Theatre

Hailie Gold ’23

Hailie is a 2023 Wofford graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in theatre and English. She is a director, stage manager, educator and intimacy coordinator raised and working in the Upstate of South Carolina. Prior to her time at Wofford, Hailie’s training was honed in South Carolina Children Theatre’s Studio B Conservatory Program and The Fine Arts Center in Greenville. The heart of her work is based in the art of improvisation (which is also her favorite thing to coach) and how it interacts with every part of the theatre artist’s world. She has worked with many theatres, tours and festivals in the Southeast and with her own Zhili Byli Theatre Company. Hailie’s favorite theatrical credits include “Hand to God,” “The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls,” “The Dark Lady” (workshop) and “Julius Caesar.”

Wofford Theatre’s impact

At Wofford, I was able to run with my notions about theatre and apply them to everything I could dream of. From publication of research to multiple awards won for plays written to three plays directed all while in school, there was always gracious support from the faculty for my craft. Being given the platform to direct fully realized productions of “The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls,” “The Rocky Horror Show” and “Equus” at Wofford in addition to other smaller workshops and class projects over my four years, Wofford Theatre provided me with an experience that is incomparable to the attention and opportunity I will be afforded anywhere else. The education I received with Wofford Theatre was truly lifechanging.

Rachel Turner Kearse ’22

Rachel Turner Kearse majored in theatre and psychology. She found a love for costume design and explored that during a variety of internship experiences in theatre. She also designed for and acted in multiple Wofford Theatre productions. She works as a freelance costume designer and at Columbia Children’s Theatre.

Emmy Monteverde ’24

Emmy Monteverde ’24 graduated with a B.A. in English and theatre and is currently based in Greenville, South Carolina, pursuing a career as a theatre artist. Since graduation, she has worked at South Carolina Children’s Theatre as a stage manager for “Godspell,” “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” and “Matilda.” As an actor, she has been a swing in “Hamlet” (Warehouse Theatre) and performed in “The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show” (SCCT), “Romeo and Juliet” (Mauldin Cultural Center) and “Two Gentlemen of Verona” (Upstate Shakespeare Festival).

Wofford Theatre’s Impact

Wofford Theatre gave me so many incredible experiences! I performed in five main stage productions and three Interim productions. Although I was acting-focused, I worked in the scene shop for two years, studied set and costume design and was a designer on three shows. I assistant directed, learned scenic painting and dramaturgy, and studied a massive breadth of dramatic literature. The opportunities available in this department are countless, and the relationships I built are invaluable; I’m proud to say the importance of ensemble is the most prominent value instilled in me from my time in Wofford Theatre. I’m truly grateful to the professors and peers who gave me the tools needed to adapt to the unique challenges presented by working in theatre, all while encouraging me to find my place as an artist.

Meet Eliza Monts ’21

Eliza is a 2021 Wofford graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in theatre and English with a concentration in creative writing. She is currently the marketing manager at Consistent Capital LLC. She blogs and posts to an audience of more than 44,000 followers at @elizawritessthings. She and her husband live in her hometown of Charleston, S.C.

Wofford Theatre’s Impact

The most valuable skills I learned from my professors in Wofford’s theatre department, namely Colleen Ballance, were how to access, translate and execute my own creativity. In Basic Elements of Production, Costume Design and Period Styles, I developed research and design skills that apply across all creative disciplines, and I still use them to this day in my courses sharpened my skills as a writer far more than I thought possible, and I’ve felt this advantage greatly in the postgrad working world.

Additionally, I had the honor of being the theatre department’s nominee to the Senior Presidential Seminar in 2021, enabling me to enjoy enlightening discussions with President Samhat and students in every department at Wofford about current events.

While I’m grateful for these accolades from my professors, perhaps the reward from Wofford Theatre that’s closest to my heart is the group chat I’m in with students who went to Wofford from 2019-2023 — it remains active to this day. This level of friendship certainly isn’t surprising given all that we celebrated, suffered and worked hard to build together.

Katie O’Kelly ’12

Katie O’Kelly majored in theatre and government. She has worked nationally and internationally as a production manager, stage manager and producer for organizations like Spoleto Festival USA, CalArts Center for New Performance and Seattle Rep. She was the producing associate for the Tony Award- and Grammy Award-winning musical “Hadestown” through its pre-Broadway runs in Canada and London to its opening on Broadway. O’Kelly has an MFA in creative producing and management from California Institute of the Arts. She has been an adjunct professor teaching theatre and nonprofit management at several colleges and universities, including at Wofford College. Currently, she is the CEO of South Carolina Children’s Theatre and is an associate producer working with Crucial Arts LLC on new works and revivals for Broadway and off-Broadway productions and in London’s West End.