FROM RIDE OPERATOR TO ENTERTAINMENT MOGUL

SMALL-TOWN MAGIC SPARKS BIG-TIME CAREER

Shrill screams of excited park-goers harmonize with lighthearted carousel tunes and the unmistakable clicketyclack of a vintage wooden roller coaster. Neon-lit tracks illuminate greasy machine chains. Tantalizing aromas waft down the midway – a mixture of popcorn, cotton candy and French fries.

Any time Tim Chizmar, ’05, reflects on his experiences growing up next to Conneaut Lake Park in Conneaut Lake, Pa., the wondrous sights, sounds and smells of childhood come flooding right back.

“As a kid, I looked up to the folks that ran the rides as true genies granting wishes to splendid pleasures,” Chizmar said. “I had no idea they weren’t magical.”

He eventually joined their ranks, spending summers at the helm of the iconic Blue Streak and Tumble Bug. He met his first real girlfriend there, too; she ran the children’s rides in Kiddieland.

“I’ll always love that park, and to this day, I collect memorabilia from Conneaut Lake Park and Fairyland Forest,” he said. “I was indeed a product of that corner of the world, having spent many nights cruising the diamond in Meadville, performing in musicals at The Academy Theatre, and avoiding black ice on the blasted whiteout, snowy roads. I put in my time.”

After Chizmar graduated from Linesville High School – now Conneaut Area Senior High – and earned a certificate in commercial art from Crawford County Career & Technical School in Meadville, Pa., a friend and fellow ride operator, Kyle Hall, ’03, M ’08, suggested that he enroll at Edinboro.

“I knew nothing of going to college, and I was scared at the prospect,” Chizmar said. “Applying for acceptance was terrifying, and my getting in was a huge accomplishment.”

Despite being a first-generation college student, it didn’t take long for Chizmar to get acclimated. He moved into Dearborn Hall and began his

By Tim Chizmar and Kristin Brockett

studies as an art student, dabbling in graphic design and animation – even doing some work in the department as a nude model – before finding his niche in communications and media.

Soon, Chizmar was hosting multiple programs for ETV, including a show about the local music scene, a professional wrestling show and various news segments, writing a regular column in The Spectator, and working as on-air talent and in promotions with the campus radio station, WFSE 88.9 FM. He rose through the campus media ranks, bringing fresh ideas, arranging live remotes and teaming up with celebrities like comedian Dave Coulier, The Rock, Steve Austin and the band Train.

“Under the direction of industry luminaries like Dr. Warburton and Dr. Covington, I began to explore the nuts and bolts of a proper career in entertainment,” said Chizmar, who carved out time in his packed schedule to act with University Players and join an improv comedy troupe, Deviant Behavior. “I learned that I loved staying super busy with all the projects on top of projects. That’s the same drive that’s made me successful later in life, too.”

Eager to make a splash in Hollywood, Chizmar boarded a plane to California soon after graduation with $1,000 in his pocket. He roomed with fellow Edinboro alumni Andrew Croulet, ’04, and Rhett Scott, ’04, while diving headfirst into the world of entertainment.

He wrote and optioned a screenplay, did standup comedy and produced live shows at local comedy clubs, which led to a touring brand and his first television show. The late nights, early mornings and constant grind paid off in big ways.

“I wouldn’t be working in entertainment, making movies and ghostwriting for celebrities if it were not for my time spent at Edinboro. That’s where I got my drive and experience in hustling projects and leads,” Chizmar said. “My time spent on the road in sports radio, calling basketball games, taught me improv and ad-lib skills. Learning to navigate politics during the 2004 election and Pennsylvania being a swing state was a beneficial life experience. Heck, even the inclusive population there at Edinboro has had an impact on my wanting to give a voice and a platform to disabled persons in entertainment.”

Over the last two decades, the 41-year-old has worked with everyone from Adam Sandler to Gabriel Iglesias and Clive Barker and sold shows to CMT, HBO and Comedy Central. He has traveled the world headlining standup comedy tours, authored multiple bestselling books and won a Bram Stoker award.

Chizmar now has a reality show in production, three comic books coming out, two ghostwriting celeb novels, one memoir, a standup comedy residency in Las Vegas – where he’s lived since 2017 –and two feature films in post-production.

“It is a joy to be a spider in the middle of a web of crazy, wild, entertainment projects in various stages of development,” he said.

His latest film, “Hell’s Coming for You!,” is set to be released later this year. And there’s always another project.

The self-dubbed “lifelong dreamer” and award-winning motivational speaker has set his sights on inspiring others to chase their own dreams.

“The reality is that I knew nobody in entertainment before I went to college,” he said. “One thing led to another, and before long I had a career. It wasn’t easy, but nothing worth having ever is. If you want it, you can use your time at Edinboro to mold the clay that will harden in the fires of life. I am forever grateful for those years.

“Even though I live in Las Vegas and work in Hollywood, my heart will always belong to northwestern Pennsylvania and the university by the lake that gets too much snow.”