After nearly three decades of inspiring students through the power of performance, Owensboro High School theatre teacher Carolyn Greer is taking her final bow.
Greer began teaching at OHS in 1998 after spending six years teaching in Georgia and three years as youth director for Theatre Workshop of Owensboro. Her retirement this spring marks the end of a 36-year career in theater education, including 33 years in the classroom.
“Owensboro Public Schools has a special place in my heart,” Greer said. “All three of my children came through this school system. They all graduated from Owensboro High School and were part of the arts. For me, it’s always been a family affair.”
Greer’s impact on the OHS Rose Curtain Players has been profound. She helped guide the program through significant growth and expansion, including the creation of the black box theatre and the fine arts wing, which she called one of her proudest achievements.
“I was the first person to direct in the black box theatre,” she said. “It’s a more intimate space and perfect for student performances. By using it, we also left room for the other fine arts programs — band, choir, orchestra, and dance—to flourish in the auditorium.”
Her final production, Mutually Assured Destruction, is a play about sibling relationships across different decades, beginning in 2015 and working back to the 1930s. The show opened on Thursday night, with another performance set for Saturday at 7 p.m. in the black box theater.
Saturday’s performance is already sold out, and Greer said they’ll do everything possible to accommodate any additional guests. That night also includes the group’s annual senior recognition ceremony, making it especially meaningful for Greer.
“I’ll be graduating with my seniors,” she said. “We’ll present them with roses and recognize them during the show. It’s a really special night.”
Over the years, Greer led the program through numerous milestones, including a standout production of Anatomy of Gray in 2006 that earned a spot at the International Thespian Festival. Another highlight was Among Friends and Clutter, which won the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) competition and sparked a relationship with playwright Lindsay Price, leading to several world and U.S. premieres of her work at OHS.
Asked what she hopes her legacy will be, Greer said she wants people to remember that theater is for everyone.
“Our program has always afforded everyone the opportunity to try,” she said. “Theater is not something for the rich or elite — it’s for everyone. I hope I’ve conveyed that message. Theater is a family, and all are welcome.”
Though stepping away from the classroom, Greer is not stepping away from the stage. She’s already lined up to direct Romeo and Juliet for Bluegrass Community Theatre and Voices of Elmwood for the Owensboro Museum of Science and History.
“I’m not giving up theater,” she said. “I’m just shifting my focus.”
Greer said she’s confident in the future of the OHS program under incoming theater teacher Kaytlyn Garcia Meyer.
“She’s going to be phenomenal,” Greer said. “I’ll always be available to her and will always support the Rose Curtain Players.”
