“Riley Steiner is a joy to work with as a director. She creates and collaborates.
A winning combination!”
Carlyle King - The Road Theatre Artistic Board
“Riley directed our production of The Merchant of Venice -she trusted me to play Shylock. The role was as exciting as my time working with Riley. She is an actor's dream. Her passion for pleasure in playing is unparalleled. She allows total freedom in exploration whilst providing seasoned, compassionate, honest and imaginative direction. There wasn't a single part of the work that she didn't water - she leaves no plants to die. She’s also the most Shakespeare-loving Shakespeare-head I’ve met.”
— Jasmine Akbari – BFA candidate NYFA
“Riley Steiner is the kind of director every playwright dreams of working with! She is incredibly smart, keenly intuitive, and highly professional. I believe her passion for the work, and the respect and appreciation for everyone involved in the theater-making process, are the key ingredients in what we think of as ‘theater magic’.”
-Marylou DiPietro- Playwright, Poet, Painter
“Riley began as my teacher, became my director, and ended as my friend. Her clear vision, coupled with her passion and patience helped me to grow not only as an actress but as a person. Riley takes the time to sit down with each of her actors to make sure everyone is on the same page in terms of understanding. She wants to know who you are, as a character and a person. She cares more than anyone I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with, making her a standout against anyone else! Her personal craft makes her leadership and direction seamless and exciting. It’s impossible not to learn from someone of her skill level. I cannot wait until the day our paths cross again.”
Isabella Ferraro – BFA student NYFA
"Riley Steiner is a superb director with exceptional dramaturgical skills. She knows how to get the best from her actors, and, just as vital, she asks the important questions of the play and then digs deep. Riley was a joy to work with on Through the Eye of a Needle and I hope to work with her again!"
-Jami Brandli - Playwright
“I was grateful enough to have had Riley Steiner as an acting teacher and mentor twice. If it were not for Riley, I would have never appreciated or fell in love with Shakespeare. There is no question that I would not have been able to grow as an actor without Riley's guidance and coaching. Riley's students never leave her class feeling that they have not learnt valuable lessons or have not been given constructive criticism that allows them to become stronger performers. She always challenged and pushed us all to be the smartest, diligent and authentic actors we could be, simply by setting an example. A passionate and professional instructor as Riley only inspires me to respect and treasure the work I do as an actor. Riley, you truly make me proud to be an artist.”
-Nadeem Sarie-Eldin. – BFA candidate NYFA
“Riley is an imaginative, deeply intuitive actor’s director who reveals the emotional truth in everything she directs.”
-Scott Smith - Associate Artistic Director, The Road Theatre, North Hollywood - Summer Playwrights Festival, Director
“Riley directs as one human who sees and feels the play, not as a dictator who pushes for their vision. She allows her actors the freedom to be, as simple as it sounds, humans full of complexities and wide ranges of emotions. This freedom gave me all I needed to embrace my character and let him flourish.”
-Jeremiah Lucas – BFA candidate NYFA
“Riley knows her craft. When we work together, my skill improves and I am not afraid to make bold choices.”
— Lauren Holman – MFA candidate NYFA