MET's Comedy Pigs Celebrate 19th Anniversary Weekend, 8/24-25

The Comedy Pigs, Maryland Ensemble Theatre's (MET) hilarious sketch and improv group, will be celebrating 19 years of laughter on August 24 and 25 at 8pm with their 19th Anniversary Weekend. Pigs past and present will perform audience favorites such as the Star Wars/Madonna send up "Empirial Girl" or the cooking show "Food for Thought", that have had audiences laughing for almost two decades.

"The Comedy Pigs Anniversary Weekend is a very special time as it gives us the chance to pull together Pig Alumni from the past 19 years, pull out our favorite sketches and songs, and also have a change to improvise together," said Tad Janes, Artistic Director of Maryland Ensemble and a founding memeber of The Comedy Pigs.

On April 3, 1993 in the back room of Olde Town Tavern on Market Street the Comedy Pigs debuted in front of a packed house of 106 tickets holders. Just two years later Comedy Central picked up their music video "Wiener Dog", a parody of the Beatles song "Blackbird" by one of the troupes stock characters The Traveling Dinglebury's. Since then, the Pigs have written hundreds of sketches and songs, played over 500 performances, and have had over 40 people call themselves "Pigs."

"We have former Pigs in Los Angeles working as film makers and actors, one former member has been seen on Saturday Night Live, and many other's are still working in the industry," said founding member Gene' Fouche', "and many of these troupe members come back for the Anniversary show." In fact half of the original members will be returning for the celebratory weekend. "The anniversary show is always a hit! It's great to have former cast members come in from high and low to have a great time on stage and this year will be no exception," said Janes.

No topic is sacred to the Comedy Pigs. They have lampooned local, regional, and national politics- taking on Frederick mayor's Jim Grimes, Jennifer Dougherty, DC mayor Marion Barry, George W. Bush and the classic Pigs parody "Spoonful of Power" that lampooned the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

The Anniversary shows on August 24 and 25 will take place at Maryland Ensemble Theatre (31 W Patrick St.), located downtown in the historic FSK Hotel. Tickets ($15) may be purchased online at marylandensemble.org, by phone at (301) 694-4744 or in person at the MET box office.

Photo Credit: Maryland Ensemble Theatre