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Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play

Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play

The genre of post apocalyptic holds a high capability of offering fascination to its audiences for decades.  The general thought  in regard to the  approach of the world’s end  and the  triggering  thought of the  humans  reaction  in the situation intrigues  and  also scares simultaneously.  The  phenomena develops  a deep  Individuals questioning  in  regard to  the surrounding  and the  humanity’s  core. ‘’Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play’’ is an  interesting  take  that  is  based  on post  apocalypse  narration  which was  inspired  by  The Simpsons a world’s most preferred and  popular  TV family (Brantley 1).  With the  depletion  of electricity  in the world  based  on some  illnesses  or rather  some  nuclear failures  that  spread  rapidly  and killed  civilization  a survivor’s small group  sticks together.  As  a reminder  to the survivor  of what  was prior,  some classic  lines  are  enacted  from the  inspiration  ‘’The Simpsons’’  which is effective  in  creating  hilarity  and deeper meaning.  The  play dwells on the  primary  theme  of the  creation of  stories that are  passed  from a single generation  to the other, thus  creating a further  meaning  for each  generation (Brantley 1). This creates the  comforting  notion that  even if  times comes  and  humanity  dies  creativity  will remain, and the  myths  resulting  from  the existence  on earth  will  be present  given that a single individual  will  be left  to  make the narration.

Washburn primary objective  in the play  seems to  be  delivering  the  message  that  everyday  issues  as well as the  involved  events  should be   taken as  part  of  narration  which will  produce  a distinct  meaning  with time (Hurwitt 1).  Given  the  particular  background, Washburn  decides  to utilize some knowledge  from  the  familiarity of  different  sources and  particularly ‘’The Simpsons’’. In that the  play considers  all things  as the  major parts of the  popular culture  that  makes survival  inside  the memories  of individuals  throughout the  apocalypse  nuclear  is  perceived  as ironic  and  also strange.  With  the destruction of the electric  grind  individuals  are  forced  to  adopt  a world that  has no television,  telephones, radiators or even electric stoves.  They  have to  regress  to the  older  forms  of engagement  similar  to storytelling however instated of  adopting higher literature they are forced to recall about the  popular culture  that  everyone  recalls (Brantley 1).

The play makes a lot of revelation that regards the modern person’s engagement with popular culture.  The  play  cannot  be  described  as  a general  celebration  of a highly preferred  sitcom  or  even a popular  culture’s  satire  of obsessive that increases  its  mythic  level.  However,  it is  a major exploration of the  layered  significance of  mass  cultural  icons  that exists  in  the fragmenting  in the world (Brantley 1). This  is  the  manner  in  which individuals  currently  cling  to  the known  in  the center  of crisis  as well as the  changing  authority  that  is  held  by  telling  stories. The scary play  is characterized  by  uniqueness, sweetness,  and fascination   by offering detailed  and descriptive  reports regarding  the perception  of  popular  culture  by the  modern  people  and its  significance.  The  play  displays  its  curiosity  of the kinds  of  cultural  memories  that  individuals  would cling to with the disappearance of  what is highly  valued  in the  world.  The play  sends the  primary message   that if individuals  are  good  at  holding  onto  culture  as well as arts  this means that  the  ability of  holding on  to  humanness  will  still  be retained even in the  occurrence of  apocalypse (Hurwitt 1). This  implies  that   changing  civilization  into  barbarism is hindered  by  many things  since there are some governing laws  and religion  but all this  cannot  be compared to  arts.

Washburn’s play  title  as  Mr. Burns demonstrates  the significance  of  the  TV series  ‘’The Simpsons’’  for the  narration. The issue with the terminology popular culture is based on its vagueness (Brantley 1).  Currently it is very challenging to describe popular culture based on its broad spread.   In the  play  the  familiarity  with distinct  sources  seems to be  an  effective  selection as  the  depiction  of  our engagement  with popular culture.   The main objective of the  play  is to  restrict the audiences  from  vibration  to  a single direction on  demonstration about  the  issues  that  the modern individuals only care about  which are driven  by  electricity.  The modern  engagement  with  popular culture  is well demonstrated in the play  which  shows  the  easy way through  which  the  phenomenon  of popular culture  can be  restored  by  another  one (Hurwitt 1).

The play demonstrates its  primary  focus  by the  main characters as the  small survivors group  by incorporating  current  trends  and issues  and  the  existing world event (Hurwitt 1).  The involved  characters are  pressured  to deal  with  the issues  thus  introducing subjects  such  as  politics  as well as religion  in a manner  that generates  descriptive  satirical reflection  of the present  world  in which we exist.   With the utilization of  satire  as the  primary  mode  of delivering the story  Washburn provokes  positive responses while simultaneously  evoking  increased significance  as compared to other  series.  The significance  is something that  sets a long-term  popular culture  occurrence  which differs  with the short run trends  which helps  in  creating  the connection with the modern engagement with the popular culture (Brantley 1).

Washburn utilizes the notion as her primary point of her dystopia play.  The narrative by Washburn, Mr. Burn is one that is set in the short run future as the play states at the beginning.  The play begins in a normal scenario where some individuals are seated by the campfire re-narrating Simpsons stories (Brantley 1).  Eventually, it becomes apparent that the gathering is far from a leisure meeting.  The situation is something that can best be recalled by everyone.  In the  second  act after the passing of  seven years  the  survivors  have well  adopted  to their  situation and they  start enacting Simpsons  episodes  for payment (Brantley 1).  The  theatre field  becomes very competitive  since  the  competitors  gains their  earning by  doing similar  things.  The survivors  are  pressured to  get  by  and  with  desperation they  have the  will  of getting involved  in everything  which generates  corruption.

