Pigs Eye Theatre - The Mudslinger Party

The Mudslinger Party By Randall J. Funk	Directed by Randall J. Funk
November 5 - 20, 2004 at Cedar Riverside People's Center	featuring: Jeff Altier Ryan Grimes Dwight Gunderson Carin Leonard-Gorrill John Lilleberg Joe Meichsner Alia Mortensen Stuart Naber Laurine Price Kris Snow Jay Urmann Karen Weise-Thompson Stage Manager: Elaine Jonas
When the state’s current governor decides not to run for re-election, political strategist Political strategist Cal Smith thinks he’s hit the jackpot when he becomes \"The Gov’s\" handpicked replacement. However, when Cal refuses to run a negative campaign, he’s fired and replaced by a spineless mouthpiece who will do The Gov’s bidding. Cal turns the tables by forming the Mudslinger Party, taking his outrage over the state of American politics to a pinnacle no one, including Cal, ever predicted. This outrageous, barbed satire comes from Pigs Eye Artistic Director Randall J. Funk, author of Bring Me the Head of Dominic Papatola.
Reviews: City Pages Fall Arts Preview - 09/15/2004 "Pigs Eye Theatre, part of the 50 Foot Penguin-Gremlin-Starting Gate-Pigs Eye bloc of independent theater companies, presents a world premiere with this poitical satire by Randall J. Funk, the four-year-old troupe's artistic director. Funk also wrote the company's breakthrough success, the Minneapolis-theater spoof Bring Me the Head of Dominic Papatola, which was nicely reviewed by, among others, Dominic Papatola, the good-natured drama critic for the Pi Press. The hero of this show is political strategist Cal Smith. This Mr. Smith appears to be the handpicked successor to the retiring state govenor--until he refuses to run a negative campaign and his integrity gets him bounced from the ticket. In response, he forms his own party (see show title) and lets fly with pent-up vitriol about the sad state of American politics. Three days after an election that may be largely determined by what the candidates did or didn't do over 30 years a go, you'll probably need this show." Renee Valois, St. Paul Pioneer Press - 11/08/2004 "Jerome J. Urmann does a good job of capturing Ventura's look and some of his mannerisms...Karen Wiese-Thompson does a stellar turn as Earl, the drunken homeless guy. Alia Mortensen is also a hoot as a Nazi-like Republican strongwoman." John Townsend, Minneapolis Star Tribune - 11/09/2004 "For Cal's running mate, they draft a drunken homeless man named Earl, played with hilarious raunchiness by Karen Wiese-Thompson...The Pigs Eye actors savor their chauvinistic roles with comic precision. Most notable is Jerome J. Urmann as The Gov. He infuses the portrayal with boorishness and perverse disrespect for all around him, except his illiterate filmmaker son, Tyrone (Joe Meichsner). He treats women like objects and makes another candidate in his party act like a monkey. The effect is bizarre...Lilleberg renders his Colemanesque character with a New England accent and a catatonic edge...Funk has a sharp, savage ear for political hyperbole...[the] staging gets periodic boosts from Deborah C. Tallen's vivid lighting...and Miguel Campbell's witty video design is polished..."
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