Tess Evelyn Beckwith
Coming from a small town in Massachusetts, I have always dreamed big. The first time I ever saw a movie in theaters, I knew I had to contribute to this magic. When I was 10, I would always be making "movies" in my basement with my siblings and learned to sew from my mother. My fascination with fabric continued to grow anytime my mom would get a piece of something sparkly or with a funky texture from her quilting friends for me. I would spend hours playing with it and creating fun and different ways to wear this single piece of fabric, not even thinking about sewing it. Yet. I was always a part of theater and music in someway ever since I was twelve and haven’t stopped since.
As I was approaching college I only wanted to pursue my dreams of design, but the US Presidential election of 2016 provided a rude awakening. I experienced such deep feelings of confusion, rage, and depression from things that were said, and society accepted, throughout this election process that led me to the decision that in order for the world to better itself it had to start with me. So in addition to receiving a Bachelors degree in Theater, I also worked double time, multitasking into the late hours of the night on a Bachelors degree in Political Science as well. My experience at the University of Massachusetts Amherst between these two departments of study, showed myself and others how these two fields of interest should be more connected and intersectional in both aspects of their respective fields. Collaborative creation should always be the goal in whatever field you set out to work in but especially in the arts.
I feel that having all this information in the deeper study of society and people through a political science lens, has enriched my creative brain in ways that I could never imagine when I first started. I always try and think of societal impacts that the work at hand makes, big or small. Creating art should always enrich every person involved from the design and production all the way to the audience. Not only should the work make a societal change but also a global change. In the process, I always like to think of the ways that sustainability in theater and film can grow. Climate change affects every single living thing in this world and that is not just limited to people and animals but it affects the livelihood of art and creativity.
When I am not designing or creating I love traveling, anthropology, true crime documentaries, ABBA, and environmentalism. Promptly after graduation before continuing my work, I spent three weeks traveling in different parts of Europe. I had the privilege to experience delicious food, beautiful nature, incredible people, and stunning architecture. I have been buzzing with excitement since I arrived home to share this inspiration and knowledge in my work. I thrift clothing as much as possible and would like to incorporate this into my craft of theater and film as much as possible. Below is a project I did with a great photographer, who is also a close personal friend, on how thrifted fashion is great for the environment and is still stylish by today’s societal standards. I hope to inspire others with my work to learn, create and think of ways to bring more connectivity and growth into the world, no matter of big or small, and add a bit of sparkle along the way.
Browse my entire Costume Design Portfolio for examples of my latest work and contact information. If you’d like to collaborate, please reach out in whatever way works best for you.
