Meet Steven Klein | Part of me wants to write “A temporary participant in this field of appearance.” But I’ll play the game: actor and producer, leading me to be Founder and CEO of Firefly Theater & Films (fireflyinc.com)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Steven Klein and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Steven, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
In some very real way, I don’t think I “pursued” the path I’m on, at least not the artistic part of it. I think an artistic path pursues you, and I’ve felt called to acting in and producing/creating stories since I was young. That said, back in those days, when I was dreaming of a life pretty darn close to the one I have (thankfully), I would have heard in this question a binary between “an artistic or creative career” and a “non-artistic or uncreative career”. I don’t see that binary anymore. As I’ve taken on more roles in starting and running businesses – from my two main companies to the LLCs I’ve started to make individual films or shows – I’ve seen the way that lots of paths can be approached creatively or non-creatively. That is, it’s not the “career” that either is or isn’t creative, it’s the approach to the career. Those who are resilient and flexible in the face of obstacles, who find ways to build new systems or solutions when an unexpected barrier pops up, who dig deep to find motivation when things are hard – all of that is part of a “creative career,” and that’s as true for an accountant, shift worker, surgeon, or any other person as it is for career paths we more readily name as “artistic or creative.” The other element of “artistic” work – the yearning to express some aspect of the ineffable mystery of being here at all – that part doesn’t feel like a choice, but like a calling or compulsion.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
“Was it easy?” is an amusing question. NO! But it’s hard to imagine how it could be, for anyone; nor, for that matter, why one would want it to be easy. My goal as an artist is to excavate deeply my soul/point of view and to turn that process into (hopefully) moving and communicative expressions. Self-excavation is rarely easy. And given the complexity of making anything, let along making something good, that process can’t be easy either. So: it’s tough but fulfilling.

I don’t know many other people who are both an actor and a hands-on producer, so I suppose that’s a thing that sets me apart. (Which I think overlaps with being an artist and an entrepreneur, also seemingly rare.)

I started out my career self-identifying as only an actor, but I had always been the kind of actor who was willing to do the dirty work necessary to create an opportunity for myself and others. In high school, college, and in my early years in LA, I started theater groups, put up shows, made short films…and then realized the “dirty work” was called producing and was itself a career path. As I continued to work on both paths, I found myself more and more aware of the ways the industry asks actors to be interpretive artists only. I also became increasingly aware that I’ve always had a generative impulse, wanting to make/choose the stories I work on. I founded Firefly Theater & Films (fireflyinc.com) with that in mind, and Firefly has told quite a few stories over the years, on stage and screen. I’m proud of the success those stories have had. I continue to be inspired by the craft of acting, including because it requires the whole self and psyche, and I also continue to enjoy the creative development of well-told, meaningful stories.

In terms of projects, I am proud of my body of work (fireflyinc.com/projects). Right now, I’m coming off the high of the theatrical release of the feature film IN OUR BLOOD (fireflyinc.com/inourblood), a new thriller starring Brittany O’Grady and directed by Oscar nominee Pedro Kos, and I’m excited by a number of new films and theater projects I have in development. I’m also proud of my role as Producing Director of Lobby Theatre @ AGBO (lobbytheatre.org), where we also have exciting theater plans brewing.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
That’s a surprising question! Lots of people talk about the fact that LA gives close access to beaches, mountains, snow, and desert, and I try to actively take advantage of that access. I’d put all of those on any itinerary of “the best time ever.” For some other specifics, I’d add the Magic Castle, where I’m a magician member, and eating at Bestia, my go-to favorite.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are a lot of people who deserve my gratitude for various kinds of support, mentorship, love, and encouragement. In many ways, its hundreds and hundreds of people if you include everyone who’s played an essential role in pulling off various productions at Firefly. That said, in this context, I’d have to focus on my wife, Kristine, without whom I can’t have made the gains of the last 10+ years, and that’s for reasons both deep (psychological and spiritual wellbeing, motivation, etc.) and surface (pure logistics, support with the mundane during times of heavy work, etc.). I am blessed to live a life very close to the bullseye of my dreams, and the best and most meaningful parts of that center around, are built with, and are supported by Kristine.

Website: https://fireflyinc.com

Twitter: @fireflyinc

Image Credits
• CaughtPhoto1: Louis Ozawa, Jessica Kaye, and Steven Klein in CAUGHT, by Christopher Chen. Photo credit: Firefly Theater & Films, LLC
• DanceNationPhoto: Jeanne Sakata, Marin Hinkle, and Steven Klein in Lobby Theatre’s staged reading of DANCE NATION, by Clare Barron. Photo credit: Lobby Theatre @ AGBO
• DanceNationTeamPhoto: Cast and crew of Lobby Theater’s staged reading of DANCE NATION, by Clare Barron. Photo credit: Lobby Theatre @ AGBO
• InOurBloodFirstDay: Steven Klein, EJ Bonilla, Brittany O’Grady, Pedro Kos, and Aaron Kogan on first day of principal photography of IN OUR BLOOD. Photo credit: Regulator, LLC
• InOurBloodPhoto1: Steven Klein, Brittany O’Grady, Krisha Fairchild, EJ Bonilla from the cast of IN OUR BLOOD. Photo credit: Regulator, LLC
• InOurBloodPhoto2: Los Angeles Q&A after IN OUR BLOOD Premiere. Photo credit: Regulator, LLC
• InOurBloodStill: Steven Klein, Bianca Comparato, and Brittany O’Grady in a still from IN OUR BLOOD. Photo credit: Regulator, LLC
o Let me know if not high res enough.
• PersonalPhoto: Steven Klein. Photo credit: Firefly Theater & Films, LLC
• TheAntipodesPhoto1: Arye Gross, Daniel David Stewart, Steven Klein, and Deborah Puette in Lobby Theatre’s staged reading of THE ANTIPODES, by Annie Baker. Photo credit: Lobby Theatre @ AGBO