google Documents with all of us so that we

could each contribute to her dramaturgical plan. She asked us to send her requests for certain

information throughout the process and then promptly found in-depth research to respond to our

questions.

Besides completing all of the dramaturgical work for the production, Hannah also performed as Edna,

the leader of the Act III chorus and served as vocal coach for the entire ensemble. She not only fulfilled

all of these roles with skill and preparation, but she also incorporated her research into all parts of the

production. The music in Mr. Burns is a conglomeration of many different popular songs, and she

dedicated an entire subsection of her dramaturgy to music. Where did it come from? Why was it

chosen? How does the production’s music resemble and differ from its source material? How does it all

intertwine? She even used research on different vocal qualities to help cast members, including myself,

find variety in our characters and voices (belting versus lyrical singing, etc.).

Through Google Documents and a website that she created, Hannah shared all of the information

related to the production. She separated it into categories: Locations (with maps and directions),

Science, The Simpsons, Greek Theatre and History, Music, the Playwright, and more. All of her research

included links to further information.

Because of her dedication and analysis, Hannah discovered specifics in the script that nobody else was

able to find. In the first act of the play, survivors of the nuclear apocalypse have lists of family

members/friends that have gone missing. They share this list with anyone they meet in hopes of

locating them. In the first few pages, there is an argument over whether the list is limited to eight or ten

names. Hannah, through her painstaking study of the text, discovered that in the choral music in the

third act, Edna stops the recitation of names after eight measures.

Hannah’s attention to detail, dedication to the play in all respects, and research skills and collection

contributed a level of subtlety and finesse to our final performance that we could not have reached

without her. I look forward to seeing the ways that she combines theatre, research, and analysis in the

future, and I strongly recommend her for this award.

Sincerely,

Vivian M. Cook

Emails:

From: Hannah Rublaitus <rubyhgr@iastate.edu>

Date: Thu, Jul 7, 2016 at 3:50 PM

Subject: Dramaturgy

To: "Petefish-Schrag, Amanda [MUSIC]" <apschrag@iastate.edu>

Hello Amanda!

I have gotten some very interesting dramaturgy work done the past couple of days and I'm excited to share it all with you.

My one question for you though is there a place in the budget for dramaturgy? I'm only asking for the idea you and I discussed about a lobby queue for when people come into fisher.

Let me know, because if we have some money we can use I have some really fun ideas. From: Petefish-Schrag, Amanda [MUSIC] <apschrag@iastate.edu> Date: Thu, Jun 9, 2016 at 9:23 AM

Subject: Dramaturgy

To: "rubyhgr AT iastate.edu" <rubyhgr@iastate.edu>

Hannah –

Hello! Hope your summer is going well!

There have been a couple of requests from the production team in terms of dramaturgy – at this point mostly interviews with the playwright and additional background/history/cultural reception of the Simpsons. I’ve put some of my resources into dropbox for the production team, (which you can also access there – Jim said he’d added you to the dropbox, but let him know if for some reason you aren’t able to access it). If you’d be able to start adding some of your resources as well, that would be great.

Have a great rest of your week!

Amanda

From: Hannah Rublaitus <rubyhgr@iastate.edu> Date: Tue, Aug 23, 2016 at 12:05 PM Subject: Dramaturgy Website To: Adam Kroksh <akroksh@iastate.edu>, Amanda Petefish-Schrag <apschrag@iastate.edu>, Ashley Diaz <adiaz23@iastate.edu>, Keegon Jackson <keegonj@iastate.edu>, Maia Lorraine <craddock@iastate.edu>, Michael Clinkscales <mdc@iastate.edu>, Sarah Bennet <sarahb13@iastate.edu>, Taylor Sklenar <sklenar4@iastate.edu>, Vivan Cook <vmcook@iastate.edu> Hello! Like I mentioned in rehearsal yesterday I am currently putting together a website for all of the dramaturgy work to help you all out. http://isumrburnsdramaturgy.weebly.com/ There's not a ton on there now, but if you are interested in looking at the locations of Act 1 and the music that has been referenced so far then take a look. By the end of the day (and hopefully even before rehearsal) the Simpsons page on the site should be up to date as well as a number of the cultural references.

The entire site should be done by the end of the week but will be updated constantly as we all discover more with this play. Thanks!

