The costumes which draw such rave reviewsin OU drama and dance productionsspring from the enchanted sketch pad

of the multi-talented Mike Buchwald.By PAULA BAKER

Photos by Gil JainContinued

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The costume sketch on Page 3 comes alive onstage in Mike Buchwald's non-traditionalapproach to an all-white ballet for the OU dance production of "Snow Maiden."

reating magic back-stage and below thestairs of the Univer-sity of OklahomaFine Arts Center is

nothing new for Mike Buchwald . Forthe past 20 years, the OU professor ofdrama has been laboring behind thescenes with his costumer's sketch padto turn OU actors and dancers intoeverything from beseiged peasants toelegant Edwardians.

Buchwald's costumes have earned somany accolades over the years that au-diences are usually unaware that histalents span the scope of stagecraft .He has even been known to act in andcostume the same production .Buchwald emerged from backstage inNovember 1987 to play the role of HerrDrosselmeyer in "The Nutcracker" bal-let . In the role, Drosselmeyer's gift ofa nutcracker to little Clara turned apeep at a Victorian Christmas partyinto a spectacle of elaborate fantasythat swept from the Land of Snow tothe Land of Enchantment .When Buchwald donned Drossel-

meyer's mantle, he returned to hisownfirst experience in the theater as anactor.

"I started working in the theaterwhen I was very young," he recalls ."My church needed a kid who could

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memorize long speeches for a Christ-mas play. I did it and enjoyed actinganywhere I could while growing up inOklahoma City. I can't remember evernot wanting to do any of the tasks as-sociated with the theater."As an undergraduate at OU from

1962 to 1966, Buchwald worked withdrama professor emeritus Helen For-rest Lauterer, now living in Santa Fe,whose work has been honored with thenaming of the drama school's studentcostuming award. His graduate men-tor was Nancy Gade, who later mar-ried OU president J . Herbert Hollo-mon. Her departure when Hollomonresigned in 1970 opened the facultyposition that Buchwald still holds ."Looking back, I learned as much

about acting from Helen Lauterer asI did about design," Buchwald says ofhis comprehensive training at OU."The late Turner Edge, who was a di-rector, taught me as much about de-sign as acting."However, as a drama/English under-

graduate, Buchwald had no time tospecialize and not enough experienceto realize that he did not want to bean actor all of his life . After teachingschool in Nebraska for two years,Buchwald returned to the OU campusfor graduate work. He studied both di-recting and design and won both the

Long hours and skillfulshopping place magnificient

costumes within reachfor collegiate productions .

Rupel Jones Directing Award and theLauterer Costume Award in 1969 . Win-ning the A.L . Mortensen Award as themost promising technical theatergraduate in 1970 forecast his future .Buchwald was set to take another

job when Gade left suddenly . He wasasked to fill the costumingposition "inthe interim" by Fine Arts Dean NatEek, then director of the School ofDrama . The University rarely selectspermanent faculty members fromthose who have completed both under-graduate and graduate work at OU.Buchwald had to endure the tediumand suspense of an official search be-fore being offered the permanent posi-tion . Since that time, he has beentucked away in the costume shop onthe lower level ofthe Fine Arts Center,turning out season after season of in-genious designs that regularly get re-viewers' raves .

Patricia Cooper "Coopie" Mason hassupervised costume construction forBuchwald since 1970 . This separationof design and construction is dictatedby custom at OU and serves as a pre-view of union requirements for thosestudents who go into professional the-ater. Because the OU School ofDramais not a union shop, however, theater-goers routinely view a panorama ofmagnificent garments that would bebeyond collegiate resources, were itnot for Buchwald's fabric shoppingskills and the long hours he, Coopie,seamster Gary Haney and the dramastudents devote to their quest for per-fection in illusion .

Occasionally, Buchwald entertainshimself by tallying the hours and ex-pense involved in a particular gar-ment or production . For example, thegold moire coat Antonio Salieri worein the second act of "Amadeus" con-sumed some 200 hours of labor by thetime it was covered with several kindsof braid and couched gold . Buchwaldestimates the commercial value of thecoat at $13,000 .

