“Stare Mortality in the Face and Tell it to Eat My Shorts”: Pitt-Greensburg Theater Company Performance of “Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play” Coming Early April

Pitt-Greensburg Theater Company is putting on the three-act performance of “Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play” Thursday, April 3 through Saturday, April 5 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 6 at 2:30 p.m. in Ferguson Theater. Tickets can be bought online or at the door. 

Dr. Christina Allaback, director of theater at Pitt-Greensburg, is ecstatic to be directing this play. 

“This is my dream play. This is also the fortieth play that I’ve directed,” she says. 

“Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play” is a post-apocalyptic play that is split into three acts, each taking place years apart, with the third act being a musical. Throughout, a specific “The Simpsons” episode is referenced, and the play shows what could happen to pop culture after the fall of civilization. 

“Students really like dystopian apocalypse books, ‘The Simpsons’ is pop culture, and students like musicals. I thought there were lots of aspects of this that students would really, really like,” Dr. Allaback says. 

Dr. Allaback says the cast started preparing for the production in mid January and are hard at work practicing four days a week. 

Performing in their second production at Pitt-Greensburg, Jordan Gilbert, a senior English Literature major, is playing the roles of Gibson and Bart Simpson. 

“The play uses the cultural impact that ‘The Simpsons’ has to make a really interesting statement about humanity. The message that it presents has really resonated with me,” Gilbert says. 

Gilbert is specifically excited to be playing the role of Bart Simpson. 

“The play situates Bart Simpson as a personification of humanity’s refusal to quit,” she says. “Playing Bart Simpson in this time and getting to stare mortality in the face and tell it to eat my shorts is really powerful stuff.” 

Besides the cast, members of the crew will soon be working just as hard behind the scenes. Students in the stagecraft class will be in charge of building the set and students in the costume tech class will be creating some of the costumes.

Dr. Allaback says that a lot of people are involved with bringing this performance to audiences. Christopher Bartley, music director and instructor of music, is the music director for the production, and Christopher McAllister, Dr. Allaback’s stagecraft instructor, is the technical director, set designer, and sound designer.

This play brings together an array of people, both on stage and behind the scenes, and those involved are excited about sharing this performance with everyone. 

“I’m most excited about sharing this play with other people, because it’s one that a lot of people don’t know about,” Gilbert says. “It’s something that I found meaning in. So, if other people find meaning in it or they just have fun with it, that’s great.” 

Dr. Allaback agrees with this and wants people to know that this is a performance for everyone. 

“This is a really good piece. It’s theater, but it’s also pop culture. So, if you’re not a theater person you can still come and enjoy it, and it’s only $5,” she says. 

Audiences should be aware that the play will include fake guns and gunshot sounds. Audience discretion advised.