(NORTH ADAMS, Mass.) — Indie-folk band PigPen Theatre Co. brings its rollicking live show to MASS MoCA for an outdoor concert on the Dré Pavilion on Saturday, August 15, 2015, at 8pm. Like Clark Kent and Superman, PigPen Theatre Co. functions on the one hand as a self-contained rock band, and then on the turn of a dime sneaks into a phone booth, changes costume, and comes out as a theatrical ensemble that presents fully staged productions. At MASS MoCA, the group will play material from its new record, “Whole Sun,” released just last month.
PigPen Theatre Co.’s pursuits are anything but strictly theatrical, and the group has attracted a huge following on the merit of its music alone. PigPen’s debut album, “Bremen,” was named the #10 album of the year in the Huffington Post’s 2012 Grammy Awards preview. The members of PigPen aren’t lying when they say they couldn’t have done it without their fans: the band’s freshly released sophomore LP, “Whole Sun,” successfully raised more than $50,000 via Kickstarter, exceeding its original goal in less than 48 hours.

 

Consisting of seven friends — Alex Falberg, Arya Shahi, Ben Ferguson, Curtis Gillen, Dan Weschler, Matt Nuernberger, and Ryan Melia — who met as freshman at the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in 2007, PigPen has enjoyed a quick ride to success. The group has since produced its original plays Off Broadway and toured the country, earning critic’s picks from The New York Times, Time Out New York, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, The Boston Globe, and many more, ranking them in the top ten theatrical events of 2011, 2012, and 2013.

The group was the first to win the New York City Fringe Festival’s top honor for a play two years in a row (2010, 2011) and went on to win IRNE (2012, 2015) and Jeff Awards (2014) for touring productions. PigPen’s 2014 Williamstown Theatre Festival show, “The Old Man and the Old Moon,” and a performance at Cricket Creek Farm stole audiences’ hearts.

 

PigPen Theatre Co. performs on the Dré Pavilion (or Club B-10, if it rains) on Saturday, August 15, at 8pm. Fresh salads, hearty sandwiches, and burritos — as well as thematic dinner specials — are available from Lickety Split before and during the show. A full bar serves Berkshire Brewing Company beers and Berkshire Mountain Distillery spirits. Tickets are $16 in advance, $16 for students, $22 day of, and $26 for preferred seating. Members receive a 10% discount. Tickets for all events are available through the MASS MoCA box office located on Marshall Street in North Adams, open 10am to 6pm every day, with extended evening hours to 7pm on Thursdays through Saturdays. Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 413.662.2111 during box office hours or purchased online at MASS MoCA. All events are held rain or shine.

 

MASS MoCA is one of the world’s liveliest (and largest) centers for making and enjoying today’s most important art, music, dance, theater, film, and video. Hundreds of works of visual and performing art have been created on its 19th-century factory campus during fabrication and rehearsal residencies, making MASS MoCA among the most productive sites in the country for the creation and presentation of new art. More platform than box, MASS MoCA strives to bring to its audiences art experiences that are fresh, engaging, and transformative.

 

Through September 7, MASS MoCA’s galleries are open 10am to 6pm every day with extended evening hours to 7pm on Thursdays through Saturdays, when performing arts events are often featured.  Gallery admission is $18 for adults, $16 for veterans and seniors, $12 for students, $8 for children 6 to 16, and free for children 5 and under. Members are admitted free year-round. For additional information, call 413.662.2111 x1 or visit MASS MoCA.