MR. BURNS: A POST ELECTRIC PLAY
By Anne Washburn • Directed by Alex Ungerman • November 8-23, 2019
In the near future, an apocalypse has wiped out society as we know it. As the survivors struggle to find a cultural touchstone that they all relate to, they land on a common reference: The Simpsons. This dark comedy explores how these television characters become a new storytelling device, then a new kind of theatre, then archetypes for a new age. A tribute to live theater, and the resilience of Bart Simpson through the ages, Mr. Burns is an animated exploration of how the pop culture of one era might evolve into the mythology of another.
SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS
By Bess Wohl • Directed by Jonathan Sweatt • January 24-February 8, 2020
In the overwhelming quiet of the woods, six runaways from city life embark on a silent retreat. As these strangers confront internal demons both profound and absurd, their vows of silence collide with the achingly human need to connect. Filled with awkward humor, this strange and compassionate new play asks how we address life’s biggest questions when words fail us. “The play asks – and admirably never quite answers – deep questions about how we connect with other people, a feat that the characters achieve through channels both profound and silly. Wohl isn’t afraid to let the ridiculous rub up against the sublime, and it makes Small Mouth Sounds as entertaining as it is transcendent.” —Time Out (New York).