From: Hannah Rublaitus <rubyhgr@iastate.edu> Date: Thu, Sep 22, 2016 at 6:59 AM Subject: Lobby Display To: "Vanderbroek, Liese S [MUSIC]" <liese@iastate.edu> Hi Liese, Amanda and I were discussing my dramaturgy display for the lobby for performances of Mr. Burns and we're wondering where we could place it? It will be one of those large grey tri fold boards that are already on fisher along with a small table. I'd like to have it in the main lobby, but I also realize we may be having a will call table and may not have enough room there. So I'm also willing to use the upper lobby if need be. Let me know so I can begin setting up during tech week.

Lobby Display:

Since the play itself required quite a bit of knowledge not only about “The Simpsons,” but also

about nuclear science, pop-culture, and many other aspects I decided that a lobby display that

audience members would see as they walk into the theatre would be a great opportunity to grab

their focus and educate them before they enter the world of “Mr. Burns.”

The display itself was also interactive in nature. I placed out note cards a pens with instructions

stating “Write out your favorite memory of “The Simpsons” on a note card and it to the board. I

thought this would be a good idea since one of the largest components of the play was the idea of

cultivating memories to create culture. This allowed audience members to create a culture of

their own while, at the same time, remembering The Simpsons.

In addition to this I also placed a television out that was hooked up to a computer playing a

YouTube playlist of clips relevant to the play such as Sideshow Bob singing songs from “The

HMS Pinafore” in the “Cape Fear” episode of The Simpsons.

Dramaturgical Website:

When developing ways to communicate my research I knew that a lobby display wouldn’t cut it.

I wanted to find a way to extend the knowledge I gained through my research and findings in a

way that was fun and accessible to my fellow cast and crew along with anyone interested in the

play. So I dug deep into the mind and psyche of the characters and ideas of the play and came up

with the idea of creating a website. This website holds information on a broad span of

information referenced within the play. Whether that be a TV show character or a place a

character within the play has traveled.

Home Page:

Welcome to the site for dramaturgy and research on Iowa State Theatre's fall

2016 production of Anne Washburn's "Mr. Burns: A Post Electric Play."

Here you will find an assortment of research images, timelines of history and

events within the show, maps, playlists of songs referenced, and much, much

more.

Enjoy!

-Hannah Rublaitus, Dramaturg

*This page also includes a comment section for those with comments and questions they would

like to submit, along with my theatrical resume for anyone interested in my experience and

credits within the theatrical world.*

The Play:

Play Development:

Playwright Anne Washburn began with a single idea: what would happen if you pushed a

popular television show past the apocalypse?

So began the process of developing "Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play."

Though she bounced back and forth between a few different TV shows including Friends,

Cheers, and MASH she finally kept the idea of The Simpsons due to its cultural impact and

satirical nature.

Washburn is a founding member of a New York investigative theatre troupe called The

Civilians. She brought her idea to the troupe, got commissioned, and they began by having

rehearsals in a bank vault beneath Wall Street.

They began by meeting together and just remembering The Simpsons. This is where most of the

dialogue from Act 1 comes from.

Timeline of Productions:

2012: World premiere at Woolly Mammoth Theatre in Washington DC,

July 1 2013: First rehearsal for New York premiere,

July 26 2013: New York premiere at Playwright Horizons Mainstage Theatre,

August 23 - Music by Michael Freidman - Directed by Steve Cosson (2014): UK premiere at

London’s Almeida Theatre,

June 5 - Directed by Robert Icke Joey Heyworth

(2014): West Coast premiere at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theatre, November 5

(2015): Midwest premiere at Chicago’s Theatre Wit, mid-January.

Anne Washburn:

Washburn graduated from Reed College and from New York University, with an M.F.A.

Her plays have been produced in New York City by Cherry Lane Theatre, Clubbed Thumb, The

Civilians, Vineyard Theatre, Dixon Place, and Soho Repertory Theatre—and elsewhere by

American Repertory Theater, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, New Jersey's Two River

Theater Company, Washington DC's Studio Theater, and London's Gate Theatre and Almeida

Theatre.

Her 2012 play Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play received a Drama League Award nomination for

Outstanding Production and was praised by the New York Times as "downright brilliant." Her

play A Devil at Noon was featured at the 2011 Humana Festival of New American Plays and the

play Sleep Rock Thy Brain—written with Rinne Groff and Lucas Hnath—was featured at the

2013 Festival.In 2015, 10 Out of 12 played at the Soho Rep theater.

Washburn is a member of 13P, an associated artist with The Civilians and New Georges, and an

alumna of New Dramatists. Her work has been published in American Theatre magazine.

