The Department of Communication Studies at the University of North Texas is home to the Performance Interest Group. Affectionately known as the PIGs, the members of the Performance Interest Group are students and faculty members interested in performance, either through participation or evaluation--though, frankly, we have some members who, in the words of Chauncey Gardener, just "like to watch." PIGs love to get together to create performances, discuss performances, or just enjoy each other's efforts and company.

Our primary forum for these activities is the Texts in Performance Series. Each long semester the series spotlights work from the Performance Studies emphasis within the Department of Communication Studies, as well as other creative projects that fall within the "performance" genre. PIGs also travel around the nation to festivals and conferences, representing the University and the Department.

Each November, the PIGs serve as hosts for the Petit Jean Performance Festival. A national performance festival, Petit Jean attracts participants from colleges and universities from across the nation. Participants present individual and group performances and, over the two days of the festival, participate in a small group to create a performance for presentation to all festival participants.

The Performance Interest Group is the present day incarnation of the North Texas Reader's Theatre founded by Dr. Ted Colson. In 1989, Dr. Jay Allison took over leadership of the group and changed the name to the Performance Interest Group. The name change represented an expanding focus that included a wider range of performance forms.

In an interview for an article on the PIG that ran in the North Texas Daily October 15, 1998, Dr. Allison explained, "There was a shift in emphasis in performing literature to an emphasis on performing. I didn't want to lose the focus on literature, but I didn't want to focus only on literature."

Currently, Dr. Kelly Taylor serves as faculty sponsor for the PIG. A typical schedule of events for the Performance Interest Group's weekly meetings might include improvisations, lectures, readings, performance art pieces, solo and group performances, as well as traditional Reader's Theatre.

For Additional Information Contact:

Dr. Kelly S. Taylor, Faculty Sponsor
Phone: (940)565-4854
e-mail: ktaylor@unt.edu
General Academic Building, Room 332
Dept. of Communication Studies