This year will be one for the history books for all of us, but it will be of particular significance for our guest today, Scenic & Lighting Designer Edward Pierce. He is joining Cory and Jen in this brand new episode to break down his roller coaster of a year. It began with his design and involvement in the one-night-only presentation of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ at Madison Square Garden for 20k NYC public school students, but quickly took a turn in March when Eddie contracted a serious case of Covid19 which left him in a medically induced coma for five weeks and the recipient of an experimental treatment that may have saved his life. Thankfully, fully recovered and healthy again, he was elected the new President of United Scenic Artists, now tasked with leading the approximately 5k union members through this unprecedented time and into the uncertainty of 2021. Eddie is breaking down all of it from what he hopes to bring to the industry in his new leadership role, how his brush with death has affected his outlook on life and the necessity of art, and other wonderful stories and anecdotes from ‘Wicked’, ‘Angels in America’ and how he essentially created the role of Scenic Supervisor. Eddie has a great outlook on life, on theatre, and what’s in store for all of us beaten down by this year and we are thrilled to bring you this Christmas gift!

Edward Pierce is a Tony nominated designer and operates a NYC-based design studio specializing in the production design of Broadway, Touring, and International Live Stage productions.

Notable productions include: the Tony-Award nominated scenic design for the revival of Angels in America; the Tony-Award winning scenic design for the hit musical Wicked with Eugene Lee [all Worldwide productions]; international design adaptation and supervision for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera – World Tour and Love Never Dies; international design adaptation and supervision for Billy Elliot. Broadway scenic designs for Amazing Grace, Holler If Ya Hear Me, and The Other Place; lighting design for the Broadway revival of A Streetcar Named Desire; Alice By Heart (Off-Broadway); NBC’s variety show Maya & Marty; the Broadway presentation of Shatner’s World: We Just Live In It; Universal Kid’s Emmy-nominated daytime series Sprout House; the national tour of The Gazillion Bubble Show; Pope Benedict XVI Pastoral Visit to New York – the Mass at Yankee Stadium; To Kill a Mockingbird at Madison Square Garden; NBC’s Primetime Upfronts at Radio City Music Hall; designs at the McCarter Theater for Bathing in Moonlight, Piano Lesson, Baby Doll, Five Mile Lake, and Antony & Cleopatra; The Long Red Road (Goodman Theatre), The Lark (Stratford Festival), Hughie with Brian Dennehy; and Tell Me on a Sunday (Kennedy Center).

Design supervision for the Best Musical Broadway Revival of Pippin; the Broadway scenic design for 9 to 5 – The Musical; the Broadway scenic design for Boublil & Schönberg’s The Pirate Queen; Bright Star; Chaplin; Glengarry Glen Ross; Dead Accounts; The Homecoming; You’re Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush; the TONY® Award-winning lighting design for Disney’s Aida; the lighting design for Ragtime (Tony nomination); the lighting design for Cabaret (Tony nomination); the designs for Bring in ‘da Noise / Bring in ‘da Funk and The Tempest.

Edward represents designers as the President of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829, IATSE and supports the industry as a member on the Advisory Board of the American Theatre Wing and the Tony Award Administration Committee.  Edward balances his professional life with the joy of raising three children with his wife in New Jersey.

edwardpierce.com
How Edward Pierce, Broadway ‘Wicked’ Designer, Fought COVID-19—and Made Medical History