Theatre

Colleen Megarity Ballance

Associate Professor of Theatre

B.F.A., Tulane University
Teaching Certificate, University of Texas, Austin
M.F.A., Brandeis University

Colleen has her BFA in Painting from Tulane University in New Orleans, and her MFA in Theater Design from Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. Making the leap between fine art and theater design was for her, mostly a matter of size. “The larger the art work, the better.”

She is head of the design program in the Wofford College Theater Department, and teaches Set Design, Costume Design, Period Styles, and Scene Painting. She has an extensive background in painting and art history, and makes the creation of dynamic stage pictures her highest priority as a teacher and a designer. Colleen is especially interested in developing the visual creativity of her students, and, if they are so inclined, in mentoring them as student designers for Wofford Theater Departmental productions. She believes creativity is a form of knowledge, and puts it at the core of all her classes.

Colleen has over 10 years each professional experience with two of the most highly regarded theatrical institutions in America – the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, and Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston. Other areas of experience include Feature Film, TV, Opera, Ballet, and Business Theater. She continues to work professionally on an annual basis as a set designer for theater, ballet, and opera. With this amount of professional experience, it is impossible not to have that be the other half of her academic agenda. She teaches a very high standard in theatrical design process. “There’s no point in doing it, if it’s not done with integrity and aiming for the most authentic and dramatic visual experience possible for the audience.”

In addition to her theatrical design career, Colleen’s interests have begun to include Islamic studies, and use of Islamic landscape, architecture, and imagery in her watercolor painting. She occasionally teaches Watercolor for the Studio Art Department at Wofford.

“How can it be that in the theater…in the West…everything that is not contained in dialogue, has been left in the background? I maintain that the stage is a tangible, physical space that needs to be filled and it ought to be allowed to be its own concrete language.” – Antonin Artaud

Abigail Dillard

Assistant Professor of Theatre

Dillard’s teaching interests include acting, movement, devising, directing, improv and dramaturgy. She holds a B.A. in theatre from Centenary College of Louisiana and an M.F.A. in directing from Baylor University. Her scholarly interests are in devising theatre styles and techniques, dramaturgy and research for shows she directs. Dillard recently moved to the Upstate with her partner, Steven, their dog, Bear, and their cat, Molly. They enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, kayaking and bike riding. Dillard also loves to read, paint, plan fun trips and try new restaurants. She looks forward to getting involved in the local community.

Dr. Mark A. Ferguson

Chair and Professor | Director of the Wofford Theatre

B.A., Wofford College
M.A., Ph.D., Washington University in St. Louis

Dr. Mark Ferguson came to Wofford in the fall of 2003, with the institutional mandate to transform a venerable and storied extracurricular program, the Wofford Theatre Workshop founded by Dr. James R. Gross in 1970, into an artistically and intellectually rigorous degree granting program, the Department of Theatre, and producing organization, the Wofford Theatre.

Before coming to Wofford, Mark taught drama, American literature, translation, and composition at the Universität Stuttgart in Stuttgart, Germany, as well as founding the English-speaking University of Stuttgart Theater Project. Recently (2012) he returned to Germany with his family on a sabbatical during which he lectured and taught various Dramatic Literature and Playwriting courses at the Universities of Freiburg, Stuttgart and Zurich.

Mark is a proud alumnus of Wofford College (German and Humanities, ’94, magna cum laude) and holds the MA in Dramatic Literature and the Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and Drama from Washington University in St. Louis, where he also taught in the departments of English and Performing Arts. Other jobs included work in the arts, academia, advertising and financial services (Chicago and St. Louis), as well as a stint as a welder. Dissertation: “Landscape, Politics, and Alienation in the work of Heiner Müller and Richard Foreman.”

Thesis production: Hamletmachine.

Mark has done most theatrical jobs at one time or another but spends most of his time now in the rehearsal hall as a director, or in the classroom teaching the Introduction to Theatre class, as well as upper division dramatic literature courses: Greek and Roman, African American, Contemporary, Modern, Dramatic Theory, and 19th century, as well as the freshman seminar Humanities 101 and Introduction to Theatre.

“Theatre as a discipline is one of the most important tools in our critical arsenal. Much like the study of philosophy, psychology, religion, and history, the serious study of theatre can be enormously powerful as we attempt to understand the puzzles of our own culture and the nature and purpose of human existence.”

Some of his favorite directing projects at Wofford include The Visit, Into the Woods, Criminal Genius, Much Ado About Nothing, Red Roses, Metamorphoses, and The Clean House.

“Apart from the fun in the rehearsal hall and the development of a rapport with the cast and crew, the greatest pleasures available to me as a director are during performances when I am able to witness the enormous amount of work done by committed designers, technicians, support staff and actors come together to create a beautiful, elegant, hilarious, heartbreaking, or revelatory moment. It is a privilege and a rare gift to get to be a part of something like that.”

“My favorite thing about working at Wofford is the opportunity to spend every day with extremely bright, talented, and motivated students as they discover the courage, discipline, and tenacity to become amazing artists and scholars, and discover their own distinctive artistic voices.”

Mark is married to Kerry Mulvaney Ferguson, an actor, director, playwright, poet and adjunct professor at Wofford. They have three crazy children.

David Kenworthy

Technical Director

B.A., Chico State University
M.F.A., Humboldt State University

David Kenworthy is the Technical Director for Wofford’s Department of Theatre. He holds a B.A. in Theatre from Chico State University and an M.F.A. in Scenography from Humboldt State University. Prior to coming to Wofford, he taught all aspects of technical theatre and design at Oklahoma Baptist University. For seven years, he was the Production Manager and Technical Director for the Arkley Center for the Performing Arts in Eureka, CA. He spent time as a stage manager and crew chief at Walt Disney World in Florida, running shows in multiple parks, including Tarzan Rocks, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and others. For the past fifteen years, he has toured as a sound engineer, lighting designer, production manager, and stage manager, working with different rock bands, including the Beach Boys, Blue Oyster Cult, the Doobie Brothers, and others. David loves theatre and puts all he has into it. It is his passion and what keeps him moving forward. His goal is to impact not only the students but the world at large with the power of theatre.