Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play

Anne Washburn’s darkly comic, genre-bending play imagines what happens to stories after civilization’s collapse. A group of survivors gathers around a fire to reconstruct “Cape Feare,” an episode of *The Simpsons*, from memory. Over time, television characters become legendary figures, advertising jingles take on the force of parables, and pop songs are transformed into hymns. Blending theater, pop culture, opera, and commedia dell’arte, the play explores how entertainment becomes mythology and how shared stories help people preserve meaning.

The production is directed by Elizabeth Dinkova, artistic director of Spooky Action Theater. It returns to the play’s Washington roots after its premiere at D.C.’s Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company.

When: October 9–18, 2026

Showtimes: Friday, October 9 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, October 10 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, October 15 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, October 16 at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, October 18 at 2 p.m.

Tickets: Regular admission is $30 plus a $5 booking fee. Student and youth admission is $10.

Venue: Kay Theatre at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center

Seating: Reserved seating.

Director: Elizabeth Dinkova, artistic director of Spooky Action Theater.

Accessibility: The venue offers wheelchair-accessible seating, size-inclusive seating, large-print programs, assisted-listening devices, sensory packs for adults and children, and quiet spaces upon request. ASL interpretation, audio description, and captioning are available for select events or by request at least six weeks in advance.