Christian Fleming (he/they) is a manhattan-based scenic designer whose career has been dedicated to exploring the rich intersection of art and narrative. With a profound passion for theater - especially musicals, Christian’s creative journey is fueled by the belief that design can activate the audience’s imagination, transforming them into active participants in the unfolding narrative. By analyzing each production through the lens of the audience’s experience, Christian distills complex ideas into tangible decisions and reinforces the idea that every design choice communicates something significant. Christian places collaboration at the heart of their process and believes that the strongest designs emerge through dialogue when creative teams build a shared visual vocabulary. They hold a profound appreciation for the production process, which arms them with an intimate understanding of storytelling and a critical eye for assessing elements that enhance or detract from dramaturgical clarity. Christian believes that design is ultimately about clarity in storytelling; specific choices regarding characters and their world create essential context, guiding the audience’s focus and comprehension of the narrative. By prioritizing this focus, Fleming invites audiences to delve deeply into the story’s world, crafting a shared experience that lingers long after the curtain falls. Christian is interested in adventurous work that illuminates new perspectives on iconic pieces, imaginative work that is inherently theatrical, and by plays that seem “unproduceable” because they embrace the impossible. Finding creative solutions to “impossible” moments is part of the magic of design that excites them. 

Christian's work spans musicals, plays, devised immersive productions, dance, and opera.  Recently, Christian designed the off-Broadway premiere of the new play GENE & GILDA (59e59) after its sold out run at George Street Playhouse, MADWOMEN OF THE WEST starring Marilu Henner and Caroline Aaron (Off-Broadway), and the new york premiere of Ken Ludwig’s DEAR JACK, DEAR LOUISE (59e59).  Their work has been seen around the country at companies like Pittsburgh CLO (GAME ON), Pittsburgh Opera (AFTERWARDS), Titusville Playhouse (SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT, TOOTSIE, THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL), Nebraska Shakespeare (THE TEMPEST, OTHELLO), Arizona Broadway Theatre (GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, SPAMALOT, HAPPY DAYS), Thelma Arts (AMERICAN IDIOT), Riverside Center (THE SOUND OF MUSIC, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, NEXT TO NORMAL, MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE), New London Barn Playhouse (SISTER ACT, RENT), Timber Lake Playhouse (WAITRESS, FROZEN, BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY), Lincoln Park PAC (INTO THE WOODS, AND THE WORLD GOES ROUND, GUYS AND DOLLS), and Penguin Rep (FLAWLESS, SON OF ZEUS, MIRACLE ON SOUTH DIVISION STREET, DEAR JACK DEAR LOUISE, GENE & GILDA, INCIDENT AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP). Up next: NEWSIES (Argyle Theater). Christian’s work has been recognized with the 2021 USITT Scene Design Award, as 1 of 3 emerging US scenic designers invited to exhibit at World Stage Design 2022, and most recently, as part of the US exhibition at the 2023 Prague Quadrennial. 

Member of USA829.
MFA Carnegie Mellon.