Benjamin Burton (he/him) is a costume designer and developmental dramaturg with experience in film, theater, opera, and dance. He holds an MFA in Costume Design from NYU Tisch Design, a BFA in Dramaturgy from the University of Oklahoma, and a union membership with USA Local 829. He lives in upper Manhattan with a growing family of houseplants.
Benjamin's love of storytelling began in a mountaintop village in Ethiopia, where he grew up imagining new worlds out of the poinsettia bushes and eucalyptus trees to play games with his brothers. His love of textiles also emerged in childhood, beginning with a (charmingly lumpy) pair of socks he knit for his mom. In addition to craft and story, Benjamin is particularly interested in mythic and ritual aspects of culture and performance.
In complement to his design work, Benjamin has supervised productions of every size as an associate and assistant -- from Broadway musicals to Emmy-nominated TV hits. This breadth of production experience allows Benjamin to realize designs expertly, efficiently, and without compromising their artistic values.
Benjamin is the recipient of the Martin Pakledinaz Memorial Award from the NYU Department of Design, as well as Craft Awards from the First Run Film Festival for both Costume Design and Production Design.
Outside the studio, Benjamin enjoys running along the Hudson River and writing. He is currently reading Joseph Campbell's The Masks of God and Victor Turner's The Ritual Process.
You can contact Benjamin at benjxburton@gmail.com.