They'll never stop The Simpsons...

Yes, that’s right, there’s a post-apocalyptic musical about The Simpsons. If that alone isn’t enough to make you want to watch it, a) Bad geek!, and b) Read on and watch the trailer below.

Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play concerns Simpsons fandom in a post-apocalyptic world. The play is written by Anne Washburn, but sadly her surname lacks an ‘e’, so she’s probably not related to Wash (Hoban ‘Wash’ Washburne) from Firefly.

On the official site, the play is described in the following way:

“Armageddon has struck and the grid is down: no TV, no radio, no internet: how will life go on? For one group of tenacious survivors, sitting around a fire and reminiscing about The Simpsons proves to be the greatest escape from despair. Miraculously, from their collective memories, a new industry struggles to be born: a crude theatrical re-creation of the digital culture we can’t possibly live without.

From The Simpsons to the pop hits of the last ten years, MR. BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY is a rocking, rollicking, scary good time that leaves you questioning how you’d make sense of the world if all your gizmos were gone.”

This synopsis sounds intriguing to say the least. To slightly paraphrase Comic Book Guy, “Best. Apocalypse. Ever.” But, as we all know, “No TV and no beer makes Homer…something something…”; “Go crazy?”; “Don’t mind if I do!”

Otto would probably try and become his character Busman, summarised by the Simpsons Wiki as follows: “Busman is an idea for a comic book superhero created by Otto. Otto’s idea is that the character would drive a bus by day, but by night fight vampires in a post-apocalyptic war zone.”

However, the play is not about how the characters would react, but the fans. From the synopsis above, it sounds a little like the Thermians using the "historical documents" as a blueprint to rebuild society, like in Galaxy Quest.

And in the underrated post-apocalyptic epic The Postman, people re-enact Star Wars around a campfire. A bit like Star Wars uncut, actually.

The power of fandom can be inspiring, bringing people together and helping to keep a sense of hope alive. (Woo-hoo! Hooray for geekiness!)

So no doubt the characters' attempts to continue The Simpsons in whatever form they can is a recognition of the importance of laughter, stories, and, ultimately, meaning. Though as great as The Simpsons is, it (or any other show) is not going to replace a relationship with God. So it would be more important to hang on to the Bible (which is actually extremely well attested when compared to other historical documents).

Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play is running from May 28 to July 1, 2012 at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre in Washington, DC. And if that's too far, then have no fears, because the FAQ section on the theatre's official site says:

“What happens to a play after it’s premiered at Woolly?”

“Our world premieres frequently enjoy a long and distinguished history after their first productions at Woolly. To date, our world premieres have been produced at over 200 theatres in 39 states around the country, including Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Alley Theatre in Houston, TX, the Public Theatre in New York City, and Manhattan Theatre Club. Our plays have appeared internationally in theatres and festivals around the globe, including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.”

So even if you don’t live near Washington, DC, Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play (which seems to be getting great reviews) may well come to a theatre near you. Or less far away. (Kang and Kodos may have to return to Earth to catch a performance.) And maybe if the play proves popular enough, we’ll be re-creating that after an apocalypse. Talk about meta…

There's an article on the theatre's blog about the development of the play, and you can book tickets here.

See also:

NYC Event: Star Wars uncut

NYC Event: TropFest Short Film Festival

Joss Whedon almost became a theatre director

First clip from Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing

Joss Whedon will follow The Avengers with Wastelanders, "a dark piece" with no singing

Harry Lennix to play Henry IV

Tom Hiddleston talks Loki, Thor, Avengers, Shakespeare, and more

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