Christian Fleming is a Manhattan-based scenic and costume designer whose work explores the intersection of art and narrative. They approach design as a tool for clear, intentional storytelling—using visual detail to define character, world, and emotion. Their experience spans musicals, plays, opera, dance, and immersive theater, with a focus on ambitious, inventive productions that challenge the boundaries of what’s possible on stage. Fleming invites audiences to delve deeply into the story’s world, crafting a shared experience that lingers long after the curtain falls.
Gene & Gilda
,
59e59 (Off-Broadway)
,
Joe Brancato, dir.
This design bridges the frame of a live interview with Gene Wilder and the vivid, internal world of his memories. Using live video capture and a grid of monitors, the set becomes both a literal and emotional canvas for two iconic personalities—reflecting how memory and media intertwine. As past and present overlap, the design invites the audience into the shared space where imagination and recollection blur.
"Set designer Christian Fleming fills the stage with TV monitors and uses tiny cameras to put these familiar faces in the medium where we know them, effectively telling a story we largely don't." - Theatrenews
Lighting Design | José Santiago, Media Design | Brian Pacelli, Costume Design | Gregory Gale, Sound Design | Max Silverman, Prop Design | Robert Lavango
Gene & Gilda
,
59e59 (Off-Broadway)
,
Joe Brancato, dir.
This design bridges the frame of a live interview with Gene Wilder and the vivid, internal world of his memories. Using live video capture and a grid of monitors, the set becomes both a literal and emotional canvas for two iconic personalities—reflecting how memory and media intertwine. As past and present overlap, the design invites the audience into the shared space where imagination and recollection blur.
"Set designer Christian Fleming fills the stage with TV monitors and uses tiny cameras to put these familiar faces in the medium where we know them, effectively telling a story we largely don't." - Theatrenews
Lighting Design | José Santiago, Media Design | Brian Pacelli, Costume Design | Gregory Gale, Sound Design | Max Silverman, Prop Design | Robert Lavango
Afterwards
,
Pittsburgh Opera
,
David Paul, dir.
“Afterwards” stripped down Mozart’s “Idomeneo” to focus on the psychological ramifications of war trauma and shed light on our current refugee crises. The design featured the island of Crete engulfed by abandoned refugee lifejackets as a modern symbol the often ignored aftereffect of war contrasted by the archaic mechanism of war, the sail of a Trojan warship, looming overhead.
“The production’s design, centered on an island of abandoned lifejackets beneath a contorting warship sail...a technical feat.” — Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Afterwards
,
Pittsburgh Opera
,
David Paul, dir.
“Afterwards” stripped down Mozart’s “Idomeneo” to focus on the psychological ramifications of war trauma and shed light on our current refugee crises. The design featured the island of Crete engulfed by abandoned refugee lifejackets as a modern symbol the often ignored aftereffect of war contrasted by the archaic mechanism of war, the sail of a Trojan warship, looming overhead.
“The production’s design, centered on an island of abandoned lifejackets beneath a contorting warship sail...a technical feat.” — Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Ascend
,
Pittsburgh Playhouse
,
Kiesha Lalama, dir.
Ascend grounded itself on creating experiential theater for Pittsburgh audiences. Centered on a circle with a tilted monumental stone ring hovering above, the design focused on ritual and our connection to the natural elements. Audiences were guided by dancers which allowed for the relationship to the performance to shift from viewer to participant.
"Audiences experience the 360-degree entertainment – including other-worldly dancers, drummers, magical creatures and an ethereal acrobat within a moving spiral – while standing in the center of a set designed by Christian Fleming" - Onstage Pittsburgh
Ascend
,
Pittsburgh Playhouse
,
Kiesha Lalama, dir.
Ascend grounded itself on creating experiential theater for Pittsburgh audiences. Centered on a circle with a tilted monumental stone ring hovering above, the design focused on ritual and our connection to the natural elements. Audiences were guided by dancers which allowed for the relationship to the performance to shift from viewer to participant.
"Audiences experience the 360-degree entertainment – including other-worldly dancers, drummers, magical creatures and an ethereal acrobat within a moving spiral – while standing in the center of a set designed by Christian Fleming" - Onstage Pittsburgh
The Bridges of Madison County
,
Timber Lake Playhouse
,
Christian Fleming, dir.
The Bridges of Madison County is, on its surface, a story about a brief, passionate encounter between two strangers in rural Iowa, but underneath it’s a meditation on memory, self-discovery, and the transient nature of love. In this production, we approach the musical as a memory play: years later, Francesca opens an envelope, discovers Robert’s photograph, and the past floods back in fragments—music, images, voices, sensations. Live video and projected photography function as extensions of her memory, capturing fleeting details—a glance, a touch, a shared stillness—and inviting the audience to see not objective reality, but an emotionally heightened, remembered past. Francesca doesn’t relive her story to change it, but to feel it fully one last time and understand how a moment of passion transformed the way she navigates love, identity, and the choices that shaped her life.