The Music:

*The music page allowed website guests to listen to the music referenced within the show and

it’s musical medleys.*

The songs include:

Cape Fear Theme-Elmer Bernstein (1991) Three Little Maids From School Are We- Gilbert and Sullivan, "The Mikado," (1939) “HMS Pinafore"(Gilbert and Sullivan, 1878) Song Selections from Cape Fear episode

of "The Simpsons" Toxic, Britney Spears (2003) The Simpsons Theme (1988) La Vida Loca, Ricky Martin (1999) Stronger, Kanye West (2007) Remember The Name, Fort Minor (2005) The Muppet Show Theme, Sam Pottle and Jim Henson (1976) Survivor, Destiny's Child (2001) Eye of the Tiger, Survivor (1982) Bad Romance, Lady Gaga (2009) Lose Yourself, Eminem (2002) Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), Beyoncé (2008) You Gotta Be, Des'ree (1994) Jesus Walks, Kanye West (2004) Say My Name, Destiny's Child (1999) Where Everybody Knows Your Name, Theme from "Cheers" (1982)

The History:

The Simpsons and Ancient Theatre

The Simpsons as Stock Characters:

Bart as Brighella: A greedy character, but much less rich than Pantalone. Has no problem lying

through his teeth. Tends to be a Manipulative Bastard and a Lovable Rogue, perhaps even a

Magnificent Bastard.

Mr. Burns as Pantalone: Rich and miserly. Keeps propositioning Colombina, the Dirty Old Man.

Is also a Bad Boss to Arlechino. Sometimes an Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist. Based

primarily on the stereotype of the rich Venetian merchant. Has a peculiar, shuffling walk.

Homer as Zanni: Zanni is ignorant and loutish, and has no self-awareness. The very act of

thinking is alien to him - the very sight of Zanni straining to give birth to an idea is risible. But

he is astute in knavery; a loafer, but willing and able to dish out heavy thwacks with this

slapstick; intolerant of discipline and authority, but very faithful. He lives totally in the present.

Marge and Lisa as Columbina: By her keen and active wit, she was able to hold her own in every

situation and emerge with ease and dignity from the most involved intrigues. The only lucid,

rational person in commedia dell’arte. Autonomous and self-sufficient, she has no negative

attributes; she has enough to eat, decent clothes and no ambition to be rich.

Greek Theatre Rituals:

The rule in Greek theatre was that no more than three actors could be on stage at the same time.

This is why scenes were primarily among only 2 or 3 characters. Because the actors used masks,

it was possible for each actor to play the part of one character. Actors were always men, never

women, so men played female roles. In fact, actors were expected to be able to play both genders

and all ages. Due to the outdoor settings, and the large audiences, subtle acting was not possible.

Actors wore large masks instead of makeup and acted with large simple gestures.

The chorus was always made up of amateurs who practiced for months. At first, the duties of the

chorus were basically the same as when they performed the dithyramb- to sing and dance. As

theatre evolved the chorus began to take a role - they became a specifically designated group in a

play, as opposed just a random group of men. They represented the common man, the voice of

the audience. In a tragedy they acted as a counter-balance to the flaws of the main character.

They would watch and comment on the action. Aside from the group there was always a leader,

the Choregos. The leader was able to interact with the actors. The size of the chorus could be

upwards of 50 men but were more often around 15. As theatre evolved playwrights began to rely

more and more on the actors and less and less on the chorus.

Locations:

Act One Location Map:

Gibson’s Route in Act One:

1. Began in Framingham, MA

2. US Route 24 to Brockton, MA

3. I-95 to Providence

4. I-84 after Richmond (Probably stopped by Millstone Plant)-this is probably in reference

to Richmond, MA rather than Richmond, VA.

5. Cut over to I-84 just east of Hartford.

He seems to have knowledge of the Baltimore and coastal New Jersey areas so he probably, at

one point, made his way down there as well. This may even give answer to which Richmond he

went to.

Nuclear Power Plants in the United States:

The Science:

No Electricity? What would happen?