Costumes for musicologist EugeneEnrico's television production ofClaudio Monteverdi's "Madrigals ofLove and War" were valued at about$26,000 at union shop wage scalewhen they were constructed in 1981 .They were created for approximately$5,000, counting fabric cost andslightly-less-than minimum wages forBuchwald and Coopie .The costumer undertook the project

for the OU Collegium Musicum dur-ing a spring break period for the chal-lenge of"something different," design-ing Jacobean era costumes for singerswho would be under the close scrutinyof the television camera . Graduate-level singers come in a greater varietyof sizes and shapes than student ac-tors . The women's gowns ranged fromsize 5 to 26, and the men's costumesranged from 36 to 46 . The back-lacedgarments Buchwald fashioned notonly were authentic but also allowedfor rib-cage expansion of two to threeinches during performance .

Authenticity and detail are essen-tial for television close-ups . Buchwaldand his assistants trimmed each cos-tume individually, using piles of fakejewels and festoons of lace, braid andchains purchased from supply shopsin New York City. His annual trip asco-leader for the OU Theater Guild'sNew York City outing doubles as ascouting expedition for bargain-pricedtrims and fabrics from the garmentdistrict .Hot colors of red, yellow and

pumpkin added to the passionatethemes expressed vocally in the "Mad-rigals of Love and War." Dyed Chinasilk - some 17 shades ofred alone -supplemented the good buys alreadystockpiled .Costuming for another one of En-

rico's EMTV (Early Music Television)productions, "Handel's Messiah : ACommemoration" was enriched withone of Buchwald's favorite New Yorktrophies - the remaining half of a35-yard piece of cultivated and wildsilk that first debuted as a concertgown for the opera star Rise Stevens .The Handel costumes featured intri-cate hand embroidery on the gownsand waistcoats - and enlisted boththe Buchwald home's 18th-centurystyle living room as a set and the pro-prietor himself in a supporting role .

Although an occasional commissionfor another medium or at another uni-versity adds frills to the costumer'slife, most of the variety he cherishesin educational theater comes from theOU School of Drama itself.Buchwald participates in selection

of a season schedule from the begin-ning of the process, as do all dramafaculty members . They suggest theplays they would like to direct, designor see as part of the school's educa-tional cycle ."Balancingthe season" is more than

just a matter ofproviding the studentsand audiences with an opportunity toexperience comedy, drama and musi-cals from different periods . Largecastsmust be alternated with small casts,and shows with high royalty

classics are apt to be given a fresh look .For example, OU's version of Shakes-peare's "As You Like It" was set in thecrown colony of Virginia in the 1760s,using a mountain or hillbilly dialectcloser to Elizabethan speech thanmodern British English . Real buck-skin was used for some of the cos-tumes, with simple prints creating themountain-style imitations of the fash-ions worn by tidewater Virginians ."One of the glories of educational

theater is that even ifwe did the sameshow twice, a different director and adifferent cast would make it a wholenew experience," Buchwald says .

Color schemes are also a matter ofconsultation with the director and setand lighting designer, following a deci-sion on concept . Lighting plays tricks

Buchwald, right, both designed the costumes for "The Nutcracker" and appeared asDrosselmeyer, here presenting a gift to little Clara, played by Lexy Brewer.

costs and elaborate sets and costumesmust be alternated with those withlower financial and technical require-ments . OU School of Drama produc-tions must be self-supporting, unlikethose at most other higher educationinstitutions with top-ranked dramadepartments . The only "subsidy"comes from the use of student actors,educational facilities and facultymembers as directors, designers andoccasional guest artists .Once a play is scheduled, Buchwald

begins a series of meetings with thedirector and set and lighting designersto discuss the show's concept . Theater

on different colors and fabrics . A sun-rise to sunset scenario for "Kismet"was dictated by the libretto and filledwith glorious reds and golds in themidday bazaar scene and blue andsilver shades as night fell and the mus-ical ended . Juliet's red wedding gownshowed her defiance and the cos-tumer's knowledge that white wed-ding gowns were not fashionable untilthe Victorian era .The subtleties of some other

schemes might have been lost on allbut those involved in the production .For example, coyote colors of ochers,grays and creams set the scheme for

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A production in process at the drama school results in scenes like this in the costume shop on the lower level of the Fine ArtsCenter, where Buchwald's designs for "Kismet" are being constructed by Patricia Cooper, Gary Haney and the students .

