Steve Burns ALIVE
- Yani Perez
- Jul 28
- 2 min read
What happens when the world thinks you are dead but you are very much alive? This provocative question drives Steve Burns ALIVE, the raw and intimate solo debut of Steve Burns, best known to millions as the host of Blue's Clues. In this piece, Burns unpacks the surreal experience of being mourned by strangers while still breathing and examines the myths and pseudo-bonds that shaped his public persona.
The show traces Burns' journey from beloved children's television figure to Internet hoax. After leaving Blue's Clues, online rumors spun wildly out of control, declaring him dead in multiple lurid scenarios. Steve Burns ALIVE explores how these myths took hold, how they affected him personally, and how he navigated a decade of self-imposed isolation while wrestling with depression and questions of identity. Through personal anecdotes, digital projections, and that big comfy chair, Burns tells his story of how fame, grief, and memory collide, all while trying to make "real connections".
Burns' performance is both charismatic and vulnerable. Just seeing him on stage brings a smile to many faces, a testament to the deep connection audiences still feel from his time on Blue's Clues. In this show, that charm remains but is filtered through the lens of someone who has endured profound internal struggles. Burns shines in the quieter, more introspective moments, especially when speaking to the audience via the projected screen. The subtle awkwardness of seeing a live actor via screen seems intentionally designed to play with the concept of reality.
Technically, the production uses minimal staging, focusing on Burns and his story. A single familiar chair from the Blue Clues era serves as both touchstone and symbol, grounding the narrative in memory. Projections play a significant role in the storytelling, allowing Burns to move fluidly between past and present, public myth and private truth. The narrative's pacing is deliberate, and while some moments could benefit from stronger connective threads, the framework is compelling. It promises even deeper resonance as the piece continues to develop.
Steve Burns ALIVE is not a children's show but an adult meditation on identity, connection, and survival in the digital age. It questions how myths are constructed about the people who shape our lives and what happens when those myths collide with reality. The result is a moving and thought-provoking evening with an artist who has already had a profound impact on multiple generations.
Performed by Steve Burns
Written by Steve Burns & Matthew Freeman
Directed by Matthew Freeman
July 23rd - July 25th, 2025
The Club at La MaMa (74A East 4th Street, NYC)
Yani Perez, M.F.A., is a poet, playwright, translator, and educator. Her plays have been presented in various theaters in the United States, such as La Mama and Yale University, as well as internationally in Bogotá, Colombia. She works at IATI Theater, one of the oldest Latinx theaters in NYC. She is currently working on translations of Latinx artists in hopes of introducing them to English-speaking audiences.
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