Cazimir Liske ’04

Cazimir Liske ’04, originally from Denver, died April 24 in Moscow, Russia, where he was an actor, director, musician and composer. As an undergraduate at Dartmouth he directed the College’s oldest a cappella group, the Dartmouth Aires. He was one of the first Americans to graduate from the Moscow Art Theatre School in 2009 and was the first American invited to teach at the school. In addition to English, he was fluent in Russian and Italian. He frequently taught at the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center in Connecticut. In 2014 he developed and directed a new production of Illusions by Ivan Viripaev, a leading contemporary Russian playwright, at the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York. His numerous stage credits include plays in London and Moscow. He codirected Romeo and Juliet in Mostar, Bosnia-and-Herzegovina. “Everyone that knew or met Caz even briefly was filled with his indomitable, optimistic spirit and enthusiasm for life and community,” observed his cousin, Andrew. Caz is survived by his wife, Polina, son Oliver, mother Katy, stepfather John, stepsisters Lisa and Erin, stepmother C.L. and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. His father, Craig, preceded him in death in 1988. Memorials were held in Moscow and Denver.