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After an apocalypse wipes out modern life, a band of survivors turns to an unlikely tool to preserve its culture: reenacting episodes of “The Simpsons.”

That is the premise of Chantilly High’s production of “Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play,” a darkly comic story about theater, memory and human connection. The 40-member cast and crew will stage the show May 1-3 at 7 p.m. and May 4 at 2 p.m.

Director Andy Shaw selected the play because of its unusual exploration of what might happen if society were destroyed and survivors attempted to rebuild it.

The production shifts rapidly between absurd comedy and serious drama, Shaw said, giving the student actors challenging material unlike anything they had previously encountered. Its conversational dialogue eventually transforms into a more theatrical style, while details in the script unexpectedly align with backstories the students created for their characters.

A story spanning generations

Each act reveals a different stage in the survivors’ attempt to preserve stories from the old world.

Act I unfolds in the woods in the present day, where members of the group distract themselves from the catastrophe by recalling “The Simpsons” plots. Act II moves seven years ahead to an abandoned warehouse containing a makeshift stage. By then, the friends travel from place to place performing remembered episodes, much as other groups do.

Act III leaps 75 years into the future and takes place in a decorated outdoor amphitheater. The time shifts are reflected in costumes that evolve from contemporary clothing into an entirely new style.

Songs and dancing appear only in the final act, but a small live band will provide background music throughout the production. One number, “Chart Hits,” combines songs from the previous decade, including “Espresso,” “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Toxic,” “Lose Yourself,” “HOT TO GO!” and “You Belong with Me.” The cast performs the mashup a cappella with choreographed movement.

Survivors shaped by loss

Senior Matthew Garback plays Sam, a cautious survivor focused on protecting the group. Sam is suspicious of strangers, determined once he chooses a course of action and frustrated when others fail to contribute. Although the character has relatively few lines, Garback said Sam is constantly reacting, thinking and watching those around him.

For Garback, the play underscores the value of personal relationships and the uncertainty of how long those connections will last. He also expects audiences familiar with “The Simpsons” to recognize how its characters have become embedded in popular culture.

Senior Isabelle Cong portrays Colleen, a self-reliant group member who became involuntarily mute after the death of her 12-year-old daughter. Colleen primarily interacts with the group’s women but cares deeply for those closest to her and is prepared to risk her life for them.

By the second act, Colleen has recovered her voice and assumed a leadership role directing the troupe’s “Simpsons” performances. Cong said the character’s ability to lead after enduring severe trauma is one of the qualities she most admires.

Senior Lily Payne plays Jenny, a friendly 24-year-old from Baltimore who becomes an older-sister figure to Maria after Maria loses her entire family.

The story remains set amid the apocalypse, with nuclear plants no longer functioning and people dying from radiation exposure and illness. The group survives by staging popular shows and earning enough from ticket sales to buy food.

Payne described Jenny as engaging, strong and willing to step forward when the group needs her. She said the production’s unpredictable turns are matched by characters whose relationships carry genuine depth.

Senior Zach Topscher plays Matt, an enthusiastic “Simpsons” fan committed to entertaining people and carefully telling each story. Matt is knowledgeable about events surrounding the apocalypse, eager to make friends and occasionally distracted by comic details. In the second act, he also handles technical work for the troupe’s performances.

Topscher said the role’s stops, starts and rambling passages make Matt sound like an ordinary person trying to retrieve fading memories. He expects audiences to enjoy watching the characters collaborate to reconstruct familiar stories, complete with playful dances, exaggerated voices and “Simpsons” costumes.

For Shaw, the production reflects theater’s enduring ability to help people preserve stories and understand themselves, one another and the world. Despite the catastrophe at its center, the play ultimately offers hope that storytelling—and the relationships built around it—can survive.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and may be purchased at the door or through Chantilly Drama’s website.