What's Happening in Corvallis, OR…

Audiences in Corvallis will soon have a chance to see a play that uses pop culture to comment on society.

The Majestic Theatre is presenting “Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play,” a seriously dark comedy about how a modern television show becomes a guiding light in a post-apocalyptic future. The play was written by Anne Washburn with a score by Michael Friedman.

After civilization collapses, a group of survivors are trying to remember the plot of “Cape Feare,” a “Simpsons” episode. After seven years, they have transformed the episode and other bits of pop culture such as jingles and commercials into live entertainment. They become a traveling theater troupe that performs “Simpsons” episodes live, as theater is the dominant entertainment since there is no electricity. Seventy-five years on, the “Cape Feare” episode has been reworked into a musical presented in a playhouse dedicated to “The Simpsons.” One episode from a television show has become a building block of the new society.

Anne Washburn has said she wondered what would happen if she took a TV show and pushed it to the apocalypse and beyond. She considered “M*A*S*H,” “Cheers,” and “Friends” before settling on “The Simpsons.”

The play will be performed on September 20, 21, 27, and 28, with two matinees on September 22 and 29. The matinee on the 22nd will feature ASL, and a Talk Back session. Organizers of performances like this will often use poster printing to create advertising to bring in audiences.