‘Burbank’ Play, About Disney Artists’ Unionization Efforts In 1941, Will Get Off-Broadway And Streaming Runs In March

Burbank, a theatrical play about Disney artists’ efforts to unionize in the early 1940s, will get an off-Broadway run from March 12-24 and be available to stream on the Thirdwing platform.

Written by Cameron Darwin Bossert, the play focuses on the faceoff between Walt Disney and animator/strike leader Art Babbitt, which led to an artists’ strike on May 28, 1941.

The stoppage saw 334 employees of the Disney animation studio walk out on strike (303 employees remained inside). Tensions had been building at the studio since the runaway success of the studio’s first film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, in 1937. Employees of the studio had a litany of grievances, from low wages and salary cuts to arbitrary layoffs, arcane bonus distribution systems, and oppressively long hours.

Bossert stars in the production alongside Ryan Blackwell (The Onion News Network) and Kelley Lord (Life & Beth). The show’s stage manager is Lauren Arneson. Burbank features costumes by Yolanda Balaña and sound design by Deeba Montazeri.

In September of 2022, Laura Collins-Hughes penned a strong review of Burbank for The New York Times, in which she explained:

What’s remarkable about Burbank, which does not have a credited director, is that while it’s a labor drama, it sidesteps all of the traps that that phrase implies. Warm and alive, it’s layered with nuance as it captures the anxiety that can grip a workplace amid a labor struggle — and the ruthlessness that can ensue on all sides.

The upcoming production of Burbank is presented by Thirdwing, a hybrid theater company that uses live and streaming exhibition models to present its productions. Thirdwing subscribers, the service costs $4.99/month, will have access to both the new Burbank production and its prequel, The Fairest, about the underpaid and underappreciated women artists who painted cels on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Speaking with Playbill, Bossert explained his motivation in launching the platform, saying:

I was inspired by the 20th-century teleplays on American and British television, which were designed not for the stage but for the small screen. But I wanted to make live theatre as well and then find a way to bring them together. What you watch at home is different than what you see on stage, but it’s connected. We’re trying to make something expansive and fun, like seeing TV come to life or bringing the characters of a play home with you after the performance. On occasion, Netflix will sponsor a live immersive theatrical experience attached to one of their properties, but I think we’re the only streaming service that actually tells you to get out of the house regularly and connect with other people.