Peterborough Folk Artist Eve Pierce Builds Community Through Songwriting and Theater

Eve Pierce, a 26‑year‑old folk singer‑songwriter from Peterborough, New Hampshire, has turned a personal passion for songwriting into a community‑focused arts program. After a decade of pursuing theater, the COVID‑19 shutdown prompted Pierce to write and perform from home, leading to a new album and the founding of The Dreamers Ensemble, a theater troupe that stages productions for local youth. The initiative, which will present a gender‑swapped version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet in August, illustrates how regional artists can use music and theater to nurture emerging talent.

Pierce first wrote a song at age seven, inspired by the Beatles and Taylor Swift, but she felt her early work was not strong enough and shifted her focus to musical theater. She began participating in summer theater programs at twelve and, after graduating high school in 2018, secured an internship with the Peterborough Players, a professional theater company. The pandemic halted live performances, but Pierce used the isolation to write and practice on her ukulele, livestreaming from her bathtub to a small Instagram audience. A performance at a Nova Arts variety show in Keene marked a turning point when she felt a shift in the room’s energy while singing her original “Pretending.”

In 2021, Pierce released the folk album Save the Bell Tower, featuring loose drum patterns, ukulele chords, and fiddle. She continues to perform throughout Peterborough and neighboring towns, and she plays with the Celtic rock band Waking Finnegan and the folk‑punk group Names in Order. Her songwriting blends acoustic folk with synth‑driven electronic textures, and her lyrics often draw on Greek mythology to convey personal emotion, as in “Hades and Persephone” and “Zeus.” Collaborator Gordon Peery, a local musician, notes that Pierce’s wide range of influences—from jazz to Broadway—creates “room for new arrangements and spontaneity” in their shows.

Beyond performing, Pierce has a day job at a local café and remains committed to building a creative space for young artists. In 2024 she founded The Dreamers Ensemble, structuring rehearsals to accommodate working students. The troupe’s upcoming production, Hamlet: A Ghost Story, will run August 21‑23 at the Park Theatre in Jaffrey, featuring a gender‑swapped Hamlet and an expanded cast of ghosts to emphasize themes of loss and grief. Pierce’s goal is to keep Peterborough “a hub for young artists,” citing the town’s supportive arts culture as a foundation for her work.

Pierce’s dual focus on songwriting and theater demonstrates how regional musicians can leverage local venues and community engagement to sustain a creative career. With a growing catalog of original music, ongoing collaborations, and a theater program that invites local talent, she exemplifies the role of artist‑leader in small‑town arts ecosystems.