Pig Iron Theatre Company

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pig Iron Theatre Company

Background information
Name:	Pig Iron Theatre Company
Date Formed:	1995
Location(s):	Philadelphia, PA
Official site:	www.pigiron.org

Pig Iron Theatre Company is a multidisciplinary ensemble based in Philadelphia, PA. The company has created over 21 original works over the past 12 years, performed both locally and internationally.

1 About
2 Productions
3 Current members
4 References
5 External links

[edit] About

The mission of the company is to "create original performance works which test and break the boundaries of dance, drama, clown, puppetry, music, and text; to experiment with form while staying accessible; to develop a physical, theatrical performance technique that draws from many performance traditions; to re-imagine "classics" with both irreverence and a desire to make them relevant; and to reach out to new audiences by redefining theatre as an interdisciplinary art form; to form and maintain an international ensemble of theatre artists that are flexible and forward-thinking; and to pose the difficult questions of our difficult times."^[1] This mission statement is realized through the unique creation process that is used. Using improvisation, company discussion, and a development period of over a year, the projects are all unique and distinct. Shows range from a rock-n-roll cabaret piece emceed by James Joyce’s institutionalized daughter (The Lucia Joyce Cabaret) to an interactive “simulated economic environment” with a cast of 30 (Pay Up).

Pig Iron is made up of 3 artistic directors, 5 company members, a small administrative staff, and a board of directors. The company has received numerous awards for their work, including 9 Barrymore awards and an OBIE Award (2004-Hell Meets Henry Halfway).^[2] The company has toured both locally and internationally, including festivals in Poland, Lithuania, Scotland, Ireland, Romania, Brazil, Italy, Ukraine, and England. In addition to their main shows, Pig Iron also hosts a cabaret-style show as a fundraiser for the company each year.