The Pitt News: Arts & Entertainment: The world of performance is rife with multitalented figures who seem to constantly flip back and forth between multiple roles as actor, musician, artist, writer and back again. Still, perhaps no acting troupe employs the fluidity of showmanship quite like the Carnegie Mellon graduates who make up PigPen Theatre Co., a seven-piece ensemble that makes use of everything from shadow puppets to film to indie-folk in pursuit of compelling storytelling.
7 comments:
Before I got the email that PigPen was going to be at conservatory hour I had never heard of them before. Then when people tried to explain them to me before I was still confused on what it was that they did. When they were there though it was probably the best conservatory hour that we had. It is really cool to see a group of people that where in school not that long ago doing what they love professionally. It is inspiring to see this as a person who will one day be out of school and trying to make it in a world of theater. They are doing some really cool things and I am definitely going to keep up with their journey.
Last year I learned of PigPen from Doug Cooper because he had collaborated with them on the PinPittsburgh video and I always thought what they did was really cool and I bragged to my friends that I went to the same school as them (even though I didn't really know much about them!). I'm really happy that they came back to Pittsburgh and they are such nice guys! Getting to meet them and then going to their concert was amazing! They are not only extremely talented and amazing at what they do, but they also really enjoy it! I wish only the best for them on their tour and with their show!!! (Which I think would be really great to see if I get the chance!)
As Olivia mentioned I too had never heard of PigPen before. I went to conservatory hour completely unsure of what to expect. The minute they started performing I was blown away with the level of talent presented in front of me. Not only were these guys talented with their performance but the music they created was incredible! I'm not a huge folk fan but they may have sold me to start listening to more, and in my opinion that's what makes a live performance so dynamic and special. When I learned PigPen started at CMU I was even more excited because this was yet another example of students who took what they learned at CMU and created their own passion, steering their way to a certainly promising future. I could easily see these guys getting a broadway show in a few years. At the very least I imagine their tour will continue to grow and before long they could possibly become a larger touring show.
When we got the email from Dick Block about PigPen coming to conservatory hour I didn't know what to expect. Their unique look was humorous and contrasted their voices nicely. I wish I was more awake during the performance, but their soothing folk music made me sleepy after pulling an allnighter for Rube Goldberg. This summer I'm interning at Williamstown Theatre Festival and its going to be an amazing experience. I will have the opportunity to work with these guys again on their production, "The Old Man and the Old Moon." I can't wait to see how their music is incorporated into a production. This is going to be a very unique production and I'm looking forward to see them
PigPen is such an exciting group of artists that make me proud to go to CMU. I think their journey is such an inspiration and it really shows that hard work pays off. When I went to go see The Old Man and The Old Moon in NYC, I was blown away by the utterly clear sense of collaboration of PigPen. It was clear that the actors worked really well together as people, and they collaborated and integrated themselves with their surroundings in an amazing way. I think it is even more amazing that PigPen is following all of their passions and finding ways to combine them into one art. The plays and music that PigPen creates is an amazing example of successful collaborative work, and I can't wait to see what these guys do next.
Prior to conservatory hour I had heard of PigPen but never heard or seen any of their work. I heard many good things about them and was excited to hear them in class. After conservatory hour I found myself listening to their music after class and can say that I really like it. I wish I could've attended their Pittsburgh concert and seen more of their stuff but was unfortunately too busy. I'm glad to see that alumni are doing such great things and am interested to see where their careers take them. I hope to see one of their concerts or plays at some point in the near future.
Like pretty much everybody said, I had never heard of PigPen before but I'm super glad that they came to our conservatory hour. I'm a huge fan of their genre of music and it was quite the treat to hear them perform live. They're a group of extremely talented musicians (they are CMU alum) and they were very engaging to listen to. Hearing their story about how they all met, how they made it through the program, and where they are now in their lives is pretty inspiring to say the least.
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