Think about your daily life and how much you use technology. We take for granted how much

we need it. We have our lights in our houses, refrigerators, phones, computers, etc. But what if

our power was compromised? What would happen if we lived in the world of "Mr. Burns: A

Post-Electric Play?"

In 1859 a massive solar storm caused major problems when a coronal mass ejection (a giant

cloud of solar plasma drenched with magnetic field lines that are blown away from the Sun

during strong, long-duration solar flares and filament eruptions) slammed into the earth’s

magnetosphere. In fact, the solar storm was so intense that “telegraph systems all

over Europe and North America failed, in some cases giving telegraph operators electric

shocks. Telegraph pylons threw sparks. Some telegraph systems continued to send and receive

messages despite having been disconnected from their power supplies.”, according to Wikipedia.

Now imagine the same type of event happening today, but with 90% of the U.S. population now

herded into major metropolitan areas. Areas that will stand no chance without power due to

people’s reliance on modern conveniences and technologies.

If such a disaster were to happen, gas pumps across the city would be shutdown, vehicles built

after the year 1995 likely wouldn’t function, no air conditioning would be operational, no forms

of communication would function and water supplies would disappear off of grocery store

shelves within hours. The young, elderly and people’s pets would be most vulnerable as most

modern folk would find it nearly impossible to survive for any extended period of time in such

conditions.

Within about a day’s time, smaller pets and children may start falling out from dehydration.

Planned evacuation routes out of the city would likely be halted, riddled with abandon vehicles

that ran out of fuel, making an escape nearly impossible.

Nuclear Fallouts:

One third of Americans live within a 50 mile radius of a nuclear power plant. Property

contaminated by nuclear materials is not covered by insurance, so if your house is affected, you

could be displaced permanently and lose everything.

If there is ever a nuclear power plant disaster or meltdown in the United States, the button below

will lead to a map of their locations compared with a live wind flow map (direction and relative

strength) will enable you to quickly determine your downwind risk from radioactive fallout

effects.

Website Resources:

Brantley, Ben. "Stand Up, Survivors; Homer Is With You." The New York Times. The New

York Times, 15 Sept. 2013. Web.

Perloff, Carey, and Ellen Richard. Words on Plays: Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play. San

Francisco, CA: American Conservatory Theatre, n.d. Web.

"'Mr. Burns,' at ACT, Imagines Apocalypse, Now." The Seattle Times. N.p., 25 Oct. 2015. Web.

<http://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/theater/mr-burns-at-act-imagines-apocalypse-

now/>.

"Playwright - Mr. Burns, a Post-electric Play." Playwrights Horizons. N.p., n.d. Web.

<https://www.playwrightshorizons.org/shows/plays/mr-burns-post-electric-play/playwright>.

"The Characters - La Commedia Dell'Arte." Google Sites. N.p., n.d. Web.

<https://sites.google.com/site/italiancommedia/the-characters>.

"From Ritual Drama to Ancient Theater." Semiramis-Speaks.com. N.p., 23 July 2014. Web.

<http://semiramis-speaks.com/from-ritual-drama-to-ancient-theater/>.

Haamer, Kris. "The Function of Chorus in Greek Drama." The Narrative by Kris Haamer. The

Narrative by Kris Haamer, 05 Mar. 2015. Web. <http://krishaamer.com/function-chorus-greek-

drama/>.

"How Important Was the Chorus to Greek Theater?" About.com Education. N.p., 24 Aug. 2016.

Web. <http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/greekliterature/a/GreekTheater_4.htm>.

"Government Agency: If 9 Substations Are Destroyed, The Power Grid Could Be Down For 18

Months." The Economic Collapse. N.p., 18 Mar. 2014. Web.

<http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/government-agency-if-9-substations-are-

destroyed-the-power-grid-could-be-down-for-18-months>.

Group, Liberty Island Media. "Liberty Island - Robert O'Connor - WILL YOU SURVIVE IF

(WHEN?) THE POWER GRID GOES DOWN?" Liberty Island - Robert O'Connor - WILL

YOU SURVIVE IF (WHEN?) THE POWER GRID GOES DOWN? N.p., n.d. Web.

<https://www.libertyislandmag.com/creator/LessonsLearned/blog.html?i=11>.

Careta, Malaya. "Security And Survival When The Power Grid Collapses." Off The Grid News.

N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.offthegridnews.com/extreme-survival/security-and-survival-when-

the-power-grid-collapses/>.

