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Regional Reviews: St. Louis Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play
In this St. Louis premiere, a catastrophe has left modern Americans living like cavemen. And when not lamenting their lost civilization (and everyday things like the complex sensory experience of Diet Coke), they ward off their fears with stories of the days before it all came crashing down. Here, in Anne Washburn's 2012 play, those stories start out as stumbling reconstructions of old episodes of "The Simpsons," in act one. It's a comforting diversion, as the most common concern is the fear of never seeing loved ones again, after all the nuclear reactors went crazy. It all becomes extremely successful, thanks to producer/director Christina Rios and a cast that can carry the awful pain of losing family and friends for reasons they don't fully understand. Act two is a pleasant but forgettable meditation on the rehearsal process and on theater types. But act three is 100% worth the wait: bizarre and riveting and so primal it may shock you. It all begins one night around an intimate campfire (audience seating is limited to 80). Matt (Chuck Brinkley) draws out most of his bedraggled compatriots by retelling an episode of "The Simpsons" in which Bart gets piles of death threats in the mail. And soon the TV family is rushed to a location very much like the Robert Mitchum movie Cape Fear. They become more relaxed and alive, till traveler (Jared Sanz-Agero) frightens them out of the verbal rerun. And, once things calm down, we are presented with a very harsh reality as, one by one, they quiz him about the loved ones they've been cut off from since the disaster. Then you notice everyone is carrying old address books in lieu of smart phones, with all their old contact lists, hoping against hope. Here the amazing Jennifer Theby-Quinn and (the equally so) Rachel Tibbetts shine, displaying increasing despair with each new dead-end on their lists. Pending act three's stupendous reenactment, this is pretty much the entire emotional basis for the production. So, thank goodness these two are here to shoulder the weight. Act two shows increasing formalization in the Simpsons reenactments: a humorously annoyed Rachel Hanks directs the same survivors (seven years later) as their theatrical troupe competes with other re-enactors to eke out a living in this twilight world. All the action springs from truth, but it seems rather bland. Then, stand back for act three. It is 75 years later, and a whole new generation has raised Simpson-mania to the heights of ancient Greek theater. The stock characters are still Homer, Marge, and family. But where Sideshow Bob was the antagonist in the earlier tellings, he is replaced here by the ultimate villain ... C. Montgomery Burns. The results are intense, as a tribal ceremony is played out. Maggie Wininger (also appearing as a beautiful but not-too-bright actress in act two) is Bart, doing unexpectedly compelling battle with the owner of Springfield's nuclear power plant. The story still has many of the features of that "Cape Feare" episode, but don't worry if you haven't seen it. It becomes familiar by act three. Will Bonfiglio is inexhaustible as a grandly pantomimed Mr. Burns, stylistically thrilling; and Mr. Sanz-Agero reveals a wonderful singing voice in this segment. A very impressive Kay Love appears as the high priestess of it all, with a Mrs. Krabappel-style hairdo and a white Grecian gown. The highest-trained singer on stage (by a lot), Ms. Love subtly guides the others through pages and pages of intricate (and startling) vocal work. In the end, it is a grand rebirth for humanity. And in the last 2,000 years, togas and masks have never seemed so cromulent. With music and lyrics by Michael Friedman and Anne Washburn, through September 20, 2015, at the Ivory Theatre (7620 Michigan Ave.). For more information visit www.r-stheatrics.com. Cast Production Staff
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