Mr.Burns: A Post-Electric Play
By Anne Washburn
Original Score by Micheal Friedman
Director - Sanaya Forbes
Open Auditions: June 17th and 18th
Callbacks: June 20th
Rehearsal Timeframe: July - September
Evening Performances (7:30pm): September 20th, 21st, 27th, 28th
Matinee Performances (2:30pm): September 22nd, 29th
Content Label: R - Gun violence, death, language, sexual content
The Majestic Theatre (a division of the City of Corvallis Parks and Recreation department) is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion and to creating a safe place for actors of all backgrounds to explore their craft. We are particularly eager to work with artists of color and other artists from marginalized communities. All auditions are free and open to the public. This audition is for an amateur, volunteer production. The Majestic Theatre staff and volunteers do not discriminate on the basis of age, national origin, race, gender, ethnic background, ability, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or any protected class.
Auditions will be held in person at the Majestic Theatre.
SHOW SYNOPSIS
Mr. Burns isn’t an easy story to summarize, but here is the publisher’s take:“After the collapse of civilization, a group of survivors share a campfire and begin to piece together the plot of The Simpsons episode “Cape Feare” entirely from memory. Seven years later, this and other snippets of pop culture (sitcom plots, commercials, jingles and pop songs) have become the live entertainment of a post-apocalyptic society, sincerely trying to hold onto its past. Seventy-five years later, these are the myths and legends from which new forms of performance are created.”Mr. Burns, as a show, is a lot of things. A post apocalyptic story of survivors. A bizarre comedy. A game of telephone. An homage to pop culture. A straight play. A musical. And everything in between. A twisted, wild ride that asks the question: what stories will we bring with us into the future and how will they help us rebuild what we’ve lost?
FROM THE DIRECTOR Sanaya Forbes
I am looking for a talented team of 8 - 12 actors to journey into this script with. Mr.Burns is, at its core, an ensemble show that gives multiple actors the chance to shine. The characters are somewhat loosely defined in the script which gives you, the actor, a lot of creative freedom. Not only that, but it’s a great chance to flex your performance muscles because it’s got a little bit of everything.
The third act of this show is a musical, which can be scary - trust me, I know, I pretty much exclusively do straight plays because singing in front of people makes me nervous. But I don't want to let that discourage you from auditioning. I am looking for actors that can sing, not singers who can act. So if you are reluctant to come out for musicals but will occasionally throw down at karaoke (or even just sing show tunes in the shower), please consider auditioning.
If you’re craving a script that’s more “out there” than the typical majestic main stage productions, then this is definitely the show for you. Hope to see you at auditions. :)
PREPARATION NOTES
You do NOT need to prepare a monologue or piece of music. Auditions will consist of reading sides and learning a short piece with our music directors. Wear comfortable clothes to the audition. Be prepared to move (within your comfortable ability to do so), experiment, collaborate, and have fun.
Although there is singing in this show and it is part of the auditions, we would like to emphasize that you do NOT need prior singing experience or the ability to read music to be in this show.
This show contains some very heavy themes, including simulated gun violence (they are living in a post-apocalyptic landscape after all). Almost every character on stage in the first two acts carries or handles a gun at some point. Please keep this in mind when you are deciding whether or not to audition, as it is integral to several parts of the script and cannot be negotiated. While they are all fake, non-operable weapons, we know this imagery is difficult for some.
While we do not expect you to come with anything memorized, we would like to emphasize that this show has a lot of context around it that is important to know as an actor. If you want to give yourself a good idea of what you are stepping into, we would highly suggest doing one (or all) of the following before auditions:1. Read the sides.2. Preferably, read the whole script. While some context will be given day-of, you will be much better off knowing where it fits in the show.
3. Listen to the soundtrack.
4. Watch The Simpsons Season 5, Episode 2: Cape Feare. It is the episode that the show revolves around and it is really helpful to get some of the jokes.
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
All characters do not have a specific race or ethnic background; we're excited to see a diverse pool of actors audition for all roles. Ages listed are the approximate ages of the characters themselves. We invite actors of any age to audition for any role.
All of these roles will be required to sing, though no previous vocal experience is necessary. All of the roles require some dance and movement, but these can be adjusted to suit the mobility of the actors.
The Acting Troupe (Acts 1 and 2)
MATT
Character Age: 25 - 45
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Male Presenting or Non-Binary
Ability/movement: Is on stage through most of the play, will perform basic choreography.
Character: A chatty Simpsons fan, complete with character voices. Enjoys being the center of attention. Will be double cast as a Simpsons character in Act 3.
JENNY
Character Age: 25 - 45
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Female Presenting or Non-Binary
Ability/movement: Is on stage through most of the play, will perform basic choreography.
Character: Also a Simpsons fan, but to a lesser degree. More of a “yes-man” than anything else, but confident, friendly, and gains more of a sense of self as the play progresses. Acts as the company’s liaison with the public during Act 2. Will be double cast as a Simpsons character in Act 3.
MARIA
Character Age: 18 - 65
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Female Presenting or Non-Binary
Ability/movement: Is on stage through most of the play, will perform basic choreography.