"Terra Nova," a play about Robert Fal-con Scott's ill-fated expedition to theSouth Pole in the winter of 1911-1912 .A canine specter ran throughout theplay as Norwegian explorer RoaldAmundsen and his crew, who usedtheir sled dogs for food, taunted theidealistic English who pulled theirown sleds andperished. Because oftheimportance of dogs in the play, theircommercial fur cousins, the coyotes,came immediately to Buchwald's mindwhen he began to envision Antarcticclothing . The only fur garment man-ufacturers in Oklahoma, MountainTreasurers, specialize in coyote furand donated fur and workmanship tothe play.Donations play an important role in

getting the show on the boards . Thelate OU voice professor Joseph Benton(internationally known as opera starGiuseppe Bentonelli) gave his cos-tumes, wigs and boots to the dramaschool . Old clothes, hats and shoes fre-quently are donated and may be used"as adapted" or placed in Buchwald'scollection so students may see how the

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garments were constructed ortrimmed .

"I rarely begin designing until ashow is cast," Buchwald explains . "De-signing for what a playwright wroteis only a tiny proportion of what thereis in a play. Regardless of how impor-tant the words are, a performance isstill the magic that an individualcreates onstage .

Regardless of how importantthe words are, a performance

is still the magic that anindividual creates on stage .

"I know most of the students andhave seen them do different things soI know what they will bring to a role,"he says . "I measure each student andset up charts based on height, weight,hair color and the space they will takeup . Their mass must be balancedagainst the look of the period .

"Sometimes the human form mustbe altered to suggest a period or acharacter," Buchwald continues . "Forexample, in the era of`The ImportanceofBeing Earnest,' ladies wore `faintingcorsets' that rearranged all their or-gans and changed their posture .Women of that era sometimes hadtheir ribs removed to make the processeasier. Our women students went intocorsets by the second week ofrehearsalto realign their bodies and create theproper Edwardian stance . By perfor-mance time, they were layered into Ed-wardian underwear as well -camisoles, drawers, petticoats and cor-set covers .A spoiled heiress in "Holiday" had

a crystal-beaded entrance cloak witha fishtail train and a high collar thatturned a pleasant-looking actress of5' 6" into a 9-foot stinker. An oversizedcape suggested the vanity and empti-ness of Edward I in "Calais," a worldpremiere ofaplay suggested by Rodin'ssculpture of the beseiged burghers ofCalais.Dance costumes created for the de-

Jory Hancock andMary MargaretHoltperform in balletcostumeswhich present a special design challenge for Buchwald's crew.

The placement of body mikes on the women's costumes for theOU musical "Kismet" requiredconsiderable design ingenuity.

Quilting enthusiasts from central Oklahoma turned the Fine

Buchwald, right, ties a ribbon on Catherine Hill's costume forArts Center into a gigantic patchwork "bee" for "Quilters ."

one of the OU Collegium Musicum's television productions .

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The authenticity anddetail essential for television

Buchwald's idea ofa break is taking on anew costuming challenge, such as thisrequires the individual trimming ofeach costume.

television production ofHandel's "Messiah" at Tulsa's Philbrook Art Center.

partment of dance in the School ofDrama are a special challenge. Tutus,tights and leotards must look like gos-samer, wear like iron and move likesecond skins. They not only must lastthrough numerous performances onthe Jones Theater stage but alsothrough revivals and the touring en-gagements of the Oklahoma FestivalBallet and Modern Dance Theater."Sometimes the greatest freedom

exists when limits are set," Buchwaldsays philosophically of designing fordance. "All kinds of things fall awaythat might be possibilities . You be-come very focused, rather like apianist who is told he can work withonly an octave and a half. My first full-length ballet, `Don Quixote' in 1976,is a particularly warm memory."Another Spanish-flavored ballet,

