The play tells the stories of the fictionalized characters Dying Girl, Killer, Sister, and Police Officer in order to illuminate the Canadian issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women.
[4] As opposed to narratives that concentrate on the victimization of murdered Indigenous women, Murphy aimed to portray their voices, heroism, and resistance, along with their societal marginalization.
The play's title, Pig Girl, is described by the author as ironic and provocative, as the murdered women were treated like animals.
As the Montreal Gazette writes, “Essentially, the Dying Woman (as she’s called) is protractedly slaughtered throughout the play’s gruelling 90 minutes.
[5] In particular, Pig Girl was inspired by the court trial's decision to not indict the 20 other murder charges related to Pickton, when he was only convicted for the deaths of 6 women.
In response to the play's previous criticisms, director Micheline Chevrier restaged the violent scenes in an attempt to focus on the characters rather than the violence itself.
Jessica Loft Cross (Thompson) brought the project to Shelby Mitchell-Adams in order to come together in a collaborative effort to raise awareness.
[9] Keith Barker, a Métis playwright and actor, read the play Pig Girl as something that had to be performed despite the violence portrayed.
[10] Edmonton Theatre Network's production of Pig Girl faced much criticism regarding its casting choices and its overall orchestration of the play's plot.
Penny Farfan of Theatre Journal, for example, points out the production's “graphic depiction of violence against women and non-Indigenous cast”.
[5] She then describes the controversy surrounding the production, including the ethics of Colleen Murphy herself, as a non-Indigenous writer, writing on behalf of the Indigenous victims of the case.
Additionally, Lyn Gardner from The Guardian is critical of the play's decision to give voice to the Killer alongside the murdered Girl.
"[3] Before the opening night of the production, as reflected by University of Alberta's Women's and Gender Studies Professor and Cree activist Tracy Lee Bear, a group of ten Aboriginal people, including relatives of victims of the Robert Pickton murders, met with the playwright, director, and actors to express their perspectives of the play; specifically, of its “profoundly offensive and disrespectful” visuals, contributing to the “re-traumatization” felt by the families of victims.
[7] Metis actor and playwright Bruce Sinclair expressed similar concerns regarding the cast of the production; he asked, “Why should white writers, even well-intentioned ones, feel they had the right to tell his story?