Suzanne Chesko Sacks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the words of William Shakespeare, "All the world's a stage" and for Suzanne Chesko Sacks, nothing could ring more true. After leaving St. Ann's, Suzanne went up the road and attended Beaumont High School, where her love of the arts blossomed. As a young child, her mother, an opera singer and professor had exposed her to the theatrical world. However, it wasn't until she attended Miami University that the acting bug really hit her.  

 

After being cast in many shows and studying costume design at Miami, she received her Bachelor Degree in Theater in 1984. Suzanne then began her career that summer cast in the Sterling Renaissance Festival, in Sterling, NY. This is a unique venue in that it is an interactive Elizabethan era performance. For 9 hours a day (weekends during the summer months) the cast improvises in a Shakespearean style. Unlike many similar festivals, Sterling is renowned for its intensive training and showmanship. Suzanne has returned to the Sterling Festival off and on over the past 30 years, and currently has the leading role portraying Queen Elizabeth I. During the latter half of the 1980's, Suzanne was also part of Merry-Go-Round Playhouse’s national tours of ​Beauty and the Beast​, and Alice in Wonderland. 

 

In 1990, Suzanne moved to Orlando, Florida and began a 16 year run working at the then Disney-MGM Studio's where she became part of Streetmosphere, a 1940’s Hollywood interactive experience.  

In 2001, Suzanne branched off into film work and had a leading role in the film​The Chad Effect,​ a movie based off the "hanging chad" fiasco of the 2000 presidential election.  

 

While all things seemed to be going well, Suzanne's life hasn't been without setbacks. She married Johnny Sacks, another performer at Disney and former rock bassist. They began dating in 1995 and married in 2000. But tragically, Johnny was diagnosed with terminal cancer and passed away in October 2004. While it was an incredibly difficult time, Suzanne knew that life must go on and in her case, it certainly has.  

 

Leaving Disney in 2006, and now self employed, she enjoys her freedom to pick the parts, positions, and design work that suit her interests. As a costumer Suzanne has created costumes for productions of ​The King and I, Mame, Once Upon a Mattress, Candide, and the Mozart opera, Cosi Fan Tutte to name a few. 

She has also worked with Living World Entertainment and 2nd Nature Productions creating unique living fountains and ethereal creatures. 

 

In 2012 Suzanne was chosen for a starring role in the film​ 365 Decision Time.​ (see trailer below)

 

Suzanne is currently in production of a feature film, where she plays the wife of a CIA handler gone rogue. A 2016 release date is expected.  

 

When Suzanne isn't in front of the footlights, she tends to hit the road, sometimes in running shoes. She has run several marathons and had the honor of carrying the Olympic Torch thru Orlando for the 2002 Salt Lake City games. As an avid skier, Suzanne heads west every winter to ski, usually Colorado, Wyoming, or Utah. Over the last few years she has also had the good fortune to travel abroad to Switzerland (the land of her birth), England, France, Scotland, Italy, Greece, and Turkey.  

 

Suzanne looks at life itself as improv, you never really know what's next but if you stay in the moment you will be ready to answer. And while she feels blessed with her past, it's the future that excites her. Because, as we all know, the show must go on.