Gerald-notasyoung

Gerald Floyd

Local actor, singer and educator Gerald Floyd has received many accolades in his first 80 years. Named Teacher of the Year four times at Dreher High School, he was inducted into the Richland One School District Hall of Fame in 2015 for his 43 years of service as a classroom teacher. In the guise of Miss Polly Gripp, he also won the 2012 Vista Queen Pageant, the campy annual fundraiser for Trustus Theater where local celebrities dress in drag.

Now the Columbia arts community is coming together to formally acknowledge what many have said for years. On Friday, Trustus will present Floyd with its inaugural Living Legend Award at a dinner and fundraiser to be held at City Art. 

The event will feature cocktails, dinner, a silent auction, and cabaret-style performances by Trustus Company members and former castmates from Floyd’s prolific career as an actor. Scheduled performers include Laurel Posey, who will sing “What I Did For Love” from A Chorus Line, Trustus board Vice President Robin Gottlieb, who will perform the title song from Cabaret, and members of the cast of the Trustus production of Rent, who will sing “Seasons of Love.”

Trustus Artistic Director Chad Henderson explains that “the impetus behind creating the Living Legend Award was simple: How do we recognize the artists in the Columbia theater community who have given so much of their life to it, recognize people from our community who are unique fixtures in the work that this community creates?  The Living Legend Award was the answer.” 

Trustus Company member and current board President Sumner Bender, whom Henderson credits with being instrumental in organizing this event, says that she has “never met anyone like Gerald, who has impacted Columbia from every angle. The admiration and love for this man is multigenerational.” 

She anticipates that “different groups of people will come together and thank this generous man for all he has given. I’m grateful to have known him for as long as I have, and can’t wait to see what he does next.”

A native of Lake City, Floyd came to Columbia to attend the University of South Carolina, landing his first job as a paid soloist with a local church choir only a week into his freshman year. Singing led to performing in musicals and operas, and then acting roles, most often in comedies. Favorites among his 70-odd stage roles over the last six decades include “Mr. Cellophane” (i.e. Amos in Chicago) and Albin in La Cage aux Folles, both at Workshop Theatre, Sancho Panza in Man of La Mancha at Town Theatre, and his one-man show at Trustus, Mr. Charles, Currently of Palm Beach. Most recently, Trustus audiences have enjoyed his performances as the Narrator in 2016’s revival of The Rocky Horror Show, and as a beleaguered shop owner in 2017’s A Christmas Miracle at the Richland Fashion Mall, a role created by The Mothers — Trustus’ resident improv/sketch comedy troupe — with him in mind.  

Floyd first acted at Trustus in 2003’s The Fantasticks. Henderson recalls that late Trustus co-founder Jim Thigpen “often said a secret ingredient to getting big box office numbers was finding a role for Gerald. Jim would say that with a wink, but he was right. Gerald is deeply knit into the fabric of the Columbia community at-large. He’s not just an actor. He’s not just a teacher. He’s so many things at once. When he’s in a show, the community responds with their attendance. He’s played so many roles, portrayed [such] a large range of characters, and told so many stories on various stages.”  

Floyd responds with characteristic modesty when asked for his reaction to being proclaimed a living legend. 

“Well, of course I’m overwhelmed,” the actor says. “And grateful. It’s just amazing, and astonishing that anyone would go to so much trouble to do something like this for me.” 

Having celebrated his 80th birthday in September by singing karaoke with friends in a neighborhood bar, Floyd doesn’t plan to slow down.  

“I look forward to every day,” he told this writer a few years ago. “I wake up motivated in the morning. ... I still feel young, and think young.” 

“Until I look into the mirror,” he added with a twinkle. “I burn the candle at both ends. I have all my life — it’s just how I like it.”

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