Mr. Burns: a post-electric play Lighting Design

Nathan Schroeder

The show takes place after an unspecified disaster has disabled all the power plants in the USA, resulting essentially in the collapse of civilization. The task of lighting a play where the presumption is that there is no electric light, and which opens outdoors at night, was a challenge.

My lighting design for Mr. Burns was nominated for a St. Louis Theater Circle award.

The photos below show:

• The first act, where the actors are lit primarily from their campfire and secondarily from above, presumably by starlight
• A later scene, where a play-within-a-play is being performed by lantern light

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