Review on the fly:
#mnfringe show 14: The Quiet Piggy: colorful, cathartic, pissed off Powerpoint presentation augmented by music and a fat, pig-nosed clown in a bad wig repeatedly killed and swept off stage like trash; preaching to the choir with humor, heart and righteous anger; good to exhale, de-stress - 5 stars
“I’ve been to Horror Fest, I know how this works.”
Minnesota Fringe Executive Director Dawn Bentley (now in her 10th year with the festival) decided to take the plunge and independently produce a show of her own this year because she had some things to get off her chest. Given the general state of society and the arts right now (and the packed house that attended her opening performance), a lot of us may also be feeling that way. (And if you’re not one of those folks, then this show probably isn’t for you, fair warning.)
“Art makes life more manageable, and more meaningful.”
“The Quiet Piggy” is very entertaining and cathartic for anyone (including yours truly) fed up with the current federal government and all the shenanigans they’ve been up to since regaining power last year (many fatal, the rest either cruel or stupid or both). The show includes both the sublime (Bentley’s thoroughly researched and smartly edited narration) and ridiculous (clown Luke Fanning’s pig-nosed portrayals of the person currently squatting in [and demolishing parts of] the White House and other odious officials). The audience even gets to suggest (through a basket out in the lobby) ridiculous ways to die for clown reenactment.
“I do hard things. I’ve created humans from scratch.”
I also learned all kinds of new things I didn’t know about Dawn’s own personal and professional journey through life that led her to where she is now (lucky us). Bentley is a fierce advocate for both the arts and basic human decency, so her anger is refreshing. She’s also assembled a great team to help her execute this project - co-directors Rita Boersma (also seen this year in Tech) and Jen Scott (with a great solo show of her own this year, Sound and Noise and Bodies); dramaturg (and tech booth board operator) Heather Meyer, and the previously mentioned clown antics of Luke Fanning (who can also be seen this Fringe in The Improv Movement Project’s show Silent Movie!).
“Why are they fondling Mother Earth?”
It’s fun (and inspiring) to watch Dawn jump off this new artistic cliff, part multimedia slide show, part (metaphorical) food fight, saying out loud with her whole chest things many audience members (myself including) have been stewing about silently for a while now. It’s nice to be in a room with others and know you’re not alone. And isn’t that, at its heart, what theater is made for - community? Thanks for the foul-mouthed sermon, Dawn Bentley. I needed that trip to my theater church.
“I’m not your girl, but I am 100% that bitch.”
Side note, best use of a sound cue, the chorus to Neil Diamond’s song “Sweet Caroline,” to get the whole audience on the same page in under five seconds. (If you know, you know.)
5 Stars, Very Highly Recommended
You can find reviews of other shows in these links to my listings of 5 and 4.5 Star Shows (VERY Highly Recommended) and 4 and 3.5 Star Shows (Highly Recommended). Here's a link to a list of all the coverage of returning favorite artists from past pre-Fringe Top 20 lists of mine that are part of this year's Minnesota Fringe Festival. And here's links to the 2026 versions of my pre-Fringe Top 10 list and Top 11 through 20 for the 2026 festival.
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