"A New 9/11 from Hell: What Would You Do If the U.S. Power Grid Went down for an

Extended Period of Time? » Intellihub." Intellihub. N.p., 07 Feb. 2014. Web.

<https://www.intellihub.com/a-new-911-from-hell-what-would-you-do-if-the-u-s-power-grid-

went-down-for-an-extended-period-of-time/>.

"US Nuclear Power Plant Locations & Live Wind Flow Map For ‘Fallout’." Modern Survival

Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://modernsurvivalblog.com/nuclear/us-nuclear-power-plant-locations-

live-wind-flow-map-for-fallout/>.

"Evacuation Zones for Nuclear Reactors." Evacuation Zones for Nuclear Reactors | PSR. N.p.,

n.d. Web. <http://www.psr.org/resources/evacuation-zone-nuclear-

reactors.html?referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.psr.org%2Fresources%2Fevacuation-zone-

nuclear-reactors.html>.

John Del Signore in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 27, 2013 3:25 Pm. "Excellent: Playwright

Anne Washburn Talks Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play." Gothamist. N.p., n.d. Web.

<http://gothamist.com/2013/09/27/anne_washburn.php>.

"Anne Washburn." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Washburn>.

"Bart Simpson." Simpsons Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web.

<http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Bart_Simpson>.

"Lisa Simpson." Simpsons Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web.

<http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Lisa_Simpson>.

"Cape Feare." Simpsons Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Cape_Feare>.

"The Itchy & Scratchy Show." Simpsons Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web.

<http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/The_Itchy_%26_Scratchy_Show>.

"Homer Simpson." Simpsons Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web.

<http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Homer_Simpson>.

"Marge Simpson." Simpsons Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Marge>.

"Maggie Simpson." Simpsons Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Maggie>.

"Robert Terwilliger." Simpsons Wiki. N.p., n.d.

Web. <http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Robert_Terwilliger>.

"Charles Montgomery Burns." Simpsons Wiki. N.p., n.d.

Web. <http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Burns>.

"Blinky." Simpsons Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Blinky>. "Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish." Simpsons Wiki. N.p., n.d.

Web. <http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Two_Cars_in_Every_Garage_and_Three_Eyes_on_Ever

y_Fish>.

"Blue Haired Lawyer." Simpsons Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Blue-

Haired_Lawyer>.

"Moe Szyslak" Simpsons Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Moe>.

"Terror Lake." Simpsons Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Terror_Lake>.

"Homer the Heretic." Simpsons Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web.

<http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Homer_the_Heretic>.

"The Springfield Files." Simpsons Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web.

<http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/The_Springfield_Files>.

"Space Patrol." Simpsons Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Space_Patrol>.

"Bart of Darkness." Simpsons Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web.

<http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Bart_of_Darkness>.

"Lisa the Vegetarian." Simpsons Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web.

<http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Lisa_the_Vegetarian>.

"Much Apu About Nothing." Simpsons Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web.

<http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Much_Apu_About_Nothing>.

Lobby Display Information:

The Science

Think about your daily life and how much you use technology. We take for granted how much

we need it. We have our lights in our houses, refrigerators, phones, computers, etc. But what if

our power was compromised? What would happen if we lived in the world of "Mr. Burns: A

Post-Electric Play?"

In 1859 a massive solar storm caused major problems when a coronal mass ejection (a giant

cloud of solar plasma drenched with magnetic field lines that are blown away from the Sun

during strong, long-duration solar flares and filament eruptions) slammed into the earth’s

magnetosphere. In fact, the solar storm was so intense that “telegraph systems all over Europe

and North America failed, in some cases giving telegraph operators electric shocks. Telegraph

pylons threw sparks. Some telegraph systems continued to send and receive messages despite

having been disconnected from their power supplies,” according to Wikipedia.

If such a disaster were to happen, gas pumps across the city would be shutdown, vehicles built

after the year 1995 likely wouldn’t function, no air conditioning would be operational, no forms

of communication would function and water supplies would disappear off of grocery store

shelves within hours. The young, elderly and people’s pets would be most vulnerable as most

modern folk would find it nearly impossible to survive for any extended period of time in such

conditions. Within about a day’s time, smaller pets and children may start falling out from

dehydration. Planned evacuation routes out of the city would likely be halted, riddled with

abandon vehicles that ran out of fuel, making an escape nearly impossible.

