PHOTO CAPTION (FROM RIGHT): Director Justin Zsebe rehearses actress Angela Reed (House Of Cards, Daredevil, Blue Bloods, Law & Order) and Ben Morrow (Blood Makes the Green Grass Grow, Words of Courage) in a production of HOMEFREE by Lisa Loomer.
JOSHUA TREE PLAYHOUSE
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
JUSTIN ZSEBE
JUSTIN ZSEBE is an immersive director, writer, and educator with over 15 years of experience creating bold, emotionally resonant performance experiences across theater, film, and live events. His work blends narrative depth with visceral design and participatory storytelling, inviting audiences into charged, transformative spaces. Zsebe is known for fostering collaborative, high-performance environments and delivering groundbreaking work for brands, entertainment studios (SHOWTIME, CBS, DOLBY, VARIETY), and cutting-edge experiential projects.
Zsebe has taught theater at UCLA, West Los Angeles College, and served as Director of the Family Initiative at The Actors’ Gang, where he expanded access to arts education and community programming. He has led commedia dell’arte masterclasses at over 40 universities nationwide, and was a teaching artist-in-residence at the Acadiana Center for the Arts in Lafayette, Louisiana, where he developed site-specific performance rooted in the works of Tennessee Williams.
As Creative Director of L’Enfant Terrible, an all-ages Shakespeare company, Zsebe developed repertory adaptations of King Lear, Hamlet, Macbeth, and Titus Andronicus—culminating in L.A.’s first Fun Family Festival of Tragedy and a national tour.
His critically acclaimed production of Nine Circles at Bootleg Theater received Ovation and LA Weekly Award nominations for Best Production, and his immersive work with Production Club’s Hellcrest series has redefined interactive storytelling in Los Angeles nightlife since 2015. Zsebe’s work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, Backstage, and Business Insider.
Now based in California’s Joshua Tree desert, Zsebe continues to build community through daring, collaborative performance rooted in story, spirit, and place.