EDWARD LLOYD "TED" PIERCE
(b.1972) is an American visual artist based in Copenhagen, DK. His work spans the fields of the performing arts, installation art, video, music, performance, and conceptual art. As a multi-disciplinary creator, he works as director, scenographer, light designer, and video designer, for live projects. With its mediating operations exposed, his work explores open construction and the multiplicity of ready-made objects. Pierce collapses illusionistic designs and creates a sense of surprised recognition for the viewer. His professional work in theater and performance over the past 30 years has led him to collaborate with more than 30 companies in over 10 countries. He graduated from Swarthmore College in 1994 (BA), and Yale School of Drama in 2001 (MFA). Pierce received the Danish Reumert Award for Best Scenographer in 2010. His work on Sluttspill (Endgame) at Hålogaland Teater in Tromsø was recently nominated for Best Scenography in Norway.
In 2022, he created scenography and light for DEN STORE BRAND at Teatret Svalegangen, and ILT with Teater Next. Pierce created scenography, costumes, light, and video for SVEN FRA RANDERS, at Randers Teater (2021), and scenography and costumes for FRANK VENDER HJEM, at ODENSE TEATER (2021). In 2020, Pierce designed scenography and lighting for Core-Act's performance SER DU MIG, at Teater Grob, and created scenography, costumes, and lighting for THEIVES, at Odense Teater. As an external examiner for the Danish National School of Performing Arts (DDSKS), Pierce has been a member of the Admissions Committee, and contributes to the assessment of work created by students in the Staging Department. In 2022 he taught a new course, "The Art of Crafting Light for Contemporary Performance", for directors, scenographers, and lighting designers at DDSKS.
In 2019, Pierce designed the scenography and light for DE ASYLSØGENDE KVINDER at Betty Nansen Teater, Aalborg Teater, and Malmö Stadsteater in Sweden. He created scenography and light for HAPPY HOUR at Teater Grob, and MR. MARMELADE at Odense Teater. He also created light for FRIHED.SEX.LÆNGSEL at Teater Grob. His scenography and light for RYTTERIET LIVE I TIVOLI in Tivoli's Glassal, DÆMONER at Mungo Park, and MENS VI VENTER PÅ IRAQ KOMMISSIONEN at Det Kongelige Teater, were all re-produced in 2019.
In 2014, he directed Simon Starling's THE EXPEDITION at Statens Museum for Kunst (Danish National Gallery), and IMPOSSIBLE at Husets Teater. Pierce's 8 hour long durational performance of TRUTH OR DARE was featured at Det Fri Felts Festival på Teater Øen, 2015. In 2010, he created scenography and light for INGEN MØDER NOGEN at Husets Teater, and received the ÅRETS REUMERT (Danish Theater Awards) for Best Scenographer. He then directed GREENBOY, a live-film performance combining theater with green-screen video techniques, for which he received a Reumert Nomination for Best Scenographer, 2011.
Pierce received an M.F.A. in Set, Lighting, and Costume Design from YALE UNIVERSITY School of Drama, 2001. He has since been a guest lecturer and workshop leader at THE ROYAL DANISH ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS, and teaches at the DANISH NATIONAL SCHOOL FOR PERFORMING ARTS. He has also given artist talks at Kunsthal Charlottenborg, MiniMidiMaxi Festival (Bergen), University College Copenhagen (UCC), Teater Grob, Gladsaxe Teater, and Huset's Teater.
Pierce's work has been produced at:
New Museum (NYC), Kunsthal Charlottenborg, National Gallery of Denmark (Statens Museum for Kunst), National Danish Theater and Opera, Theater for the New City, Pig Iron Theater, Mabou Mines, Worth Street Theater, Metropolitan Playhouse, Yale Repertory Theater, Sleeveless Theater, The Producer's Club, The Public Theater, PS122, Steirischer Herbst Festival- Graz, HAU-Berlin, Intercity Festival- Firenze, New York Fringe Festival, Here Theater (NYC), MiniMidiMaxi Festival-Bergen, Tampere Festival- Finland, Mammut Teatret, Mungo Park, Kaleidoskop, Plan-B, Aveny-T, Huset’s Teater, Teater Rich, Får 302, Bellevue Teater, Teater Ved Sorte Heste, Århus Teater, Teater Grob, Camp-X, Gladsaxe Teater, Østergasværk Teater, Århus Sommer Opera, Nor-Jyske Opera Kompani, Four Gallery-Dublin, Republique, Neander Teater, Reykjavik Theater- Iceland, Cafe Teater, Children's Theater Festival of Denmark, Copenhagen International Puppet Festival, Teater Svalegangen, Folketeateret, Malmø Stadsteater, Core-Act, Katapult, Drammen Teater-Norway, Tivoli, Ålborg Teater, Betty Nansen Teater, and Det Fri Felt Festival på Teater Øen, Dansehallerne, Det Vestnorske Teater, Den Nationale Scene-Bergen, Hålogaland Teater-Tromsø. His work has also been produced extensively throughout the Danish Theater Tour Network.
For more details about specific performances please refer to the CV page of this site.