| Name | Pig Iron Theatre Company |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1995 |
| Location(s) | Philadelphia, PA |
| Website | www.pigiron.org |
Pig Iron Theatre Company is a multidisciplinary ensemble based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company has created over 23 original works over the past 14 years, performed both locally and internationally.
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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, 4 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] In 2010 co-artistic directors Gabriel Quinn Bauriedel, Dan Rothenberg, and Dito van Reigersberg won a Fellow award granted by United States Artists. [3]
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.