"The set and stage layout are remarkable: a rectangular playing space ringed with watching characters and waiting set pieces, with the kitchen—table, chairs, refrigerator and all—gliding in so smoothly, quickly, and almost magically that its arrival feels like a visual sleight of hand." - River Cities Reader
The Bridges of Madison County
,
Timber Lake Playhouse
,
Christian Fleming, dir.
The Bridges of Madison County is, on its surface, a story about a brief, passionate encounter between two strangers in rural Iowa, but underneath it’s a meditation on memory, self-discovery, and the transient nature of love. In this production, we approach the musical as a memory play: years later, Francesca opens an envelope, discovers Robert’s photograph, and the past floods back in fragments—music, images, voices, sensations. Live video and projected photography function as extensions of her memory, capturing fleeting details—a glance, a touch, a shared stillness—and inviting the audience to see not objective reality, but an emotionally heightened, remembered past. Francesca doesn’t relive her story to change it, but to feel it fully one last time and understand how a moment of passion transformed the way she navigates love, identity, and the choices that shaped her life.
"The set and stage layout are remarkable: a rectangular playing space ringed with watching characters and waiting set pieces, with the kitchen—table, chairs, refrigerator and all—gliding in so smoothly, quickly, and almost magically that its arrival feels like a visual sleight of hand." - River Cities Reader
Into the Woods
,
Yale University
,
Ryan Dobrin, dir.
This design for “Into the Woods” stripped away the usual artifice associated with production, the design refocused attention on the characters as they navigate their desires and consequences, emphasizing the interplay between reality and fantasy. This approach not only enriched the narrative but also encouraged viewers to reflect on the power of theater to reshape perceptions and illuminated the complexities of the human experience.
"This new design reminisced Sondheim’s charm and wit, creating space for comedic moments to underscore the sometimes heavy themes" - Yale Daily News
Into the Woods
,
Yale University
,
Ryan Dobrin, dir.
This design for “Into the Woods” stripped away the usual artifice associated with production, the design refocused attention on the characters as they navigate their desires and consequences, emphasizing the interplay between reality and fantasy. This approach not only enriched the narrative but also encouraged viewers to reflect on the power of theater to reshape perceptions and illuminated the complexities of the human experience.
"This new design reminisced Sondheim’s charm and wit, creating space for comedic moments to underscore the sometimes heavy themes" - Yale Daily News
The Sound of Music
,
Riverside Center
,
Patrick A'hearn
"The Sound of Music looks newly minted, with a painterly design that stays intimate even with a stage that evokes an operatic scale." - DC Theater Arts
The Sound of Music
,
Riverside Center
,
Patrick A'hearn
"The Sound of Music looks newly minted, with a painterly design that stays intimate even with a stage that evokes an operatic scale." - DC Theater Arts
Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help
,
Penguin Rep
,
Tom Caruso, dir.
This design captured the main character's recollection of a pivotal childhood memory, immersing the audience in her mind. Key elements like 70s wallpaper, her father’s recliner, and notes on her mother’s fridge created a minimalist yet dynamic backdrop, blurring reality and memory. A raised deck distinguished present-day reflections, while lighting and props subtly transformed to evoke her emotions, enriching the narrative, highlighting memory’s selective and impactful nature.
"Before a word is spoken…the set design instantly informs us what we’re about to witness harks to a bygone era." - Bruce Apar, Broadwayworld
Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help
,
Penguin Rep
,
Tom Caruso, dir.
This design captured the main character's recollection of a pivotal childhood memory, immersing the audience in her mind. Key elements like 70s wallpaper, her father’s recliner, and notes on her mother’s fridge created a minimalist yet dynamic backdrop, blurring reality and memory. A raised deck distinguished present-day reflections, while lighting and props subtly transformed to evoke her emotions, enriching the narrative, highlighting memory’s selective and impactful nature.
"Before a word is spoken…the set design instantly informs us what we’re about to witness harks to a bygone era." - Bruce Apar, Broadwayworld
Stupid F#cking Bird
,
Queenborough Performing Arts Center
,
Liisa Yonkers, dir.
This design offered a unique viewing experience by contrasting two distinct staging approaches. Act One is presented on a wide, shallow stage, creating an immersive exterior environment that draws the audience into the emotional landscape of the characters encouraging a sense of intimacy and engagement. In stark contrast, Act Two shifts to a more traditional box set, introducing a greater aesthetic distance that reflects the characters' growing disconnection.
Stupid F#cking Bird
,
Queenborough Performing Arts Center
,
Liisa Yonkers, dir.