1987's "Paquita," is an example ofthevariations possible even when the bal-let corps is dressed in seemingly iden-tical short red tutus with blacksequined trim . Different necklinesand trim patterns individualized thecorps members who were spotlightedin duet and trio variations .OU choreographer Miguel

Terekhov's "Snow Maiden" in 1982created anew holiday ballet for familyviewing and challenged Buchwald tocreate a different look in "ballets

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blancs" - a form of all-white balletcostuming that has been a traditionsince the 19th century.Nine different kinds of net and

gauze and 26 varieties of glitter gavea shimmering, ethereal effect . The bal-let is aromantic fairy tale about a crea-ture born of rushing winds and swirl-ing snow who arrives in a Russian vil-lage and takes human form when shefalls in love with a peasant boy. Theicy nature of Snow Maiden Mary Mar-garet Holt is emphasized by her paleblue costume, painted in "frozen pond"patterns .Beaded irridescent Milliskin un-

itards garbed the Snowflakes, whowere coifed with white net headpiecesornamented with glitter, pearls, sap-phires and silver Lurex threads. TheSnowflakes swirled across the stage ingauze and net capes with beaded col-lars . The corps of Winds wore ombredgrey with autumn leaves caught intheir drapings, while the headpieceswere adorned with strips of plexiglassmirror, heated to produce undulatinglines.Imaginatively individualized head-

gear is essential in confines of dancecostuming. However, memorablehead-gear has capped many of Buchwald'sother costuming achievements . Manytheater patrons still remember the

whimsical hats in "High ButtonShoes." The townswomen were "birdsofa feather" right up to theirtopknots,which were crowned with an or-nithological parade of hats that evenincluded a hen and chickens! LadyBracknell in"The Importance ofBeingEarnest" had a succession ofimposinghats, and Buchwald can be eloquenton the protective value of the 8-inchhatpins used to keep Edwardian hats- andnot-so-gentlemanly gentlemen- in their places .

After Buchwald sketches the gar-ments, Mason creates the patterns,working with graduate assistants .This arrangement parallels the worldof commercial theater in which the de-signer touches neither fabric nor per-former. Mason, seamster Haney anddrama students construct the cos-tumes. All theater majors are requiredto complete a course in costume con-struction - annually astoundingBuchwald and Mason with thenumber of young people who not onlyhave never touched a sewing machinebut have never touched an iron .(Buchwald's mother Loraine insistedthat he learn both sewing and ironing.These boyhood skills, along with hisinterest in architecture and a hobbyofdrawing undoubtedly contributed toa career that "just grew.")

Members of the OU Theater Guild,a volunteer support group, occasion-ally lend a needle as well . They con-tributed so much to the labor-inten-sive elegance of "Amadeus" that theywere rewarded with souvenir buttonslike those used on Salieri's golden coat .Quilting enthusiasts from across thecampus and throughout central Okla-homa turned the Fine Arts Center intoa patchwork "bee" when they pitchedin for "Quilters ." This musical evoca-tion of pioneer life from the distaffview required some 30 different over-sized quilt blocks as well as a giganticcompleted quilt for the finale .OU's blend of commercial and non-

commercial costume training coversboth OU and commercial stages withglory. Numerous design graduates areemployed in the professional theaterworld . Bruce Snyder is working in Lon-don as Carl Tom's assistant at theBBC. Lynne Baccus is one ofthe drap-ers with Barbara Matera Ltd ., consid-ered the "haute couture" of Americancostume houses with "La Cage AuxFolles," "A Chorus Line" and theAmerican Ballet Theater "Don Quix-ote" to its credit . Lee Danser and JanetLewis are with Parson's Mirrors, build-ers of "Starlight Express." Other stu-dents are designers for the Pennsylva-nia and Dallas ballets or are free-lancers .

