Steve Zissis

Steve Zissis was born and raised in the culturally rich city of New Orleans, Louisiana, to a family of Greek descent. He attended Jesuit High School, where he first began to act in musicals at the age of sixteen, and went on to New York University, where he studied acting and performed in plays. At NYU, Steve garnered a "Best Actor" award for his portrayal of the ferocious Irishman, Mr. Maurrant, in Elmer Rice's "Street Scene." After college, Steve continued working in theater, at one point studying puppetry at The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, under the mentoring of Richard Termine of the Henson Foundation and Marty Robinson of Sesame Street ("Mr. Snuffleupagus," "Telly Monster"). In 2002, Steve directed his own live-action/puppet adaptation of Peter Shaeffer's "Amadeus" for which he received a "Best Director" award and the play received a "Best Drama" award. Jay Stanley of Vive La Vie! Magazine called the play a "masterpiece of theatrical genius." In 2005, Steve first teamed up wit