Hey, My name is Steve. I was born and raised in and around Madison, Wisconsin. Interested in art in all forms, I dove head first into many things. As a grade schooler, I developed an early love of cartooning and was eventually voted “most artistic” in high school,
After high school, I attended Madison Media Institute, where I quickly got a job as on-air radio talent at various radio stations throughout southern Wisconsin. While there, I practiced my character work as well as comedic writing. I was well known for making some pretty crazy commercials at that time.
Following radio, I wanted to hone my writing skills, and took a job as a sports reporter at a local newspaper. I also had to shoot photographs for this job and that led me to having some great seats at sports games. Down side, they frowned upon me bring beers and hot dogs onto the field. Over several years, I eventually worked my way up to editor.
In the late 1990’s, I moved to Chicago, Illinois to pursue a career in comedy. Studying at the world famous Improv Olympic theater (now the i.O. theater) I threw myself into the craft, sometimes spending months without taking a night off. Which, in hindsight, I probably should have once in a while. Things got a little nuts more than once.
While at the iO theater, I fell deeply in love with a fellow performer named Katie. A hilarious woman in the comedy scene of Chicago, and we have been glued at the hip ever since.
My beautiful wife and I (with my apparent Horse-teeth.)
In May of 2006, we moved to Las Vegas to work with the Second City at the Flamingo Casino. Katie would write and perform in three separate critically acclaimed sketch reviews over the next two years, while I would perform, teach and direct the theater’s improvisation shows.
In 2008 Katie and I headed for the high seas aboard the Norwegian Cruise lines and performed once again with the Second City. For two years we travelled the world, and got paid to do it!
In 2010 Los Angeles beckoned us to come and play the "actor's lottery". Quickly snapped up by agents, Katie and I kept busy with auditions, commercial work, television and movies.
In late 2014, we made the difficult decision to move to Katie's hometown of Jerome, Idaho. Katie's mother was progressing through Alzheimer's and dementia and we felt moving home to help was "the right thing to do".
In 2015 we paired with the Orpheum theater in Twin Falls for what has become a successful run of "All-Star Improv Comedy Shows". To this day, we continue to perform public, private and corporate shows under the banner of "Neffinski Arts".
In 2015 Katie and I also became the proud parents of two loving Shih-tzus's, Newt and Meep.
This is Newt!
And this is Meep!!
Earlier this year we created a mini-doc about using improvisation to help deal with the effects of Alzheimer's disease... but that will be another post!
Thanks for checking me out!
Rock!
Have fun!
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https://www.youtube.com/user/Neffinski
https://neffinskiarts.com
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neffinskiarts on Instagram