Character: A very casual Simpsons fan, but still tries to offer input when they can. Pragmatic, deep, incredibly rattled by the state of the world - the apocalypse has shifted their world view tremendously. Becomes a writer and co-director with Colleen in Act 2. Believes strongly that art should have a meaning. Will be double cast as a Simpsons character in Act 3.
SAM
Character Age: 18 - 40
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Any
Ability/movement: Is on stage through most of the play, will perform basic choreography. Will require some non-sexual intimacy choreography.
Character: Paranoid, responsible, small-town kind of person. The de-facto leader in times of potential danger and the most militant of the group. Could potentially have a touch of a southern accent (but not necessarily). Will be double cast as a Simpsons character in Act 3.
COLLEEN
Character Age: 30 - 65
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Female-Presenting
Ability/movement: Is on stage through most of the play, will perform basic choreography.
Character: Almost completely catatonic during Act 1, still reeling from the potential loss of their daughter, Becca. By Act 2 they have become the director of the company. Opinionated, matter of fact, a positive director but aggressive to a fault. Will be double cast as a Simpsons character in Act 3.
GIBSON
Character Age: 30 - 65
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Male Presenting
Ability/movement: Is on stage through most of the play, will perform basic choreography. Must be able to crawl on the ground. Will require some non-sexual intimacy choreography.
Character: An outsider during Act 1 who becomes completely integrated into the group by Act 2. Not a Simpsons fan, but has a history as a community theater actor, so very theatrical. A “Gilbert and Sullivan” aficionado who loves to perform. Anxious, but dedicated to the craft. Will be double cast as a Simpsons character in Act 3.
QUINCY
Character Age: 18 - 65
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Female Presenting
Ability/movement: Is on stage through most of the play, will perform basic choreography.
Character: Joins the theater troupe in Act 2. A bit of a diva, very opinionated, very self important, but also one of the more talented singer/actors in the group. Can come off as cold and unfeeling, and has some active tension with some of the other troupe members. Will be double cast as a Simpsons character in Act 3.
The Citizens of Springfield (Act 3)
Note: While these characters are BASED on the Simpsons characters, by this point in the timeline they have become more representations of an archetype than literal copies of what you might see in the show. The people cast as the acting troupe in Acts 1 and 2 will be double cast in some of these roles.
EDNA
Character Age: Any
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Female-presenting
Ability/movement: Must be comfortable with basic dance choreography.
Character: A scholar and leader of the Shades of Springfield. She acts as an omnipotent narrator for the third act (the “keeper of the story”). This role includes no dialogue - it is entirely a singing part.
SHADES OF SPRINGFIELD (5 actors)
Character Age: Any
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Any
Ability/movement: Must be comfortable with basic dance choreography.
Character: Various characters from the Simpsons that open the third act - each are named and will have masks that call back to those characters (Troy McClure, Apu, Willy, Ned Flanders, Nelson), but more represent archetypes within the town (the harold, the priest, the shopkeeper, etc). They act as the Greek chorus throughout Act 3. Great opportunity for those who want to audition but want a smaller time commitment. Some of these parts have the opportunity for solo moments.
BART
Character Age: Any
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Any, but the character will be presented as male
Ability/movement: Must be comfortable with basic dance choreography as well as some more intensive fight choreography.
Character: The hero and “everyman” character of the story. Bold, rash, loves his family but has a hard time admitting it. Stubborn and willing to fight against evil.
HOMER
Character Age: Any
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Male-presenting
Ability/movement: Must be comfortable with basic dance choreography as well as some fight choreography.
Character: A father trying to do the best for his family. Eternally optimistic, tries to see the good in every situation (definitely to a fault) and act as a pillar of courage to his family in times of hardship.
MARGE
Character Age: Any
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Any, but the character will be presented as female
Ability/movement: Must be comfortable with basic dance choreography as well as some fight choreography.
Character: A worried mother who misses her old life. Tries to support her children when she can. Does not have the same optimism that her husband does.
LISA
Character Age: Any
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Female-presenting
Ability/movement: Must be comfortable with basic dance choreography, intensive fight choreography, and intimacy choreography - this character is threatened with sexual assault and has someone slip a finger in her mouth (can be simulated).
Character: While she worries and pines for her old life, she is ultimately a spitfire like her brother, who won’t give up without a fight.
MR. BURNS
Character Age: Any
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Male-presenting
Ability/movement: Must be comfortable with climbing ladders, dance choreography, intensive fight choreography, and intimacy choreography - this character threatens another with sexual assault and slips a finger into someone’s mouth (can be simulated).
Character: The antagonist of the story and a supernatural embodiment of evil. A brutal, terrifying, unapologetic force. Can be graphic and sexual from time to time, but only ever in a very threatening manner. A close comparison could be HIM from the Powerpuff Girls, or the Chief Blue Meanie from Yellow Submarine.
ITCHY & SCRATCHY
Character Ages: Any
Character Races: Any
Character Ethnicities: Any
Desired Actor Genders: Any
Ability/movement: Must be comfortable with basic dance choreography as well as some more intensive fight choreography.
Characters: Itchy and Scratchy are demonic minions that do the bidding of Mr. Burns. Violent, sadistic, and unnerving, but prone to getting caught up in the moment.
AUDITION MATERIALS