CONTACT

Phone: 860-573-5455

Email: christina@christinabeamdesign.com

About

Christina Beam (She/Her) is a New York and New England based costume designer and technician whose work spans theater, opera, dance and film. Christina holds an MFA in costume design from UMass Amherst, having completed an assistantship that included rigorous work in costume construction.  Some of her recent design credits include Taylor Mac’s The Lily’s Revenge (UMass), Re/Emergence (The Re/Emergence Collective), The Tempest (Hartt), A Walk in the Woods (Shakespeare and Company), The Mystery of Irma Vep (Silverthorne Theater Company), Pride@Prejudice (Chester Theatre Company), Matilda (Wheelock Family Theatre), and She Loves Me (UConn Opera). Her designs for The Lily’s Revenge were included in the Emerging Artist Exhibit at the 2019 USITT Conference and also at the 2019 Prague Quadrennial, and they were recently displayed as part of the 2022 World Stage Design Emerging Artist Exhibit in Calgary.  Her costumes for the “In the Woods” photography project were selected to be featured as part of the 2023 USITT/USA Prague Quadrennial Emerging Artist Exhibit, which will be displayed at the upcoming USITT conference and at the 2023 Prague Quadrennial in July. Christina spent two summers as the cutter-draper for Connecticut Repertory Theatre and has completed five shows as a stitcher at Hartford Stage. She has also worked as a stitcher for John Cowles, a freelance draper based in Connecticut and their work included costumes for Kathy Zuber’s My Fair Lady, a production of Beauty and the Beast for Drury Lane Theatre in Chicago, and the Goodspeed Theatre’s production of The Drowsy Chaperone. Christina served as the designer in residence for Paintbox Theatre from 2016-2020 and she is currently the Costume Shop Supervisor at Western Connecticut State University. 

"I have always been a story teller, and I have always had great empathy for the characters I watch and read about.  As a costume designer, I relish the opportunity to get to know characters, to understand the life in them and to translate that visually for the audience.

I love everything about this work.  I love being in a costume shop, both as a designer and as a technician.  I love collaborating with artists who are passionate about what they do.  I love the dreaming and the realization of the dream.  I love the learning opportunities that each production affords.

Theater is a way of exploring the world and our relationship to it, of thinking about and questioning who we are as people, how we relate to other people, how we can make change in both regards.  There is always something to learn from each production, from each cast, each director, each script, each shop.

I believe theater can be an instrument for social change, that we have the power to show the world for what it is and for what it could be.  I believe in the responsibility that accompanies that possibility."

testimonials

“Christina is an ambitious artist who continues to redefine herself with every new theatrical work she designs. What is most impressive about Christina is her gift of empathy and compassion that makes her a key artist in any theatrical work or process that begs for social consciousness and cultural sensitivity. As a queer dramaturg of color, I love working with Christina as she always asks for any opportunity to learn from and to collaborate with others. She affirms everyone's artistry throughout her process.”

-Gaven Trinidad, Dramaturg for The Lily’s Revenge and The Happiest Song Plays Last

 

"Christina Beam is fabulous! She's very smart, very detail oriented, very skilled, a focused worker, and an absolute joy to work with, full of positive energy and also calm. I highly recommend her."

-Christina Bullard, Costume Designer for Connecticut Repertory Theater's production of Sweeney Todd,  and Costume Professor at UConn

 

“I have worked with Christina on two productions, once as a maker and once as her wardrobe crew chief. In both instances Christina's talent for creating stunning costumes which support and enhance the other aesthetics of the production was evident. She has an exceptional ability to understand and empathize with each character resulting in wonderful subtleties that make her characters more realistic. As a maker I appreciate the depth of research that she provides to not only support her design choices but help to communicate her intentions. As a wardrobe crew chief I appreciate her responsive communication and patience. Overall, Christina is a delight; resourceful, hardworking and kind. I couldn't recommend her enough and I hope we work together again in the future.”

                -Emma Hollows, costume technician for The Lily’s Revenge, wardrobe crew chief for Runaways

 

“I worked as one of Christina's assistants, painting the costumes for The Lily's Revenge and had an absolutely wonderful time doing so! She is incredibly pleasant to work with and I could not have asked for a better designer. I was thrilled to work on such an innovative design. She gave enough guidance so that I could create her vision but she left room for me to give input. I look forward to working with Christina again.”

                -Sami Brzozowski, Costume Design Assistant for The Lily’s Revenge

 

 

“Christina is a blessing. She’s our resident costumer designer here at PaintBox Theatre. You will find her to be clever and wonderful to work with. Not only does she stay within budget she can stretch a dollar till it screams for mercy. Our audience raves about her work. I am thrilled to recommend her.”

 

                -Tom McCabe, Artistic Director and Founder of Paintbox Theatre

Closing night toast from the cast of The Lily’s Revenge.