The Closet Thespian!

Although I have actively chosen to seek supply assignments at the little country school not far from me called Elmvale DHS, every once in a while I do a favour for an old colleague from my previous life at Central or North. On one particular day, I ventured westward across the country byways to Stayner to do a favour for my good friend Frank Cunsolo, a day of drama the reward for my troubles.

Although not schooled in the dramatic arts, I have no issues with covering said class, (a) because it's for Frank, and (b) it's like an academic version of HPE. Once I got the students busy with the lengthy list of tasks for the day, I was circulating, as one should, to ensure their understanding was clear and their focus was the best it could be on that day.

Sitting on the front ledge, proudly displayed for inquiring minds to contemplate, was a familiar talisman of Central lore, a relic of profound significance to those that toiled in the classrooms and hallways of ol' BCC, the local country cousin of Hollywood's quintessential symbol of theatrical excellence, the Oscar.

The Closet Thespian was annually presented at the final staff meeting of each year to the most deserving candidate based on their previously concealed performance skills. The CT was not the only award presented each year. Awards like the Big Ball, the Hot Rod, the Darth Vader, the Communication, the Stud Finder and the Safety to name a few of the others, each with its own special significance, some of which appropriate for public consumption like this Blog, others relegated solely to the mental filing cabinets of those who spent time amongst the SuperStars of BCC. 

To be blunt, some awards were hilariously meant for private circles.

The sight of the CT immediately conjured up a plethora of previously suppressed recollections that prompted a ridiculously silly grin that aroused some curiosity with the youngsters that noticed. Just brushing off the cobwebs off those memories left me with a warming glow of appreciation and gratitude for the opportunities to be involved with such an iconic institution. Not the least of those memories was the one of being presented with The Closet Thespian in 2009 (give or take a year) for something to do with Moustache May, the details remaining in the dusty recesses of my grey matter. 

When the SCDSB shuttered Central's doors forever in 2016, it's trophies and awards were scattered like ashes to the winds, some re-homed by the families that initially donated them, some claimed by alumni or staff that held it in high esteem, and some to the archives of Simcoe County. That the CT would eventually find a home in Stayner is both comforting and bizarre, but as one of Central's beloved and provincially recognized theatre directors, Frank Cunsolo is the PERFECT curator of such a prestigious symbol. Unlike its previous life, the main condition being the winner was a member of staff, the CT would now conjure warm fuzzies in the souls of students. 

I wonder if Frank would have chosen to share its history with the youngsters of SCI?

Looking back on it all, 2016 seems almost a lifetime ago with so much change and transformation in the past 7 years, but the imprint on my soul is a red, black, and white warm fuzzy that regains strength with each dredging of my Hippocampus. Sure, the teaching and coaching were of epic proportions, accolades and recognitions coming fast and furious, but the meat and potatoes of those years were the zany shenanigans shared by the like minded warriors, forging bonds of friendship that endure well past the curtain's closing.

All of this thanks to a little golden talisman?

The personification of awesome, that's what it is.