About: Philip Pierce
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I'm a person who is driven by a deep love of artistic expression. It's in my blood. My family tree is full of performers. My grandfather sang with the Arion Male Voice Choir and was a long time member of the Salvation Army International Staff Band, playing from time to time for the royal family at Buckingham Palace. My grandmother sang and was a published poet. My mother danced and still performs as a singer. My father plays almost every instrument there is. And I inherited every ounce of their cumulative artistic passion. My mother started me on piano and voice lessons when I was very young. By the age of seven I was a soprano in a local choir and from there (at least as far as singing goes) my next 20 years was a blur of different choirs, music camps, musicals, pageants, and of course my nylons a cappella cover group "The Leotards". At age 12 I found the martial arts and took training very seriously for the next 15 years. Early on in high school, our school’s dance teacher saw me stretching on the stage and asked me to give dance a try. I did, and was hooked. Fast forward a *cough* few more years and I'm still dancing today. Factor in a lifelong steady diet of drama and musical theatre (thanks to my mother) and you will get me. I sing, I dance, I watch, and I write. But most of all I simply search out and bathe in as much of this amazing city's artistic culture as humanly possible. It's just what I do. -PP
Posts by Philip Pierce:
By Philip Pierce
The Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival is underway! Over the past 24 years this annual event has evolved into a much anticipated local institution and major tourist attraction for our town. Artists from around the world have joined Victoria’s most talented performers in this 11 day theatrical showcase running August 26 – September 5 at various venues within walking distance of the downtown core.
 Photo Courtesy of the Victoria Fringe Fesitval The first night of the festival I went to see “Ginger Ninjas” by Elliott Loran & Ingrid Hansen (directed by Atomic Vaudeville’s Britt Small). There’s nothing random about the fact that Ginger Ninjas was scheduled first on my list of shows to see at the Fringe this year. I’m a huge Ingrid Hansen fan. In my June review of Hansen’s Gnomeward Bound , I signed off with “Forbløffende Ingrid. I’ll be the first one in line to see your next show.” As it turns out I was second in line, but I’m pretty sure the woman in front of me camped out in front of Venue 1 last night, so I don’t feel too bad. Like I said, I’m a fan… not a stalker. Gnomeward was a one woman show. This time Hansen is joined by the talented Elliott Loran. Together they are incredibly strong. Great chemistry. Balanced. A perfect match.
The duo play Nicholas Renfrew III and his twin sister Francesca, or “Frankie and Nubbs”: foster kids, adventurers, ninjas. The storyline follows the two as they escape from the modern child welfare system and run off in search of their long lost biological brother. Sometimes heavy, sometimes humorous, the journey’s emotional cadence will keep you engaged and off balance the entire time. From a night at the circus to a day of Rumspringa! it’s a lot to take in. And yeah… I mean that in the best, and most satisfying way.
Both actors deliver rock solid performances, as expected. These two are consummate professionals with so much to offer. I highly recommend getting out to the Fringe and seeing Ginger Ninjas. It’s sure to be one of the festivals highlights this year! For more information visit http://victoriafringe.wordpress.com/
By Philip Pierce
This summer’s Ballet Under the Stars festival draws to a close with a night of new beginnings for the Canadian Pacific Ballet. It’s Co-Artistic Director Roberta Taylor’s time to shine as this performance showcases her choreography through five completely new and very diverse works. From clean, musically illustrative classicism to dance theatre of an operatic ilk, that this much range comes from one mind is reason enough to see this show. Prepare to be impressed!
 Courtesy of The Canadian Pacific Ballet The performance begins as an evening at the ballet should, with the music of a romantic composer with way too many names, Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (how great is that?) …and with a grand entrance made by graceful women in classical tutus. Perfect.
Next, a Tango… really a tango pas de deux, danced by audience favourites Ursula and Ian Szkolak. I loved the assimilation of movements from the Tango vernacular. It’s a beautiful piece.
Ballet often references the articulations of folk dancing in its movements. The third piece, Tarantella, is a wonderful example of that. Here, Taylor interprets the ancient belief that one can literally dance the poison out of a tarantula’s bite through rapid rhythmic motion. This high energy number might not actually cure any bites, but it could be considered preventative medicine as I’m sure all the tambourine bashing scared any resident spiders out of Market Square for good. Fun.
Then, my favourite piece of the entire festival: “Maggie’s Death”. I was very excited to learn that it is to evolve into a full length ballet sometime in the future. The scene: the little Match-girl lights her last match before the coming of Death to take her away. Gorgeous, theatrical strokes. Big big classical music (yes, 2 “big”s). Throat-lumping, sternum-opening movements. I was covered in goosebumps by the end of it. Seriously. I actually took out my camera to prove it here, but I was too unnerved by hearing Taylor’s “no flash photos please” preamble and then witnessing her command of death itself 15 feet in front of me. Hey, I wasn’t taking any chances.
Finally, “Jazz Suite” (aka whodunnit). I’ll be careful not to give anything away here and just say that it’s the perfect upbeat, light hearted, and interactive finale to the festival. You will leave with a smile on your face. I promise.
I’ve written about the CPB dancers in the past, referring to them collectively as one of Victoria’s great artistic assets, and truly they are. But this was the choreographer’s night. Roberta Taylor’s work is in one hand, sweet and tender, with a pure classical understanding, in another, quite sexy, in the next fun, funny and playful, and in yet another, powerful, and grandiose. I realize that with all those hands I’m painting her Shiva-like here, but in fact, she’s the exact opposite. She is a master of construction, of both Ballet and of the audience’s experience. Manipulating that experience is the choreographer’s fundamental job. And I consider myself duly manipulated… and quite happily so.
CPB’s “Night of Premieres” last night is tonight, August 25 in Market Square. For more information visit www.canadianpacificballet.org
By Philip Pierce
 Photo By Tim Bracken - Victoria Shakespeare Society The Victoria Shakespeare Society is back with its eighth annual “Shakespeare in the Summer” festival. They present two shows this year: “Richard the Third” and “The Taming of the Shrew”. You may be wondering, is it possible to take a double dose of Shakespeare without experiencing any side effects? Well, no… it isn’t. That’s the point really. But rest assured that these two plays couldn’t be any more different. Richard the Third is one of the greatest tragedies ever written. It’s a story of politics, power struggles, deceit, and murder. The Taming of the Shrew is pure comedy. I laughed loud and often at this play despite disagreeing strongly with the “taming” itself. The cast of RIII is diverse, representing all ages and experience levels: children, novice actors, seasoned professionals (like Ian Case, who does an outstanding job as King Richard), and one gentleman who I’m pretty sure is there working off his community service hours. The Taming of the Shrew’s cast is much more homogeneous and quite polished across the board. Yet, as different as they are, together these two productions make up a complete “Shakespeare experience”, in the same way that rice and beans form a complete protein. Consuming one alone is good for you, but both is better. That rings true for most people I think. Experiencing Shakespeare is good for you. But why is that? Why do we still keep Shakespeare around at all? What is it about these plays that we find so valuable? Well, here’s what I think…
The first show I saw was Richard the Third. It had been a very busy week and when I arrived my head was still spinning from work. The performance is en plein air on the grounds of the Landsdowne Campus of Camosun College, a short drive from downtown. I found a seat, breathed deeply and found myself slowly unwinding as I took in the relaxed atmosphere of the outdoor venue. The play began, and like all Shakespeare works I had to listen closely to keep up with the vocabulary. I didn’t mind. I was just happy that no one was trying to do an English accent. I listened, and watched, and soon got lost in the story. I slipped into a kind of trance where all I thought about was what was unfolding in front of me. By the time the play was over I was a changed man. I felt calm and more importantly my mind was completely clear. I found that fascinating. Imagine dozens of people standing in a tight circle around you yelling nonsense and swearing at the top of their lungs. Attending these performances is the exact opposite of that. That’s why we love Shakespeare’s plays. That’s why we preserve them. They stand as mental protection against the ever increasing anti-cerebral movement in this world. In school I learned that dropping an ice cube into a pot of boiling water will cause it to stop boiling immediately. This is because the heat from the element flows directly to the ice as the coldest body in the system in an effort to achieve equilibrium. It follows that water will never boil as long as there is any ice present in the pot. Shakespeare (and I’m really using that as a metonym for all great classical works) is the ice in our societal water. It keeps our minds from boiling over. Long live Shakespearean theatre I say… and long may it keep us all cool.
Shakespeare in the Summer runs now through August 21st. For more information visit www.vicshakespeare.com
By Philip Pierce
 Photo By Tim Matheson In this Canadian classic, writers John Gray and Eric Peterson explore the life of Canadian fighter pilot William Avery Bishop and his accomplishments during WWI. The play humanizes the “hero” and examines Canada’s station within the colonial empire at that time. It displays all the youth, adventure and pathos of war and while the context might not exist for younger audiences to be able to make a real emotional connection, for them it’s still a historically interesting and extremely entertaining show.
Essentially, BBGTW is a solo act starring Ryan Beil (as Bishop) who does an outstanding job of carrying the entire piece without once having us jonesing for another voice on stage. Yet Beil’s award winning performance does nothing to eclipse musical accompanist Zachary Gray’s contribution, whose vocal and instrumental work plays a vital role. I was even asked that night, “Would you call this a musical?” I answered no, but it’s very close. This is definitely a play, but it’s a play with a rich and colourful musical component.
For me, BBGTW was outstanding. But it’s important for anyone who writes to qualify their perspective and while I usually leave personal background to my biography, this time I have a little bit more to add. Many people know that I dance. In fact, there was a time when I took dancing so seriously that it almost became a full time career for me. Unfortunately years of martial arts competition had taken a toll on my body and I was advised that my recurring injuries were incongruous with the life of a professional dancer. I was told to “think hard” about other options…. so, I did… and I joined the army. I know, hard to believe, but it makes sense when you think about it: I was fit, disciplined, searching for a life less ordinary and all that. During my entrance physical the doctor told me that he had never seen eyes as sharp as mine. This led me to the battalion shooting team where I excelled, winning six gold medals and the individual all-round championship my first year at provincials (pic). Shooting took me to the states for a while to work at a facility running can-am-british “war games”, but I was sent home due to a bronchial infection that ultimately resulted in me missing my one real shot (no pun intended) at working overseas. Eventually I left the military, happy to have had the experience, and very happy to emerge from it unscathed.
Now… anyone who sees BBGTW will recognize the obvious parallels I’ve drawn. But me relating to Bishop directly isn’t the point. The point is that I, along with anyone else who has either been in the military or has been emotionally close to a member of the armed forces, understand a soldier’s individual reality in a way that is lost on the general public. This play communicates that understanding to everyone, while entertaining us at the same time. That’s what makes it outstanding. We laugh with Bishop, we watch him challenge himself, and struggle, even with his success. We see him demoted from myth to man. But as that happens, through this play and through the audience seeing the soldier as a human being, Billy Bishop becomes more accomplished than his decorations could ever reflect. All that and electric-guitar-driven fighter planes to boot? BBGTW is definitely a must see.
Billy Bishop Goes to War is at The Belfry Theatre until August 14th. For more information visit http://www.belfry.bc.ca/
By Philip Pierce
 Photo courtesy of The Canadian Pacific Ballet Tonight’s must see is Ballet Under the Stars: Dochas and mixed repertoire performed by the Canadian Pacific Ballet. It is a fantastic sampling of artistic director Roberta Taylor’s choreography interwoven with a well chosen cross-section of classical works (La Bayadere, Swan Lake). In the shorter length pieces we see incredibly demanding classicism alongside some well set comedy, perfect for younger audiences. Dochas honours the people of Ireland in a celebration of Irish spirit that is both melancholic and filled with joy. It’s the ideal performance for seasoned audience members, who will appreciate watching a world class ballet company, and those new to ballet that would just like to see a bit of everything.
It is extremely pleasant to spend a summer evening watching ballet outside, and in some cases the forces of nature can even enhance the production. In Dochas the women are dressed in lightweight linen skirts and wear their hair down in traditional Irish styles. The night I was there, almost on cue a warm breeze filled the square just as the more up-tempo portion of the piece began. It whipped through their skirts and hair and made it obvious to me that this kind of dancing is truly meant to be done outside. I felt my heart beat faster as the dancers took us all to a faraway place. It’s a very powerful piece.
Dochas means “hope” or “justice” and Taylor’s choreography explores the concept beautifully. In one of the more moving sections of the piece, we see “Caroline” (performed by Ursula Szkolak) hoping for the return of a husband who isn’t coming home as she dances with her memories of him. Justice is interpreted by a blindfolded Ashley Evans in a dramatic demonstration of technique and balance. And it ends with an ensemble finale that screams of hope and of a culture’s refusal to crumble under the weight of their troubles.
I looked around at the visibly entertained faces in the audience as the performance ended. I thought, do they really know how lucky they are? We were presented here with selected works from some of the most famous ballets in history. Thousands of tears have been shed over these pieces. Thousands of throats have been screamed raw with their praise. Ballet aficionados wait years to see just one of these productions. Yet here, in Victoria, we can just stroll down to market square and see a handful of these works with some amazing local work thrown in as a bonus. And we can see it all expertly presented by a company whose mission is the performance and preservation of classical ballet. I for one feel very lucky indeed to have the CPB in my town. They are just one more reason why this city was recently rated one of the top cultural destinations in Canada.
The second and third stages of this repertoire can be seen July 27 and 28. Ballet Under the Stars runs Tuesday and Wednesday evenings in Market Square through August 25. For more information visit www.canadianpacificballet.org/onstage/
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