Teacher profile: Ms. Kissam

Photo by Nyda Hosack

Whether you’ve been in one of her middle school classes or in Theater Company, you know that Ms. Kissam is one of the most energetic and outgoing teachers at ERHS. In addition to teaching the fundamentals of both theater and musical theater, she’s directed numerous school plays such as Mean Girls, The Outsiders, and 9 to 5: The Musical, which she is currently working on right now. She’s been teaching here for around 10 year and Ms. Kissam got the job replacing an old teacher who was leaving at the time, previously working at Torres High School. “I interviewed for the job and got it within the hour.” 

Ms. Kissam is a native New Yorker who grew up on Long Island. Growing up, she says she had a lot of independence. She noticed that parents were “a lot less worried” about giving their kids freedom to go out living and another reason why Ms. Kissam loved living in New York was due to the proximity to all the culture. Art museums, theaters, music, and people were parts of the vibrant scene Ms. Kissam was surrounded by during her childhood and adolescence in the state. Even though she enjoyed living in New York, she began to get sick of the state’s winters. She also wanted to be outdoors more often eventually, making the decision to move to Los Angeles.

After attending an acting class in college, she immediately fell in love with putting on costumes and taking on a character. Ms. Kissam went to college at NYU for grad school, studying educational theater. However, she adds that she “found her passion for theater before that.” Besides running our school’s theater company, Ms. Kissam has her own group outside of school called “Honeylabs Productions.” While there isn’t a specific place where the company always meets, they put together shows at the Cavern Club in Silver Lake.

Ms. Kissam is also a huge LGBTQ+ ally. “I didn’t come out until I was 30. However, I always had a sense that I was queer.” She says that it is important to let others be themselves and find their own way, even sponsoring the SAGA Club here at Eagle Rock. 

Some other hobbies of hers include camping, bike riding, hiking, and playing tennis. She is also fascinated by interior design; when she was a teenager her love for decorating her room turned into a longtime interest of hers. Now she even has a house in the mountains her wife and friends have been renovating. Within the creative sphere, Ms. Kissam also loves drawing. She has her own web page called “Twisted Tails”, a collection of fairy tales that she’s written and illustrated. 

Ms. Kissam’s favorite band is Depeche Mode. New wave music suits her tempo, enjoying The B-52s, Talking Heads, and New Order, but also slowing it down by listening to jazz. Some of her favorite foods include pizza, sushi, and bagels. She found her love for these foods when she was growing up in New York. “The sushi’s definitely better in California!” Ms. Kissam remarks.

Her favorite life quote is one that her dad would always say; “Leave the party while you’re still having fun.” Ms. Kissam says that we often push ourselves to do things that we don’t really want to do. “You don’t necessarily have to do these things all the time. My father would often say that because it wasn’t necessary to always stay at the party or always push yourself to do something that doesn’t feel right. Leave on a high note.”

Being one of the most beloved teachers at our school, Ms. Kissam will always put a smile on anyone’s face. If you haven’t had the chance to already meet her, Ms. Kissam is one of the most unique, talented, and bubbly teachers at Eagle Rock.