By Gillian Ellis
In 1987, when Professor Michael Gillespie was lured from his job at University of Texas – Dallas, to be head of the Theatre Area at OU, the program had seven students and two and a half faculty. And there was no theatre major.
This spring, as Michael retires, he leaves behind him a flourishing Theatre Program with six full-time faculty, thirteen other teachers, and a whole host of students, most of them still unborn when Michael came to Michigan. Although he’s far too modest to claim the credit for this phenomenal growth, these numbers speak for themselves, and Professor Karen Sheridan says, "Michael
spearheaded the creation of the Theatre major in the Department of MTD
and the 3 BFA degrees in Acting, Musical Theatre and Theatre Design and
Technology. In great part, because of his positive energy and
leadership, the Theatre Program has quadrupled in size over the last 20
years."
Michael’s parents both had mid-western roots but had migrated to Hawaii where they met in the 1930s in one of only two hotels in Waikiki at that time. Michael grew up in Hawaii and left only when it was time to attend college, at Stanford. He majored in French, but says, “I spent more time on the stage than I did in the language lab.” Immediately after graduation he joined the freshly minted Peace Corps and taught English in Ivory Coast. In a time when travel was far less common and communication much more restricted, it was a very adventurous thing to do.
Returning to the US, Professor Gillespie enrolled at Marquette University in Milwaukee to pursue a master’s degree in Theatre and Speech. It was there that he met his future wife Carolyn, an undergraduate, at a student meeting. “I saw her across a crowded theatre and that was that.” The newly married couple moved from the Midwest back to California when both enrolled in graduate programs at Stanford. Michael earned a PhD in Drama and Carolyn an MFA in Acting.
This was followed by twelve years in Dallas, where both taught classes for the new undergraduate Theatre degree at the University of Texas while raising their daughter and two sons. Carolyn also pursued acting professionally but Michael says he was always more drawn to directing.
In 1987 he received a call from Robert Facko, then on the music faculty at OU, asking him if he was interested in the OU theatre job. And so the Gillespies headed back up north. In his years at OU Michael says he has relished “working with a wonderful group of colleagues and sharing the journey of young men and women growing through their art.” He says, “Being part of a combined department has really enriched my life.” Karen Sheridan says the enrichment has worked both ways. "As a colleague, Michael's thoughtful assessments and gentle words have
often illuminated the most confounded topics in meetings. All his
colleagues seek his quiet, deep considerations on any important matter
and his inspirations are often the perfect ones." And she says, "Michael is the faculty member most likely to show up at an alum's
debut, as close as Detroit, Michigan and as far away as London, England."
Hundreds of OU students have benefited from Professor Gillespie’s talent and dedication, in the class room and on the stage. He believes he has directed almost fifty plays in his years with MTD and he says, “The one you’re working on is always your favorite at the moment,” which means he’s currently enamored with the Pageant Play, one of the largest undertakings the department has ever attempted, an eight-hour medieval mystery play cycle involving almost every MTD ensemble. Having taught theatre history for many years, Professor Gillespie says he has always thought this type of theatre “fun and intriguing” and he is delighted to find “little jewels of plays that are still playable.”
Aside from the fascination of current involvement, Michael does harbor fond memories of one past production in particular –
A Midsummer Night’s Dream set in nineteenth century Hawaii. It brought him many fond memories of his island childhood and he particularly loved the costumes which were designed and created by Donna Buckley, who is also leaving this spring. She will pursue an MFA at Wayne State.
With family still in Hawaii Michael returns “home” frequently. He and Carolyn also love to visit France and they plan to journey to Peru where the couple anticipates leisurely visits to “a condo on the beach, south of Lima.” New Zealand also beckons. The Gillepsies will remain Michigan residents, at least for now, but they see much travel in the future. And a wedding. Michael and Carolyn’s daughter will be married in the Catskills this August.
Wherever he travels Michael Gillespie will long remain in the hearts of his MTD colleagues and students. Karen Sheridan says, "Michael was the Theatre program's fearless leader for years, and remains its champion. All the combined shoes of the Theatre faculty do not begin to fill
his."
In the photos:Cast members of MTD's 2004 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hawaiian style.