It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! Owensboro High School Teacher Wins Prestigious Award

Carolyn Greer, AKA Ms. Grizzle as she was called in the early 2000s, has never loved the attention that comes with being a part of the theatre world.  In fact, I can remember when we basically had to trick her to get a picture of her.  However, this week, she was the star of the show as she was awarded with a much-deserved honor, The Western Kentucky University Distinguished Educator Award for Visual and Performing Arts.  At Owensboro High School, her title is drama/theatre teacher, but she is SO much more.

I was involved in theatre before arriving at Senior High, but once I learned about The Rose Curtain Players, OHS' drama club, my freshman year, I KNEW that was going to be "my thing."  Meeting Ms. Greer with her loud laugh and confident personality, I was encouraged right away by her example to be my true self.  At the time, it was not as acceptable to be "weird" or different, but her classroom was a safe haven for all of us. She quickly learned our strengths and helped us develop those by assigning prop-making to the crafty kid, painting sets to the artistically inclined, and lights/sound to the tech gurus (looking at you Zachary Morris-Dean!) She trusted us, which gave us room to learn through doing.  She praised us when we did things well, and she kept it real when we didn't!  When I think about Rose Curtain Player Alumni, a lot of us now use the skills we honed in her classroom to be successful.

Her classroom wasn't just for the stereotypical theatre kid.  When she noticed potential in a student whose focus was sports, she worked her magic with coaches so they could also participate.  It is commonplace at Owensboro High School for the star football player to take part in the musical for the year. I would say the process of producing a show compares to the teamwork required to win a game. All roles are important in making a production run smoothly for a "win."

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The Rose Curtain Players have been in existence for a VERY long time. I remember seeing a copy of a newspaper clipping from 1925 advertising one of their shows!   Ever since then, the group has continued to grow, and in the past 20ish years with Greer at the helm, that growth has EXPLODED. Her involvement and leadership with the State and International Thespian Festivals has put RCP on the map.  They dominate at theatre competitions where students also audition for colleges to pursue performing arts as a career.  For Greer's students with a passion for theatre, the opportunities are truly endless. Without a doubt, she has been a guiding force for the transformation of performing arts in Owensboro City Schools and the community as a whole.

While her impact has been huge, Ms. Greer has an incredible focus on the "little" things.  It is evident in every show that no detail goes unnoticed, and her ability to recognize qualities in her students that they don't even see.  She did that for me. I went through a serious ugly duckling phase. As I navigated high school life learning what it meant to have confidence, I was in full-on "fake it 'til you make it" mode.  I wasn't often a leading lady, but Ms. Greer helped me believe in myself with every role she cast me in. There is much fun to be had as a character actor! However, when she and Jenifer Wiggins chose Guys and Dolls as the musical my senior year and cast me as the showgirl, Adelaide, they changed my life. I learned so much about performing, challenged myself as a dancer ( I was so nervous about the dancing!), and my self-esteem blossomed. It is still one of my favorite roles/show experiences to date.

My story is not an outlier. It is the norm when speaking of the power theatre has to transform lives. Kids will come to an audition and be so scared they cry or can barely introduce themselves.  Fast forward through the rehearsal process, and that same kid is up dancing, singing and killing it on the stage for a performance. With a powerhouse like Carolyn Greer, magic is bound to happen for her students both on and off the stage.

That's why I can't think of anyone more deserving of recognition in the performing arts world. Ms. Greer's peers, friends, family, and students past and present all know how special she is and how lucky we are to have had her in our lives. Part of her recent award nomination was this compilation of interviews from former OHS Principal Anita Burnette, playwright Lindsey Price, and OPS Fine Arts Coordinator Tom Stites.

So, Ms. Grizzle, I know being in the spotlight on a stage is not your favorite, but if we're honest, you deserve a whole dang parade for what you have done and continue to do! For the thousands of kids who have sat in your classroom, auditorium, black box theatre, chaotic yet cozy green room, buses to Nebraska and beyond. And for what you did for me, I send you all the love and appreciation!  Troupe #3161 for life.

Who is YOUR favorite teacher? Leave us a comment about it right here and listen to 92.5 WBKR because we'll be shouting out teachers all day!