Madeline Stuewer believes storytelling is vital for communities, especially in times of uncertainty.
“It’s something that is more important than a lot of people realize — having that comfort, having a way to share your experiences with future generations, said Stuewer, director of “Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play,” which will be performed in October at the Mielke Arts Center.
The three-act play, the final show of the 2025-26 season at the arts center, touches on the evolution of storytelling in a post-apocalyptic world.
“The first act is about a year after the electric grid has gone down,” Stuewer said. “It’s following the survivors. They’re passing the time by remembering ‘Simpsons’ episodes and other bits of pop culture.”
Act 2 is seven years after the electric grid has gone down.
“This group of survivors has formed a theater troupe that is now going around, because that’s the main form of entertainment without electricity,” Stuewer said. “They’re not just recreating ‘Simpsons’ episodes; they’re recreating commercials, too, not to sell anything but more for nostalgia.”
The final act is about 75-80 years after the electric grid has gone down.
“Now there’s nobody alive who has seen a ‘Simpsons’ episode,” Stuewer said. “It’s kind of a game of storytelling telephone that has happened, and it has morphed into something bigger. It’s a Greek tragedy, Shakespearean retelling of the ‘Cape Fear’ episode of ‘The Simpsons,’ but there’s different elements of pop culture that are touched on as well.”
Even with all the references to “The Simpsons” animated TV series, audience members don’t have to be fans of the show to enjoy the play.
“It’s using ‘The Simpsons’ to talk about what stories mean to people,” said Jennifer Maglio, assistant director. “It’s just using it as a base to talk about what stories mean to us, why do we tell stories, and what happens to stories over the decades.”
“I have actually seen very little of the ‘The Simpsons,’” Stuewer added.
The play is a drama with funny bits throughout and is appropriate for anyone in middle school or older.
For Maglio, this is her first time as assistant director, but she’s been on stage numerous times.
“I like that it’s experimental,” she said. “It’s very unusually formatted. It’s not something we see around here very much.”
Actor Samantha Grossen agreed.
“The creative elements are very unique, and we haven’t seen that at least in the last four years I’ve been in Shawano,” she said.
This is Grossen’s sixth show at the arts center. She has different parts in the first and third acts.
Maglio said that while the post-apocalyptic setting is unique, it also presented some challenges for the cast and crew.
“Everything has to be built from scratch,” she said. “Because it’s unlike any other previous show, we don’t have a bunch of wardrobe. We don’t have a bunch of set pieces. We’re building a post-apocalyptic vibe, and that’s not what we normally do, which means we don’t have a bunch of stuff to rely on.”
She said they referenced other groups’ performances, other apocalyptic settings and a lot from Pinterest. Plus, they developed some things on the fly.
Heidi Weyker made her stage debut in “Oliver” this past summer. She’s back this fall, taking on two roles in “Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play.”
Originally from Minnesota, she lived in Gillett for several years and moved to Appleton about eight months ago. She has several friends who are thespians in the Box in the Wood Theatre Guild.
“I went to go see many of their shows the past couple of years. Finally, I’m like, ‘I’m going to audition,’ and I auditioned for ‘Oliver,’ and I auditioned for this one,” Weyker said. “I fell in love with acting, and I’m so excited to be doing this one. I have a much bigger part than the last one. With this much larger role, I have more lines to memorize than the last play.”
She has an a cappella solo performance in the show.
“I’m a little nervous about singing that by myself on the stage,” she said.
Rehearsals began in August, and in two or three months, everything always seems to fall into place before opening night.
“Having a variety of ages in the actors and different backgrounds has been very fun,” Stuewer said. “We have a very fun mix of people in this show — some Mielke veterans, some newbies, and everyone gets along well.”
Months ago, Stuewer was reviewing possible plays to direct and was intrigued by this play. She had read some of playwright Anne Washburn’s work before.
“The title stuck out to me,” she said. “I was familiar with Anne Washburn, the author. I had read a couple of her other plays. She has a a unique style that I thought would be fun and different.”
She still reflects back to COVID-19 times and how people are still moving forward from the pandemic.
“I think this show is an interesting thought experiment or commentary on how humanity faces worldwide atrocities,” Stuewer said.
AT A GLANCE
WHAT: “Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play,” written by Anne Washburn, score by Michael Friedman and lyrics by Anne Washburn
WHEN: 7 p.m. Oct. 10-11 and Oct. 17-18, 2 p.m. Oct. 12 and Oct. 19
WHERE: Mielke Arts Center, N5649 Airport Road, Shawano
TICKETS: $10 youths, $15 adults. Available at the door or online at shawanoarts.ludus.com
