INTERVIEW: A rare talk with Mr. Burns himself, about his Post-Electric Play
Photo: Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play stars Zack Fine as the title character. Photo courtesy of T. Charles Erickson / Provided by Matt Ross PR with permission.
By all accounts, Anne Washburn created a modern-day classic when she penned the revelatory show Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play, which enjoyed a celebrated off-Broadway premiere a few years ago at Playwrights Horizons. This summer, the always intrepid creative team at Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival has decided to couple their production of Romeo & Juliet with a new take on Washburn’s theatrical masterpiece, and at the center of the narrative is actor Zack Fine, who plays the characters of Sam, Bart and Mr. Burns himself in the show (he’s also playing a Capulet in R&J).
“I definitely feel very welcomed,” Fine said about his time at HVSF. “I love returning to the place. I feel very lucky to get there as often as I have. It’s a beautiful, beautiful place, so, yeah, the festival has become a place for me to do a lot of different things as an artist — as a writer and an actor and a director.”
Fine, who appeared on Broadway in China Doll with Al Pacino, has a long association with the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, which presents its plays under a big-top tent beneath the open skies, right on the banks of the Hudson River. The drive to the picturesque surroundings is a quick 60-90 minutes from New York City. This year, he believes director Davis McCallum was interested in him for the role of Mr. Burns. The two have worked together before, and Fine was familiar with Washburn’s piece.
“I saw it when it premiered at Playwrights Horizons, and immediately I recognized it as one of the most exciting, brilliant and theatrically daring shows I’d ever seen,” the actor said. “It was a profound play to encounter. I loved it, but I’d never read it until I auditioned for the play. So reading it was also a much different experience from seeing it the first time. I was struck by the construction of the piece.”
The rehearsal process with McCallum and the rest of the company was an interesting one for Fine. They talked about the many interpretations one can have of what Washburn is trying to dissect in the play. In the show, a group of friends in the distant future tell campfire stories about mythic characters from long ago, and part of their mythology are characters from The Simpsons, including Mr. Burns, the villainous owner of the nuclear plant where Homer Simpson works.
“That was part of our rehearsal process was trying to understand what the playwright’s intentions are, so, yeah, we certainly had a lot of thoughts about the construction of this play and what its intentions are,” he said, adding that the natural landscape around the tent also informs their performances. “That is one of the great things about working at the festival is every play is in conversation with the natural environment, and so the nights when it rains, or it’s windy, or it’s very hot, all of these things have an impact on the shows. And that’s very different from doing most theater, which is indoors, so it brings an extra layer of life and excitement to the shows always. It’s one of the reasons I enjoy working up here. It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world, and to do beautiful plays in a beautiful place is very exciting.”
Fine, who has worked at The Acting Company and Mint Theater Company, called McCallum’s approach to directing very “humane,” with a fine focus on detail and curiosity. When the actors are together on stage, McCallum likes to keep things playful and inquisitive, and Fine called him a wonderful collaborator. Fine also had a positive experience with the director of Romeo & Juliet, Gaye Taylor Upchurch. The Bard’s classic play is being presented as an “age-blind” production. Keeping everything separate, yet together, between the two productions is a welcome challenge for Fine and the company.
“When you do to two different plays in rep, the exciting thing is that the plays start to speak to one another, and you learn things about each play by being in the other one, which is always exciting,” Fine said. “And so jumping from one to the next is actually really fun. It offers a lot of variety. Sometimes whatever you might lose in the repetition that you get from doing a show night after night, you get a feeling of freshness when you go away from it every other night, so doing shows in rep is a great workout. I love it.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play and Romeo & Juliet are playing in repertory at the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Performances continue through Sept. 18. Click here for more information and tickets.
