Tickets are already sold out for the Cal Poly Theatre & Dance’s Thursday to Sunday shows; the department is putting on a production of “Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play,” at Spanos Theatre this weekend and next.
According to the event description, the show’s plot follows a group of survivors after the collapse of civilization. The group shares a campfire and attempts to “piece together the plot of The Simpsons episode “Cape Feare” entirely from memory,” leading into a future where these stories become legend.
The show is an interactive, three-act play that only allows 80 audience members to be able to accommodate the on-stage seating style. According to the director, Josh Machamer, the seating style is designed to leave a lasting impression on the audience and shifts throughout the acts.
The show was originally written by American playwright Anne Washburn and is being directed by Cal Poly Theatre & Dance Department associate dean Josh Machamer.
“The core of the play is the importance of why we tell stories, how we tell stories and what that means for us,” Machamer said.
Featuring a student assistant director, a full student cast and student-run backstage production and costume design the entire play is a learn-by-doing production.
“You can’t do theater any other way than get on your feet and put it together,” Machamer said.
The production will be on for two weekends during May 9 to 12 and 16 to 19. Tickets to the show are available online now at the PAC website, with 80 seats available for each performance. According to Spanos Theater Manager David Beals, currently, all seats are sold out on May 9 and 12.
Other show inquiries and accessibility needs can be accommodated through the Theatre and Dance Department at (805) 756-1465.