Casting Notice – Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play
Los Altos Stage Company is holding open auditions for Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play by Anne Washburn
Directed by Kristin Walter
After the collapse of civilization, a group of survivors share a campfire and begin to piece together the plot of The Simpsons episode “Cape Feare” entirely from memory. Seven years later, this and other snippets of pop culture (sitcom plots, commercials, jingles and pop songs) have become the live entertainment of a post-apocalyptic society, sincerely trying to hold onto its past. Seventy-five years later, these are the myths and legends from which new forms of performance are created.
Audition Date: Saturday August 8, 2026 10 AM – 1 PM.
Where: Bus Barn Theater, 97 Hillview Ave. Los Altos, CA 94022
Callbacks: *By Invite Only* Sunday, August 15, 2026 1 PM – 2 PM; Bus Barn Theater, 97 Hillview Ave. Los Altos, CA 94022
Audition Sign Up: Please choose a time to audition using our Sign-Up Genius here: https://tinyurl.com/47ubf83r
Online Audition Form: Please fill out Los Altos Stage Company’s virtual audition form here: https://forms.gle/jo3eKhiH4zgPfjCQ6 This must be filled out in addition to the Sign-Up Genius.
Rehearsals:
- Sundays 6 PM – 9 PM, Mondays through Thursdays 7 PM – 10 PM
- First Rehearsal: Sunday December 6, 2026
- Rehearsals will be limited around the Christmas and New Years holidays
- Q2Q (mandatory): 12 PM – 10 PM Sunday January 17, 2027
- Tech Week (mandatory): Monday January 18, 2026 through 20, 2027; 6 – 11 PM
Performances:
- Wednesdays through Sundays; January 21, 2027 through February 14, 2027
- Wednesday through Saturday performances are @ 8 PM and Sundays are @ 3 PM
- Call time is typically 7 PM or 2 PM
Audition requirements: Please prepare a two-minute contemporary comedic monologue. Although this is a play with music, there will be no singing at initial auditions. Singing will be included in callbacks.
It is preferable that you audition in person, but if you are unable to do so, video submissions will be considered. Please fill out the audition form linked above and send your video to rebecca.lasc@gmail.com by 10 PM on Friday August 7, 2026.
Callbacks must be in person.
Actor Acknowledgement: A $15 meal reimbursement will be provided for rehearsal and performance days to which the actor is called up to a total amount of $500.
Please forward questions to LASC’s Production Manager, Rebecca Voss at rebecca.lasc@gmail.com.
Roles: All roles are currently open. LASC does not discriminate based on race, color, creed, sex, gender, religion, age, marital or veteran’s status, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or genetics. LASC aims to practice culturally conscious and diverse casting in its productions. We encourage anyone that would like to audition to do so. Typical gender presentation listed by characters for context.
Please note: Most characters carry a prop firearm in the first act. This is a play with music. While strong singing and dancing abilities are not required, we are looking for people that will be at least comfortable singing onstage (both accompanied and acapella) and doing light choreography/movement. Characters that require significant singing will be noted below.
Characters are typically doubled as follows. Depending on the submissions we receive, this breakdown may change slightly. Listed Simpsons characters are not exact replicas of the characters seen on TV. Instead, within the plot, they have become onstage archetypes of these characters by Act 3.
Matt (male-presenting): A chatty Simpsons fan, complete with character voices. Originally from New York. Enjoys being the center of attention, but works hard to earn it. Will be double cast as a Simpsons character in Act 3.
Jenny (female-presenting): A no-nonsense, logical character originally from Baltimore. She is highly protective of facts and exact details, serving as the group’s unofficial writer and record-keeper as time progresses. Will be double cast as a Simpsons character in Act 3.
Susannah (female-presenting): Pragmatic, deep, incredibly rattled by the state of the world – the apocalypse has shifted her world view tremendously. Becomes a writer and co-director in Act 2. Believes strongly that art should have a meaning. Will be double cast as a Simpsons character in Act 3.
Sam (male-presenting): Paranoid, responsible, small-town kind of person. The de-facto leader in times of potential danger and the most militant of the group. Could potentially have a touch of a southern accent (but not necessarily). Will be double cast as a Simpsons character in Act 3.
Colleen (female-presenting): Almost completely catatonic during Act 1, still reeling from the potential loss of their daughter, Becca. By Act 2 she has become the director of the company. Opinionated, matter of fact, a positive director but aggressive to a fault. Will be double cast as a Simpsons character in Act 3.
Gibson (male-presenting): An outsider during Act 1 who becomes completely integrated into the group by Act 2. Not a Simpsons fan, but has a history as a community theater actor, so very theatrical. A “Gilbert and Sullivan” aficionado who loves to perform. Anxious, but dedicated to the craft. Will be double cast as a Simpsons character in Act 3.
Quincy (female-presenting): Joins the theater troupe in Act 2. A bit of a diva, very opinionated, very self important, but also one of the more talented singers/actors in the group. Can come off as cold and unfeeling, and has some active tension with some of the other troupe members. Will be double cast as a Simpsons character in Act 3.
Edna Krabappel (female presenting): She acts as an omnipotent narrator for the third act (the “keeper of the story”). This role includes no dialogue – it is entirely a singing part.
Informational Resources: This play relies heavily on pop culture references, particularly references to The Simpsons. Should you want to do any research prior to auditions, here are some resources.
Playwright’s Horizons Preview and Interview:
Purchase Tickets
Mail: PO Box 151, Los Altos, CA 94023
Theater: 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos
