Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1998 - 71

Two renderings from Bartholomew Fair, 1964

The exhibition,
on display at
Stage Expo in
Long Beach, of
selected pieces
covering fortyfive years of
Reinhardt's work
was originally
mounted by the
Texas Shakespeare Festival,
Kilgore, Texas.
(photos by Tom
Thatcher)

Rendering from Collage, 1983

breadul, as well as Ule protol)vical"craftsman/artist," emphasizing ··tiny, tiny
ulings." Afonner "counuy girl," Hudson recaUed that when Reinhardt first
saw her portfolio, llis candid response was, "1 tllink we have a lot to teach
you'" L1ter as indusu'y professionals confronted her \rork \\iUl similar responses, Ule older costumer pointed out quieuy Ulat "iliars Ule way irs done
in Ule big world." For Ms. Gossman, the SlIT recognition reflects Ule
costumer"s body of \rork in much ilie same \ray iliat Holljwood's Oscar
Awards cau attention to long-telm accomplishment.
Though Paul Blackman's substantial costume and set design work includes ule Star Trek mO\~es, he remembered swUng llis creative career as a
"taU, skll1l1j\ self-conscious" choir program director. Thus, when Reinhardt
sU'ode into Blackman's first graduate school class ··tallel~still, erect, and
proud of llis height," ilie youngster was impressed and heartened. Blackman
said llis graduate school mentor was demanding and supportive, appreciative
of Ule "wonder and beauty of at1," \\~ili a "passion and depul of knowledge"
he somehow was able to pass on, and chatticteIized Reinhat'dt as a "nlidtwentieili centulY romantic."
Raymond Caldwell, founder and Artistic Head of Ule Kilgore, Texas
Shakespeat"e Festival, who caUed Reinhardt a "li\llig legend in ilie world of
uleaU"e," still remembered Ule excitement a decade eat"lier when ilie cosnlmer first CaI11e to a petf01111ance. At lunch ilie nex1 day, when Reinhardt
said he iliought Ule Festival "could use a little \~sual excitement," and proposed to paI1icipate "as long as it continued to be fun," Caldwell was astonished and gratified. After years of tile costumer's work at Kilgore, Caldwell felt
obliged to assel1 iliat generosity such as Reinhat"dt's "cannot be measured,"
just as Ule producer's grtltitude could not adequately be expressed. Furiliel~
more, added Caldwell, Ule work basn't ever stopped being fun.
Unda Fisher, costume designer for ilie Broadway production of 110/"Ilings at Seven, as well as assor1ed productions at ilie Manhattan Theatre dub
and Guuuie Theau"e, recaUed iliat Reinhardt emphasized ilie relationship of
clothes to llistory. "You can"t just reveal design," she remembered
Reinlmdt's stressing. Teaching is "bringing it out," someiliing Ule design instl1lctor "taught us to do." Joe Tompkins, an En1l11Y awat'd-\\~nner for llis
work in both Eleanor and Fmnklin and Coal Miner's Daugbter said
Reinhardt conveyed to llis students not just "how to see," but how to "develop
total \~sion." Tomkins added Ulat the COSnll11e teacher was generous \~Ul
praise for "tenaciously going after someuling new," in Ulis way not only
"pushing" llis pupil's "envelopes" but "pustling tlis own" as well.
Oscar Brockett, Reinhardrs friend and colleague for many yeat·s at
Texas, took a more instinltional ~ew. Paul Reinhardt "knows Ule difference
between a training program and a Uleatre," said Ule IlistoIian, and undel~
StlUlds that Ule academj1s "choice of plays ought to have a relationsllip to its
cuniculat" needs." Brockett observed Ulat Reinhardt was adanlant about Oonot
aUo\\ing Ule weight of Ulings to go uncosnIl11ed.."He "stood up strongly for
his progmm and Ule needs of Ule snldents in Ulat progmm.,. Brockett added
Ulat, uncomf0l1abie ulOugh it nlight be to raise Ule mattel; it "had to be said"
that Ule cosnlmer left Texas orer Ule issue of Ule program"s integlil)l.
Reinhat"dt's daughter, Leslie, recaUed her faUler shating llis work atld
enUmsiasm \\iUlllis fanlily. She implied that UlOse expeliences had a connection WiUl her current work as atl Editorial Assistatlt for Ule Charles Wilson
Peale Papers at the National P0l1rait GaUery in Wasllington, and her professional mission to bling a selious considertltion of cosnlme to bear in anal) es
of p011raits. She remembered trailing after him on more then one bU)ing expedition when she was eX1remely young atld heating Ule word "subUe" used
over atld over. pon deciding that Ure word meatll "velY, very good," she subsequently got "quite a response" when she responded to her father's wllite
suit and magenta sllil1 tlimmed \\~th a paisly scatf U.I pat1y clothes one
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1998