This design offered a unique viewing experience by contrasting two distinct staging approaches. Act One is presented on a wide, shallow stage, creating an immersive exterior environment that draws the audience into the emotional landscape of the characters encouraging a sense of intimacy and engagement. In stark contrast, Act Two shifts to a more traditional box set, introducing a greater aesthetic distance that reflects the characters' growing disconnection.
The Steel Man
,
Penguin Rep
,
Joe Brancato, dir.
The character-driven costume design utilized a unified color palette, silhouettes, and patterns to visually trace the relationship and shared familial trauma between father and son. Their connection and mutual experiences were thoughtfully reflected in their clothing choices. Initially, the costumes emphasized a generational divide, but as the story progressed, the design gradually brought the two characters closer together, mirroring their growing recognition that trauma can be passed down and learned.
The Steel Man
,
Penguin Rep
,
Joe Brancato, dir.
The character-driven costume design utilized a unified color palette, silhouettes, and patterns to visually trace the relationship and shared familial trauma between father and son. Their connection and mutual experiences were thoughtfully reflected in their clothing choices. Initially, the costumes emphasized a generational divide, but as the story progressed, the design gradually brought the two characters closer together, mirroring their growing recognition that trauma can be passed down and learned.
Rent
,
New London Barn Playhouse
,
Keith Coughlin, dir.
This design captured the gritty, vibrant essence of New York City's East Village, centered on a versatile, multi-level set featuring the ubiquitous building maintenance scaffolding found throughout NYC. This central structure facilitates seamless transitions between scenes and creates intimate performance spaces, immersing the audience in the raw energy and emotional depth of the musical.
Rent
,
New London Barn Playhouse
,
Keith Coughlin, dir.
This design captured the gritty, vibrant essence of New York City's East Village, centered on a versatile, multi-level set featuring the ubiquitous building maintenance scaffolding found throughout NYC. This central structure facilitates seamless transitions between scenes and creates intimate performance spaces, immersing the audience in the raw energy and emotional depth of the musical.
Miracle on South Division Street
,
Penguin Rep
,
Joe Brancato, dir.
The set drops the audience right into the Nowaks’ worn, working-class Buffalo kitchen, full of lived-in details and family history. The beloved neighborhood shrine hovers just beyond the everyday clutter, serving as both comic focal point and physical reminder of the family myth that’s about to be challenged. By keeping the space intimate, familiar, and just slightly off-kilter, the design sharpens the play’s collision of faith, identity, and long-held stories cracking open in real time.
Miracle on South Division Street
,
Penguin Rep
,
Joe Brancato, dir.
The set drops the audience right into the Nowaks’ worn, working-class Buffalo kitchen, full of lived-in details and family history. The beloved neighborhood shrine hovers just beyond the everyday clutter, serving as both comic focal point and physical reminder of the family myth that’s about to be challenged. By keeping the space intimate, familiar, and just slightly off-kilter, the design sharpens the play’s collision of faith, identity, and long-held stories cracking open in real time.
Next to Normal
,
Riverside Center
,
Penny Ayn Maas
This design visualized Diana’s off-kilter psychological world, where the familiar contours of home felt subtly distorted. As color drained from her environment, the space mirrored her slipping grasp on reality - a world once vivid now rendered in muted tones of memory and loss. The result was a design that externalized her emotional fragmentation.
"The design and production team is truly a team. The minimalist set (by Christian Fleming) is a blank canvas for the performers and the other designers that supports all the other production elements." - DC Theatre Arts
Next to Normal
,
Riverside Center
,
Penny Ayn Maas
This design visualized Diana’s off-kilter psychological world, where the familiar contours of home felt subtly distorted. As color drained from her environment, the space mirrored her slipping grasp on reality - a world once vivid now rendered in muted tones of memory and loss. The result was a design that externalized her emotional fragmentation.
"The design and production team is truly a team. The minimalist set (by Christian Fleming) is a blank canvas for the performers and the other designers that supports all the other production elements." - DC Theatre Arts
Sunday in the Park with George
,
Titusville Playhouse
,
Steven Heron, dir.
This design grounded the action in George’s art studio deepening the exploration of the play’s central themes of art versus life and the creative process. The studio, filled with canvases, palettes, and unfinished works, allowed the audience to witness the juxtaposition of creation and reality, highlighting the struggles and joys of the artistic journey. By immersing the audience in George’s world, the design invited deeper contemplation on how art captures fleeting moments and emotions and offered greater resonance as the same room took on new meaning, ultimately highlighting the balance between personal sacrifice and creative fulfillment.
"This also gives Scenic and Projection Designer Christian Fleming an amazingly effective blank canvas to work with (and an opportunity to shine) – providing subtle nods to the elements of the famous painting (via canvases on easels and other set pieces) vs. the literal scenic elements often used. His setting of the show inside the walls of George’s art studio is a truly inspired choice – grounding the action in the environment of the artist and elevating the creative process." - BroadwayWorld Orlando
Sunday in the Park with George
,
Titusville Playhouse
,
Steven Heron, dir.