"Mike's success in teaching the intri-cate process ofcostuming is evident inthe placement of his students in theprofessional world," says Gregory D .Kunesh, director of the School ofDrama . "His contributions to our pro-ductions are outstanding and obviousto all who attend our performances .Anyone who has seen one of his cos-tume demonstrations is impressed bythe layered way he builds his costumesand the thought, commitment andlove he has for his field . However, fewrealize how much he contributes to theway the actors feel about themselvesand their work . His technical exper-tise helps them in their acting. I knowof no one who spends more time andgives more of himself in this en-deavor."Although Buchwald teaches some

classes, a vast portion of his teachingis on a one-to-one basis, working withthe graduate assistants in an appren-ticeship situation . He earned a Re-gents'Award for Superior Teaching in

1976 and the students' own award tothe faculty member who taught themthe most in 1988 .

"I have worked through five differ-ent drama curricula and was deeplyinvolved in creating the most recentone," Buchwald said . "Although thegraduate students must design someshows, I am involved with all theshows in some way."His "involvement" tallies more than

200 productions in Rupel Jones, OU'sStudio Theater and summer stock sea-sons. No wonder that he is hard putto name a "favorite" or even "favorites"among the shows ."Some of my favorites have not been

the flashiest designs but ones whereall the elements jelled and the per-formances were realized fully,"Buchwald says . " `Amadeus' was agreat favorite because we were able torealize an elaborate production sowell . `Baby' was a special memory be-cause I liked the show so much."

Few realize how much Mikecontributes to the waythe actors feel about

themselves and their work.

"Baby" also was the show in whichbody microphones had to be workedinto costuming for the first time . Add-ing the latest in musical equipmentwas no great problem for "Baby's" col-legiate outfits but challengedBuchwald considerably for the exotic"Kismet," an Arabian Nights fantasyin which even the men's costumes hadplunging necklines!

" `Equus' was one of the most funbecause it was fascinating to createthe horse hooves and heads,"Buchwald continues . "Donn Mason(Coopie's husband) welded the hooves .We used plexiglass tubing for theheads because I wanted somethingmore alive than the wicker used in theBroadway production . Light movedthrough the tubings as if one were fol-lowing the boys' thoughts ."Animal costumes are occasionally

part of the production requirements .Buchwald is quick to credit graduateassistant Janet Lewis and her exper-tise gained in an Albuquerque cos-

tume shop for assistance with thefierce three-headed rat and the en-chanting oriental mice in "The Nut-cracker." However, the lion and thelamb in "Candide" were his own .Creating masks and wigs fall within

a costumer's duties, as does designingthe make-up that may be required toproduce a monster, or sicken or age acharacter. Some medical and histori-cal knowledge is required in these cir-cumstances . For example, the burgh-ers of Calais showed the effects of star-vation as their seige wore on . Mozar-tean soprano Katherina Cavalierigrew more buxom through strategicrouging and was increasingly coveredwith the beauty spots that were usedto cover the sores of syphilis in the18th century."So few people get a chance to have

any variety in a commercial costumeshop," Buchwald says . "I know I wouldbe terribly bored in professional thea-ter. One of the things that has keptme intrigued about designing is thatthere is a great deal of intuition in-volved . I am dealing constantly withboth intangibles and tangibles -from the concept of the show to thetangible items of clothing ."This business as a whole is very

much like the Mass," he says . `Afterall, theater began for religious pur-poses . Theater is a celebration ofbeingalive in which every practitioner fromthe high priest to the acolyte has partof the fun .

"It's been interesting and excitingto be at OU," he concludes . "Therehave been some things I have had todo, but it has been rare to have a showin which I have to search desperatelyfor excitement . If I do, I go out andbuy new art supplies and try paintingor sketching in a different medium .Overall, it has been an interesting andexciting experience, and I'm fortunatehere at OU to have been able to havehad so much variety. Not only do I getto act occasionally but I also have di-rected seven shows."

Ironically, the latest show Buchwalddirected was noted as much for its lackof costumes as for its pacing andhumor. Characters in "Doubles," acomedy about male bonding, worelocker room attire ofshorts and towels .Viewers even had to be cautioned therewould also be a brief flash of nothingat all!

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