By Brandi Wylie ’24
As opening night for the Wofford College theatre department’s spring production of Philip Dawkins’ “Failure: A Love Story” approaches, seniors Rachel Johnson '24 and Emmy Monteverde '24 reflect on their journey in the department.
Johnson, a theatre major from Spartanburg, South Carolina, portrays Gerty Fail and serves as the production's music director. She has composed or arranged all 26 songs in the show.
Monteverde, a theatre and English double major from Greenville, South Carolina, is the production's dramaturg and will perform as a member of the chorus. Her research and insights enhance the play’s historical context.
Both students emphasize the transformative experiences they've had in the theatre department. Johnson encourages aspiring theatre majors to explore different facets of the field.
“It’s been good and stressful, but nothing that’s not rewarding,” Johnson says. “When we get in rehearsal, I get to teach what I’ve written, and it’s a feeling that’s indescribable and super fulfilling. This has been the most I’ve been excited for a show in a long time, if not ever. I am involved in so many facets of it that, when I get to show my friends and my family, a lot of my work is on stage instead of me just playing a role.”
Monteverde's deep dive into historical context isn't just about gathering facts; it's about shaping the very essence of the play. As she explains, “I read reviews of past productions, gather information on the historical context of the play, and make suggestions on how best to interpret the script. This allows me to help our director make informed staging choices and help our cast understand our production’s unique perspective.”
Mark Ferguson, professor of theatre and the T.R. Garrison Chair of Humanities, who serves as the show’s director, praised Johnson and Monteverde for their commitment and skill.
“There are some songs that Rachel has made new arrangements for – some that we only had lyrics for – and she has written others from scratch,” says Ferguson. “She is quite a gifted and inventive composer with a great ear for melody and satisfyingly complicated, or complicatedly satisfying, harmonies.”
“Emmy has been great and super helpful as we have worked through what has proven to be quite a challenging script,” Ferguson adds.
Wofford presents “Failure: A Love Story” from April 25-27 and May 1-4 in the Jerome Johnson Richardson Theatre. Each show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are priced at $12 for the public, $10 for Wofford employees and $5 for Wofford students. The box office opens at 7 p.m. before each performance.