Jim Kisicki, his wonderful wife Debbie, and two daughters Kate and Rebecca have been residents of Chesterland Township since 1989. They love the area and its charming and neighborly residents.
Jim has been a member of the Chesterland Rotary Club since 1991. He says he is “… both proud and humbled” to have the latest of the Rotary Scholarships for “The Performing Arts” linked to his name. West Geauga Interact Club and Chesterland Rotary could not think of anyone more deserving to name the scholarship for. Kisicki has been working with the young men and women of West Geauga High School in the staging of their annual spring musical for the last 13 years. He is most grateful to Beth Singer for starting it all and now Paul Stewart for continuing to allow him to collaborate in the wonderful shows the talented West G students present each year.
Jim brings with him in his work with the students a lot of experience. He received his MFA in acting from Wayne State University. He has been a professional actor for 36 years. He is a member of Actor’s Equity, AFTRA, and SAG. Kisicki has appeared on stage at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, The Muse Theater in Miami, Florida, and The Hillberry Theater in Detroit and, here in Cleveland, at the Dobama, the Ensemble, The Halle, the Cleveland Stage Company, and the Cleveland Play House where he was a member of the resident acting company for nine years beginning in 1977.
The “Detroit Free Press” Theater Critic Larry DeVine created the “James Kisicki” award in 1975, and it has been given annually to the “Most Versatile Actor” of the year in the greater Detroit area. They still award it.
Jim has been heard and seen doing both local and national commercials on radio and TV. He also does narrations, both on and off camera, for industrial and corporate video programs. He has narrated shows for the “Discovery” and “Travel” channels. He has also appeared in 11 major motion pictures (the most memorable being “The Shawshank Redemption” and “Milk Money”) and three movies made for TV. For detailed information and samples of Jim’s work, log onto his website. For more information about his movies, go to this site and type in his name.
Kisicki says that in working with the young men and women of West G, he finds in them a tremendous amount of talent and eagerness to learn.
He says, “I can’t tell you how exciting it is to see the growth that occurs in so many of the kids between their freshman and senior year. It is a privilege for me to pass on to them a lot of what I learned in my own professional career. I am well aware of the impact some great teachers and directors made in my own life. It is my hope to repay that influence by passing it on to some of the best kids I know. The residents of this area should be proud of the young men and women of West G and do all they can to support their work. By the way…this year the musical is CAMELOT. It will be performed on the 15th, 16th, and 17th of March. Come and see the kids do a wonderful job.” He finally adds, “To the Rotary Club and the West Geauga Interact Club (student arm of Rotary), I can only say ‘Thank you! Thank you! And again, I thank you!’ The words may come from the Bard’s pen, but they come from my heart.”
