By Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89
They see each other coming and going; sometimes popping in to check on internet connections or shared customers. They commiserate over construction, changing markets and times they can hardly keep up with demand. Then there’s the occasional happy hour.
They’re all invested in the community, and they advocate for small businesses and their customer base with purpose and intensity.
“Our city is always planning. There’s a vision, and small businesses are what keeps Greenville flourishing,” says Cain. “On the surface, we’re in the business of theatre, fashion, glamour and fun, but at a foundational level, we’re invested in this community and its growth and development.”
“We’re out there and active,” says Miller. “We’re attending government events and supporting local nonprofits. If it’s important to my customers and their families, it’s important to me.”
Because it’s a nonprofit, the SCCT’s mission is public forward and requires public support. Advocacy extends to the state as well as local levels.
“We’re always working with our community partners to better serve our community on macro and micro levels,” says O’Kelly. “This includes meeting with city officials and other West End business owners on increasing parking and providing opportunities for students in Title I schools in Greenville County to attend a performance on a field trip with their classmates.”
O’Kelly became involved in theatre at Wofford, where she met Matt Giles ’07, who was an assistant adjunct for the Theatre for Youth Course. O’Kelly went on to earn an MFA from the California Institute of the Arts, then began working nationally and internationally as a production manager, producer and stage manager. Stops on her journey include Broadway’s “Hadestown,” where she was a producing associate, and the prestigious professional arts training program in production management at the Seattle Repertory Co. There she worked with Giles, now artistic director of the SCCT; he recruited O’Kelly to come to Greenville. Together they co-manage the organization.
“I fell in love with theatre in the Upstate at Wofford, so it’s a full-circle moment for me to come back to run SCCT and create a space where young people can fall in love with theatre,” says O’Kelly. “Part of me moving back to South Carolina is about being close to Wofford and my theater roots.”
O’Kelly connected with Colleen Ballance, professor of theatre and a mentor, to design “Mary Poppins” for the SCCT, and Wofford students and alumni have worked in many capacities at the organization. Recently SCCT produced Kerry Ferguson’s “D is for Dance Party.” Ferguson, who still teaches a Theatre for Youth course at Wofford, is an adjunct instructor and the spouse of Dr. Mark Ferguson ’94, professor of theatre and T.R. Garrison Chair in the Humanities, who is a mentor and friend to Giles and O’Kelly … yet another connection.
Miller’s path to the West End includes work in admission marketing at Wofford before earning an MBA at Clemson University. She found her niche as an entrepreneur. Miller spends time at Wofford events and with Wofford people as part of her community engagement efforts. She was on campus recently speaking to a finance class and advising students in the Career Center. She attends as many athletics events as possible and recently was an honorary coach during a women’s basketball game.
“My Wofford connections are good for business … and for my soul,” says Miller. Cain grew up in Greenville and commuted to Wofford as a senior. She started working at Monkees that year and quickly realized that her studies in art history and psychology were complementary to her work in sales and aesthetics.
“Wofford put me on a path for success — emotionally, mentally and physically, as well as academically,” says Cain, who was diagnosed with an eating disorder while at Wofford. “People cared about me. In both tangible and intangible ways, I’m where I am because of Wofford.”
Cain became manager of the store during 2008, and the recession gave her a crash course in business. In 2020, the pandemic forced her to innovate.
“COVID-19 taught us that it’s not about what we can’t do but about what we still can do,” says Cain. “Pivot was the word of the year. I would never have looked at launching a full e-commerce site before the pandemic.” Now MaryElliott Hester ’20 handles online sales as well as the website and marketing for Monkees.
“We all love this community and want to do our part to help it evolve and thrive.”
“We’re coming together — as women, Terriers and small business owners — to help shape the direction of Greenville.”
“We’ve all learned to do things that have made us and our community better.”
For Cain, Miller and O’Kelly — role models, women of business, community investors — the sentiments are the same. They’ve embraced the West End, and the West End has certainly embraced them.