John J. Carosella

1944 - 2023

John J. Carosella led a wondrous and adventurous life, filled with love, family, friendship and beauty, but in his final days he wished to be remembered with five simple words: "He did what he could." To him, this reflected a belief that anyone who lived to the fullest, with intention, fearlessness and determination, would be happy and fulfilled in defiance of inevitable setbacks or heartbreaks. It was an enduring lesson from a man who devoted most of his own life to serving as an educator. The Western Pennsylvania playwright, poet, theater impresario and high school teacher died in his home Thursday night, June 29, 2023, at the age of 78, surrounded by his family. He ultimately succumbed to cancer, which he had battled and beaten several times before. Per his request, there will be no viewing, church funeral or burial service. He had a living wake June 18, 2023, at Mauro's Italian Ristorante to visit with friends and loved ones while he was still present. Carosella spent 47 years teaching literature in the Catholic school system, and often led extracurricular drama programs to stage plays and musicals with his many generations of students. Among his favorite shows to produce were "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Man of La Mancha," two stories he considered to be testaments about the impact that lone dreamers and idealists could have on the world. He was also an accomplished writer, actor and director in the broader Pittsburgh theater community, although his primary focus was to bring performing arts to small towns and rural areas on the outskirts of the city. Carosella lived and worked in the community where he was born, becoming a prominent and respected figure throughout Westmoreland County. He received his bachelor's degree in English education from Saint Vincent College, and his master's degree in liberal arts from St. John's College, but he never stopped his learning or seeking. In the mid-2000s, he participated in a six-week fellowship to Florence and Rome, sponsored by Ohio Wesleyan University, to study the great Renaissance masters and classic works of art and history. He returned from that trip inspired to redouble his own efforts at writing, acting and creating. One of Carosella's early life-changing moments came in 1963, when at the age of 18 he boarded a train from Pittsburgh to the nation's capitol and joined roughly 300,000 others in the March on Washington for civil rights, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic "I have a dream speech." Decades later, while watching the 1987 PBS documentary "Eyes on the Prize," Carosella was astounded to glimpse himself as a young man, captured in some of the news footage from the event. In the mid 1960s, while working as a sixth grade teacher, he was encouraged by a fellow faculty member to get involved in community theater. Carosella started out working backstage on the crew, helping to construct a doorway for an upcoming performance-which he botched badly. He was moved by the forgiving nature of the other members of the troupe, and by the acceptance and tolerance they displayed toward one another. "They were the filthiest, most unkempt group of people I'd ever seen," he said. "I realized they didn't care who I was, or what I sounded like, or where I came from. All they cared about was: Are you pitching in to do the work And I was. For the first time in my life, I felt accepted." From that point forward, Carosella became determined not just to remain a part of the acceptance he found in that community, but to open it up to others. He co-founded the Saint Vincent Summer Theatre in 1969 with his mentor, Father Tom Devereaux, and began his own company, The Cabaret Theatre, 10 years later, which he continued to lead for the rest of his life. Carosella also brought his devotion to kindness and acceptance to the classroom. He shifted from elementary education to teaching literature in high school, and was cherished for his colorful explorations of classic novels and poetry. He was especially beloved for his ability to reach those students who were on the edge-troubled, disruptive, and often combative young people who were frequently discounted or discarded. He liked to begin his first class of each year with a question: "Who are you" When bright-eyed students answered eagerly with their names, he would reply: "If I wanted to know your name, I'd have asked, 'What's your name' I asked: Who are you" As the students replied with various answers, each sharing a piece of information that they felt defined them, Mr. C (as he was typically known) would only respond with a curious: "Oh..." Gradually, the trouble-prone students who chose seats in the back of the room, became more interested in the solution as successions of teacher's pets failed to find the "right" answer. When the troublemakers began offering their own replies-often sarcastic or silly-Carosella's goal had been accomplished. There was no correct answer to "Who are you," he felt. The point was to merely ask the question-and hopefully, continue asking it in perpetuity. On his classroom bulletin boards, Carosella cut out the letters "Y-E-S" and stapled them into collages. With every novel, short story, poem or play he asked his students to read, he wanted them to discover something that made them say "YES!" Carosella believed these stories resonated because they contained "universal themes" that could echo the experiences of virtually anyone, perhaps making them feel less alone in the world. Whenever his students challenged him, questioning what purpose these poems or stories might serve for them later in life, Carosella often joked that he was preparing them for a lifetime of sounding smart at cocktail parties. In truth, he was preparing them to forever search for connection-to understand themselves, as well as others. Carosella taught at Mother of Sorrows Elementary School from 1966-68, Greensburg Central Catholic High School from 1970-1980, Monongahela Catholic High School from 1980-1990, Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School from 1990-91, and St. Joseph High School from 1991-2015, when he finally retired. At the age of 72, he was not yet finished. He invested his life savings in resuscitating the Cabaret Theatre, and staged numerous shows in the Latrobe area over the past eight years, including many of his own original works. "I believe that having a full-time, professional-quality theatre company is the lifeblood of any community," he said. Carosella did not step back even after being diagnosed with lymphoma five years later. Throughout his courses of chemotherapy, he continued to write, direct and produce. His final one-act play was "Ashes to Ashes," about a dying man reflecting on pivotal moments from his life. Another play, "A Life's Work," about a family's final moments in a home slated for demolition, was recently published by Theatrical World Rights. He is survived by his son, John "B.J." Horanic, daughter-in-law, Donna, and grandchildren, Jonathan Michael and Marissa Marie, as well as her partner, Christen Crowely. Carosella will also be mourned by numerous cousins, nieces and nephews, as well as students, performers, artists and theater fans whose lives he touched. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Steven Jr. and James, sister, Betty, and his parents, Mary (Rapa) and Steven Carosella Sr. Asked for parting wisdom and guidance in his final weeks, Carosella considered the question deeply. His answer was words that he followed throughout his life, and what he tried to teach for decades in his classrooms. "Don't be afraid," he said. In lieu of flowers or gifts, please donate to a local theater program or to The Cabaret Theatre's ongoing efforts at 101 J. Michaels Lane, Jeannette, PA 15644.