This design grounded the action in George’s art studio deepening the exploration of the play’s central themes of art versus life and the creative process. The studio, filled with canvases, palettes, and unfinished works, allowed the audience to witness the juxtaposition of creation and reality, highlighting the struggles and joys of the artistic journey. By immersing the audience in George’s world, the design invited deeper contemplation on how art captures fleeting moments and emotions and offered greater resonance as the same room took on new meaning, ultimately highlighting the balance between personal sacrifice and creative fulfillment.
"This also gives Scenic and Projection Designer Christian Fleming an amazingly effective blank canvas to work with (and an opportunity to shine) – providing subtle nods to the elements of the famous painting (via canvases on easels and other set pieces) vs. the literal scenic elements often used. His setting of the show inside the walls of George’s art studio is a truly inspired choice – grounding the action in the environment of the artist and elevating the creative process." - BroadwayWorld Orlando
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Miurder
,
Arizona Broadway Theatre
,
Danny Gorman, dir.
Blending opulence and whimsy, this design reflected the charm of the Edwardian era while amplifying the show's dark comedy. It captured the essence of an Edwardian Music Hall through a period false proscenium adorned with opera boxes, inviting the audience into a world of theatricality and spectacle, while consistently reminding them that they are watching a performance and not everything is to be trusted.
“Christian Fleming’s scenic design on the musical hall stage-within-a-stage is forever attention-grabbing with its quick set changes and its dazzling color” — Broadwayworld Phoenix
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Miurder
,
Arizona Broadway Theatre
,
Danny Gorman, dir.
Blending opulence and whimsy, this design reflected the charm of the Edwardian era while amplifying the show's dark comedy. It captured the essence of an Edwardian Music Hall through a period false proscenium adorned with opera boxes, inviting the audience into a world of theatricality and spectacle, while consistently reminding them that they are watching a performance and not everything is to be trusted.
“Christian Fleming’s scenic design on the musical hall stage-within-a-stage is forever attention-grabbing with its quick set changes and its dazzling color” — Broadwayworld Phoenix
Jesus Christ Superstar
,
Riverside Center
,
Patrick A'hearn, dir.
Focusing on the musical's beginning as a concept album, the design transported audiences from a late 60s recording studio back in biblical times. This blend of time period reinforced the timeless nature of the story and how we should reflect on the doubt, power, betrayal, and nature of faith in our lives.
"Scenic Designer Christian Fleming begins the story in a dated, wood-paneled recording studio. This is a nod to the original concept recording album that inspired the rock opera, and while it’s a bold choice, I believe that it pays off — this is a fantastical story, and beginning it in the modern era gives it a humble relatability while also highlighting the fact that the music is its focal point." - DC Theatre Arts
Jesus Christ Superstar
,
Riverside Center
,
Patrick A'hearn, dir.
Focusing on the musical's beginning as a concept album, the design transported audiences from a late 60s recording studio back in biblical times. This blend of time period reinforced the timeless nature of the story and how we should reflect on the doubt, power, betrayal, and nature of faith in our lives.
"Scenic Designer Christian Fleming begins the story in a dated, wood-paneled recording studio. This is a nod to the original concept recording album that inspired the rock opera, and while it’s a bold choice, I believe that it pays off — this is a fantastical story, and beginning it in the modern era gives it a humble relatability while also highlighting the fact that the music is its focal point." - DC Theatre Arts
Dear Jack Dear Louise
,
Shadowland Stage/Penguin Rep, 59e59 (Off-Broadway)
,
Stephen Nachamie, dir.
This design for Dear Jack, Dear Louise used love letters as a central metaphor, illustrating the couple’s connection during World War II. Thousands of letters linked Jack’s barracks and Louise’s boarding house, reflecting their bond despite distance. As they traveled—Jack in combat, Louise on tour—their worlds intertwined, culminating in their first meeting.
"Christian Fleming’s scenic design was mesmerizing, elevating the performers and immersing the audience in another time." - Rockland County Times
Dear Jack Dear Louise
,
Shadowland Stage/Penguin Rep, 59e59 (Off-Broadway)
,
Stephen Nachamie, dir.
This design for Dear Jack, Dear Louise used love letters as a central metaphor, illustrating the couple’s connection during World War II. Thousands of letters linked Jack’s barracks and Louise’s boarding house, reflecting their bond despite distance. As they traveled—Jack in combat, Louise on tour—their worlds intertwined, culminating in their first meeting.
"Christian Fleming’s scenic design was mesmerizing, elevating the performers and immersing the audience in another time." - Rockland County Times