One third of Americans live within a 50 mile radius of a nuclear power plant. Property

contaminated by nuclear materials is not covered by insurance, so if your house is affected, you

could be displaced permanently and lose everything.

Effects of Nuclear Radiation on Your Body:

100 Rems: The bloods lymphocyte cell count begins to reduce, leaving the victim more prone to

infection, often referred to as radiation sickness. Early symptoms mimic the flu and may go

unnoticed unless a blood count is done. These symptoms may persist for up to 10 years and may

also lead to increased long term risks such as leukemia and lymphoma.

200 Rems The intestinal tract lining will cause nausea, bloody vomiting and diarrhea. Because

reproductive cells divide rapidly, the reproductive system is at stake. The loss of hair quickly and

in clumps. The thyroid gland is vulnerable to radioactive iodine. In large amounts, this iodine has

the ability to destroy the entire gland.

1,000 Rems Immediate damage to blood vessels and result in heart failure or death.

5,000 Rems Since brain cells don’t reproduce, they cannot be damaged directly unless the

exposure is 5,000 rems or greater. But, radiation can kill nerve cells and blood vessels resulting

in seizures and immediate death.

Terror Management Theory:

TMT suggests that while humans share a biological bias toward self-preservation. We are unique

as humans, though, in our capacity for symbolic thought fostering self-awareness and the ability

to reflect on the past and ponder the future. This spawns the realization that death is inevitable

and can occur at any time for reasons that cannot be anticipated or controlled. “The awareness of

death engenders potentially debilitating terror that is “managed” by the development and

maintenance of cultural worldviews”: Humanly constructed beliefs about reality shared by

individuals that minimize existential dread by creating meaning and value in things. All cultures

provide a sense that life is meaningful by offering an account of the origin of the universe, rules

and taboos for appropriate behavior, and assurance of immortality for those who behave in

accordance with cultural dictates. Literal immortality relates to souls, heavens, afterlives, and

reincarnations associated with all major religions. Symbolic immortality can be related to being

part of a great nation, obtaining great fortunes, noteworthy accomplishments, and having

children.

The Play:

“What would happen if you pushed a popular television show past the apocalypse?” This is the

single idea Anne Washburn had which lead to the writing of “Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play.”

Though she bounced back and forth between a few different TV shows including Friends,

Cheers, and MASH she finally kept the idea of The Simpsons due to its cultural impact and

satirical nature. Washburn is a founding member of a New York investigative theatre troupe

called The Civilians. She brought her idea to the troupe, got commissioned, and they began by

having rehearsals in a bank vault beneath Wall Street. They began by meeting together and just

remembering The Simpsons. This is where most of the dialogue from Act 1 comes from.

Washburn graduated from Reed College and from New York University, with an M.F.A. Her

plays have been produced in New York City by Cherry Lane Theatre, Clubbed Thumb, The

Civilians, Vineyard Theatre, Dixon Place, and Soho Repertory Theatre— and elsewhere by

American Repertory Theater, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, New Jersey's Two River

Theater Company, Washington DC's Studio Theater, and London's Gate Theatre and Almeida

Theatre. “Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play” received a Drama League Award nomination for

Outstanding Production and was praised by the New York Times as "downright brilliant."

Washburn is a member of 13P, an associated artist with The Civilians and New Georges, and an

alumna of New Dramatists.

The History: Greek Theatre:

The rule in Greek theatre was that no more than three actors could be on stage at the same time.

This is why scenes were primarily among only 2 or 3 characters. Because the actors used masks,

it was possible for each actor to play the part of one character. Actors were always men, never

women, so men played female roles. In fact, actors were expected to be able to play both genders

and all ages. Due to the outdoor settings, and the large audiences, subtle acting was not possible.

Actors wore large masks instead of makeup and acted with large simple gestures. The chorus

was always made up of amateurs who practiced for months. At first, the duties of the chorus

were basically the same as when they performed the dithyramb - to sing and dance. As theatre

evolved the chorus began to take a role - they became a specifically designated group in a play,

as opposed just a random group of men. They represented the common man, the voice of the

audience. In a tragedy they acted as a counter balance to the flaws of the main character. They

would watch and comment on the action. Aside from the group there was always a leader, the

Choregos. The leader was able to interact with the actors. The size of the chorus could be

upwards of 50 men but were more often around 15. As theatre evolved playwrights began to rely

more and more on the actors and less and less on the chorus.