Highly Recommended **** A funny thing happened on the way to a long successful run of a play at Theater Wit- a pandemic! “Teenage Dick” had just opened when we were hit by Covid-19. They then filmed it and many of us had our first taste of “Pandemic Era Theater”. Now, as we try to move back to nearly normal, Theater Wit is returning with a previous production, “Mr. Burns, A Post Electric Play” ( a huge hit back in 2015). The play, written by Anne Washburn is about a topic that makes even more sense now than when it first opened. The question it asks is “What’s left when everything is taken away?”. Think about this as you watch the energetic cast, under the skillful direction of Jeremy Wechsler take us on a trip.
The story begins right after a global catastrophe. Life as we know it is all but over. Small groups of survivors have become “families” staying together for protection and safety. They remain in their pods and when they meet someone new, avoid getting to close until they know for sure they are safe. They do attempt to find out if any of their families or friends are still alive, but for the most part, it seems that the episodes they recall of “The Simpsons” gives them something to share, laughter and the only truly good feelings in what they have left of their lives.
The play has been arranged in three acts. The first act introduces us to the characters and shows us their love for The Simpsons. The second act has them acting out specific scenes from the series and the third act, which I think is the highlight of the evening, a masterful episode where we get to finally see Mr. Burns in action. The sword fight between Bart ( played with great zest by Leslie Ann Sheppard) and Burns ( Andrew Jessop is amazing) is worth the price of the ticket alone. I will say that if you are a devoted Simpson fan, you will find the entire piece hysterical. If you are a sometime watcher, you will find great joy in the second and third acts.
The cast is powerful with high energy and the original cast and a few newcomers have created an ensemble that is sure to be nominated for a Jeff Award for Ensemble. They are flawless. Besides Ms Sheppard and Mr. Jessop, the cast includes Jonah D. Winston ( what a powerful voice) Will Wilhelm ( a vocal range that will astound you),Eileen Doan, Tina Munoz Pandya, Ana Silva and Daniel Desmarais. The show has some wonderful musical numbers ( musical direction by Eugene Dizon, who also playes the piano with Carlos Mendoza and Scott Sedlacek adding to the trio) and choreography by Brigitte Ditmars. The fight choreography was by David Woolley, Jon Beal and Kai Young. As I said earlier, the swordfight is truly a special effect that the opening night audience loved!
The tech aspects of the show were cartoonish and yet functional. Joe Schermoly’s set is unique and fun. Jonathan Berg-Einhorn’s props were truly fun to see ( he must have gone nuts putting this list together) and the costumes by Mara Blumenfeld and Mieka Van Der Ploeg truly special. I must be hones. I am not a lover of The Simpson. I did watch a number of episodes back in the day with my son and later one of the grandkids. Yes, I found some of the bits funny, but I was not a lover, so I thought this would be a sleeper of a night at the theater for me. I was wrong! It was fund, from stat to finish. I am glad that I wore my hearing aids though as some of the cast members forgot to play to the back of the house. They should remember that they are a good 80 feet away from the stage. Winston, Jessop, Willhelm and Sheppard were never a problem.
Performance schedule is as follows:
Wed, 7:00 pm
Thu, 7:00pm
Fri.7:00pm
Sat. 7:00pm
Sun.2:30pm
Open Run Theater Wit is located at 1229 West Belmont in Chicago. There is street parking ( some metered, some not) Public Transportation is easy.
Blumenfeld and Mieka Van Der Ploeg truly special. I must be hones. I am not a lover of The Simpson. I did watch a number of episodes back in the day with my son and later one of the grandkids. Yes, I found some of the bits funny, but I was not a lover, so I thought this would be a sleeper of a night at the theater for me. I was wrong! It was fund, from stat to finish. I am glad that I wore my hearing aids though as some of the cast members forgot to play to the back of the house. They should remember that they are a good 80 feet away from the stage. Winston, Jessop, Willhelm and Sheppard were never a problem.
Performance schedule is as follows:
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