The entertainments that are demonstrated in the second and that Act is presented in one of the major touches by Washburn.  In that the  mocked up  comedies  or entertainment  are  a mere shows  within  another  show which are  designed   by the  regenerated  domestic  life’s  scenes which have been   damaged by apocalypse (Washburn 2).  The play offers a subtly dramatized procedure of cultural transformation in the era of mass media.  In the  post  apocalyptic Washburn’s world Conard Joseph, Williams Tennessee and  William  Shakespeare  works  clear  services  only  ‘’The Simpsons’’ episodes. The play Mr. Burn depicts popular culture as the primary diversion from the existing reality.  During the first section of the first scene the Dystopia setting of the setting does not come into the direct focus (Brantley 1).

The  passage of time in the play  since when it  had started  in  Act holds on impact  on the manner  in  which individuals  views and understand the story.  From the  first  act   it seems as  if  the audiences  considers the  play  to be  a depiction  of a scenario rather  than  a play.  In that the survivors are trying to recall the events before the fall of civilization (Washburn 2).  In that  the  popular  cultures  that survives from the  play are  only those that  are  characterized  by  creativity  rather  than  modernity.  In case  that the modern development  fails  individuals are  forced  to  recall  and to adopt  to the  old  creative  cultures  and  search for other  ways  of surviving.  As  time  passes   comfort  and the ability  to  adopt  to the  fresh  environment  begins  to  increase  since the lost  culture  is  replaced  by a different  one that generates  a different significance to the existing generation (Washburn 2).

It is not  a wonder  that the  apocalypse thoughts remains in  the individuals shared consciousness  worth  the provision  of  the current  and the present pressure of  the  nuclear  plants aging,  coral  reefs  bleaching and  high  storms  without the consideration of  terrorists threats  that are ever present.  The  issues  that are  ever  present in the  individuals  mind  is  their reactions  to the situations, the  strategies  of coping  and those  that are best  suited to survive which as the modern popular culture is well depicted in the play Mr. Burn by Washburn.  The  play  moves  the  modern persons concerns  further  but  provoking the  worry   of  humanity  and civilizations  ability  to endure and  whether  they  will  remain  as the  primary  heritage (Brantley 1).  Washburn  derives  the   opinion  that  paintings,  literature , architecture  and symphonies  will  obviously  disappear.  However, as for the popular  culture  that is  based  on  creativity  such as the  shows  that  individuals  watch  together  at  homes  or while chilling  around  their TV sets  are  all that  will remain  which is  similar  to their  Odyssey  and the  bible  as  a representation  of their  beliefs and cultural  grounds (Washburn 4).

The  play  is  divided  into  three  sections  which are  effective  in  showing  the implication  of time  to the value  of popular  culture as well as individuals  perceptions.  The first  Act  occurs  within  a short  period  after  the  passing of the  un-described  disaster  that  is  shown  to  have resulted  in the meltdown  of the  world’s  nuclear  and all  its power (Washburn 2).  This  demonstrates  a change  of living  and an  adoption   of an  older  culture  in  suiting the  existing  needs and preferences  of the  survivors.  As five individuals gathers around the campfire one is watching from a leafless tree’s patch. Instead  of  showing their  concern  about  shelter, clothing  or even  food  their  conversation  is  mainly  centered  on ‘’The Simpsons’’ which is  a popular  show  in  the television  at that period.  It therefore looks like the most significant thing is recalling Cape Feare’s episodes details while they exist.  With the  loss of  electricity  they  have flashlights  powered  by  lithium  as well as guns  for protection  and surviving through the  darkness (Washburn 2).

The second  Act  appears  like seven years  later  with  the presence of  improvised  lines  and the survivors  are  in  a new  situation  where they   have been  hardened by life  and in order to  survive  they are  forced  to produce  shows  so that their commercials  can be  completed (Washburn 3).  The  third  act  is  particularly  eight three  years  since the  occurrence  of  devastation  and the  destruction that is  combined  with  Simpsons episodes has already  been  changed into  an opera sung through, that  is  portrayed  by  masked  characters who are  involved  in the  singing  of versed  couplets and in  the heaven’s  glimpse  is where  they  end. The play’s characters creates an ensemble that integrates in different ways that is becomes   challenging to identify each (Brantley 1).  This  therefore, shows  how the  modernity  popular  culture  can  make individuals  to appear  as one  based  on their  ambitions  and the  desperation  of surviving  through  the  harsh times.

Conclusion

It is apparent  that Mr. Burn  play  that  is authored  by  Washburn  is a depiction  of  popular culture’s ability  to  survive  changes  since it is  based  on creativity . the  central  theme  of the  play is  mainly  the generation  of  short  stories  which are passed to  a single generation  to another and this  creates significant  and different  life’s meaning.  The  play creates  the  notion  that  time helps in  adopting to  the  created  changes as well as the  general  ability  to implement  strategies  for  survival.  With   changes  desperation  and  the loss  of  morality  creates  high  competition  which in  turn  creates  high  state of corruption.  Washburn  designs  a comforting  idea that  even  at that  time  when  humanity  dies, creativity  will  remain fully and  earth’s life  mythical  development  will  also go on provided that  there   is  an individual  or more  left surviving  to  offer  the  narration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Work Cited

Brantley, Ben. Stand up, survivors: Homer is with you. 2013. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/16/theater/reviews/mr-burns-a-post-electric-play-at-playwrights-horizons.html

Hurwitt, Sam. In post-Apocalyptic Mr. Burns, The Simpsons are literally legendary. 2015. Retrieved from https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2015/02/27/in-post-apocalyptic-mr-burns-the-simpsons-are-literally-legendary/

Washburn, Anne. Words  On Play, Mr. Burns A Post Electric  Play. Insight into the Play, the Play Wright and the Production. ACT, 2015.Pdf

1994 Words  7 Pages
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