Written by Isa Barrett
Steven Sarao, a 1989 BFA graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, recently brought his original play The Boys From Kingsbridge to Theater for the New City.
His journey from a small town in southern New Jersey to the New York City stage reflects a career shaped by discipline and sustained curiosity. Alongside his life in the theater, Sarao built a 22-year career with the New York City Police Department, eventually rising to the rank of Lieutenant Detective. Rather than existing in opposition, these two paths have continually informed one another.
Set in 1999 New York City, The Boys From Kingsbridge follows two childhood friends from the Bronx who grow up to become NYPD officers. Written by Sarao, who also starred in the production, the play marked a return to the New York stage and to storytelling rooted in personal history.
From Southern New Jersey to NYU Tisch
Sarao grew up in a very small town in southern New Jersey. His early encouragement came from his middle school teachers:
“I was lucky enough to have two teachers in middle school who could see me, who understood that I likely had something to say and that my less-than-stellar behavior could be channeled in a way that was more productive.”
He went on to earn his BFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in 1989, training at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute for four years as part of the undergraduate studio program. He studied with Hope Arthur, Harv Dean, David Gideon, Geoffrey Horne, Irma Sandrey, and Tom Nielsen, many of whom had worked directly with Lee Strasberg.
“It was mind-blowing and eye-opening. I had never trained in acting before in my life, so for me to be in New York City was completely overwhelming and an exciting journey.”
Even years out of school, The Method continues to inform Sarao’s craft. “It continues to evolve for me,” he shares, “but relaxation is a key component that serves me in my creative work as an actor, allowing expression to be where it’s needed. Most importantly, it allows me to continue to have a working knowledge of my instrument.”
Balancing the Arts with a Second Career
After graduating, Sarao worked professionally as an actor, director, and producer before joining the NYPD. Over more than two decades, he worked in intelligence and counterterrorism, holding leadership roles focused on terrorism interdiction and racially and ethnically motivated extremism. He lectured nationally and internationally on public safety and crisis management while continuing to carry his artistic training with him.
“It is a constant struggle,” he says of navigating the transition from training to professional life. “Many folks have other careers, and quite frankly, it feeds our artistic journey, not only financially but in terms of giving us very useful things to work with.”
For Sarao, law enforcement did not pull him away from the stage. It strengthened his artistry and shaped the stories he now tells.
Developing The Boys From Kingsbridge
Returning to acting class years later, Sarao found himself reflecting on his time in the NYPD and began shaping a story set in pre-9/11 New York. With a group of close collaborators, he developed a play that humanizes the men and women who work in law enforcement. Rather than presenting officers as distant figures, the story centers on friendship, ambition, identity, and the pressures of institutional life.
In the early stages of development, Sarao stayed offstage, listening as trusted actors read the work aloud. A staged reading was directed by LSTFI faculty member Susan DiDonna, with fellow alumnus Kevin Corrigan playing the role of Mikey.
The full production of The Boys From Kingsbridge ran at Theater for the New City in August 2025. Directed by Anna Rebek, Sarao returned to the stage, and the run was extended multiple times, drawing packed houses and strong audience response.
A Global Education
In 2014, Sarao received his master’s degree from Harvard Kennedy School as a New York City Public Service Fellow. Following the program, he participated in a postgraduate fellowship in Africa, spending time in Nigeria, Ghana, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Sierra Leone.
In Ghana, he observed an annual film festival that consistently showcased strong work year after year. He also noted how technological access shapes artistic innovation. In regions where mobile device usage outpaced traditional internet infrastructure, filmmakers developed early short-form and vertical storytelling techniques that have since become mainstream.
The fellowship broadened his understanding of how storytelling adapts to culture, access, and environment, reinforcing his belief that artists benefit from engaging fully with the world around them.
What’s Ahead
“All my writing is based on real things, real people, or experiences,” Sarao notes.
He is currently finalizing a full-length play, Gambling in the Garden, set amid the developing casinos of Atlantic City, poverty, and a group of musicians determined to make music. He is also preparing a staged reading at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in Spring 2026 of a new work titled Ode to Daddy, which explores a family navigating the deconstruction of industry in the 1950s within a male-dominated world.
When asked what continues to fuel his creative work, he says, “I continue to have stories in my head that inspire me, that I wish to share, that I find meaningful.”
At this stage of his career, his definition of success remains grounded:
“Success is not having credit card debt. Success is having solid friendships. Success is knowing that you have loved, are loved, and will continue to have and do those things. Success is creating a wonderful piece of art and hopefully sharing it with the world. Oh, success above all, is being nice.”