Steven graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and earned his Master’s Degree in Psychological Counseling from St. Michael’s College in Vermont where he wrote his thesis on a method of recording dreams. At the Vermont State Hospital he studied the art of role-playing, humor, and psychodrama in group therapy. It was studying these techniques that drew his interest to drama, comedy, and ultimately to show business.

Steven began his film and TV career as a comedic actor/writer at the legendary Second City Theater appearing both in Chicago and Toronto. He wrote and produced the hit television show WKRP in Cincinnati before co-starring as Kirk Devane on the successful Newhart show two years later. He has appeared as an actor in eight movies including Club Paradise with Robin Williams, For The Boys with Bette Midler, and Analyze That! with Robert DeNiro and Billy Crystal. He co-wrote the hit comedy Back to School starring Rodney Dangerfield and co-wrote and co-directed the film Stealing Home starring Jodie Foster and Mark Harmon. 

Other writing credits include The Couch Trip with Second City alum Dan Aykroyd and the cult classic, Clifford, starring Martin Short also a Second City alum. Steven’s Christmas film, Special Delivery, debuted on the Fox Family Channel in December 2000. He co-wrote, directed, and appeared in Second City’s first feature film in forty years, Buzzkill, released on Valentine’s Day, 2012. For twelve years Steven was the Writer-in-Residence at Blair Academy in New Jersey where he taught creative writing, screenwriting, public speaking, and his popular Dreams Course – dreams and the process of individuation - which he is still teaching nationwide. In the summer of 2020, Steven and his son Mikey created a podcast called “The Dreams Course” which just began its second season. Steven plans to write The Dreams Course Workbook in the coming year.