THE PIGS at The Gibney: Agnes Varis Performing Arts Center

THE PIGS, A New Dark Comedy by Adam Mervis and Thomas Morris, to Present NYC Workshop Reading November 9

Directed by Kaycee Swierc, the 90-minute, two-person play will be presented at Gibney in New York City.

NEW YORK, NY - THE PIGS, a new dark comedy based on an unbelievable true story, written and performed by Adam Mervis and Thomas Morris, will present a workshop reading on Monday, November 9, 2026. Directed by Kaycee Swierc, the 90-minute presentation is produced by Chase Theibault and Andy Wilcox.

Two pigs. One sanctuary. A whole lot of unresolved trauma.

Meet Larry and Gary, two rescued pigs living out their days at an animal sanctuary who have decided to do what any well-adjusted survivors of industrial agriculture would do: put on a play.

Armed with little more than their imaginations, questionable theatrical instincts, and an overwhelming need to make sense of their own survival, Larry and Gary reenact the story of the radical activists who rescued them. Playing every character themselves, the pigs transform their modest theatrical experiment into a sprawling courtroom thriller involving animal rights, corporate power, political corruption, and the messy contradictions of modern activism.

What begins as an absurdly funny exercise in storytelling gradually becomes something far more unsettling, as the line between performance and memory begins to collapse. The pigs may be in charge of the show, but the story they're telling has other ideas.

Part buddy comedy, part political thriller, and part dude-bro Brechtian fever dream, THE PIGS uses the ridiculous to interrogate the deeply serious. With two performers, an irreverent theatrical vocabulary, and an unexpectedly moving emotional core, the play asks who gets to tell the story of injustice, what happens when activism collides with power, and ultimately, what is a life worth.

The workshop reading features Adam Mervis and Thomas Morris, with stage management by Kathleen Stanton-Sharpless and stage directions read by Edward Patrick.

Creative Team

• Written and performed by: Adam Mervis and Thomas Morris

• Directed by: Kaycee Swierc

• Stage Manager: Kathleen Stanton-Sharpless

• Stage Directions: Edward Patrick

• Photos by: Sela Shiloni

• Poster by: Jordan Pincus

• Produced by: Chase Theibault and Andy Wilcox

About the Artists:

Adam Mervis (Playwright / Performer)

Adam hails from Miami and started his career in New York City as an actor and playwright. His first two plays, Behind the Sticks and The Revolutionaries, were well received in the NYC Fringe and took him to Los Angeles, where he has been making film as well as theater. He launched his Hollywood screenwriting career with the feature film 21 Bridges, based on his original story idea, starring Chadwick Boseman and produced by the Russo Brothers. He next adapted his original stage play National Champions into a studio feature starring J.K. Simmons, Stephan James, Timothy Olyphant, Uzo Aduba, and many others. His last full stage production, The Portman Delusions, was produced by the acclaimed Los Angeles theatre company Theatre Tribe. His feature directorial debut, adapted from another of his plays, The Last Days of Capitalism, played over twenty-five festivals in 2020, winning multiple awards. Adam is currently adapting the Pulitzer Prize–winning ProPublica article Fight the Ship for Thunder Road Pictures (John Wick). He is also in development on his new TV show The Ghost, based on his original idea.

Thomas Morris (Playwright / Performer)

Thomas Morris is a writer and actor based in New York City. Shortly aftergraduating from Virginia Tech, he collaborated with acclaimed director Bob McGrath on several projects. Most recently, Bob McGrath directed his adaptation of Oedipus Rex performed at Eastern Connecticut State. His modern and contemporary training includes The Esper Studio, Stella Adler Studio, and The CITI Company. While his passion for Shakespeare continues through training with Darci Picoult and Tim Carroll. He is currently developing multiple projects across a range of mediums, but is most excited for the debut of his play The Pigs. He would like to thank his parents and girlfriend for their love and support. He is a member of AEA. And if you’re ever in the town of Smithfield, Virginia, he recommends the ham biscuits from Darden’s Country Store.

Kaycee Swierc (Director)

Kaycee Swierc (she/her) is a Tex-Mex director and producer based in New York City whose work explores the intersection of the personal and political, examining questions of identity, power, belonging, and the systems that shape our lives. Her favorite question in a rehearsal room remains, “What if it’s fun?” Her directing credits include Hurricane Diane, GLORIA, The Vagina Monologues, Half World, and Epiphany (Tampa Bay Theatre Festival, Best Play). Her associate and assistant directing credits span Broadway, national tours, and regional theatres, including Jagged Little Pill (Broadway and North American tour); Frozen, Dear Evan Hansen, and Ain’t Too Proud at The Muny (Internship); WILD at American Repertory Theater; Much Ado About Nothing at American Players Theatre; and Noises Off at Pittsburgh Public Theater. She previously served as Special Assistant to Artistic Director Diane Paulus at American Repertory Theater at Harvard University. She is currently serving as Directing Assistant for How to Play the Cello (Until You Don’t) at NAMT’s 38th Annual Festival of New Musicals and will join Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2027 as the FAIR Assistant Director for Shrek the Musical, directed by Bill Fennelly. Swierc holds an MFA in Directing from Carnegie Mellon University, where she was a John Wells Fellow, and a BFA in Acting from Texas State University. She is an Associate Member of SDC. kayceeswierc.com

Performance Information

THE PIGS A New Play Workshop Reading

Monday, November 9, 2026

Gibney: Agnes Varis Performing Arts Center 280 Broadway New York, NY

Running Time: Approximately 90 minutes

Press Contact: Chase Theibault, thepigstheatre@gmail.com