NYWIFT Blog

By Shayna Cartledge 

Welcome to NYWIFT, Maria Eleni Zollo! 

Maria Eleni Zollo is a writer, actor, director, and musician based in Astoria, Queens. 

As a singer, she has performed at the Norwegian National Opera House in Oslo, Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, and on Saturday Night Live. 

She works as an adjunct professor at CUNY Baruch, and as a Greek Orthodox Church chanter at St George in Hell’s Kitchen and St Nicholas National Shrine at the World Trade Center.

Maria Eleni also performs as a stand-up comedian in NYC. 

Her first short film was a semifinalist in Stage 32’s 8th Annual Short Film Festival. 

Could you give our readers a brief introduction to yourself? 

I’m Maria Eleni Zollo – writer, actor, director and musician. I work as an adjunct music professor at CUNY Baruch and as a church cantor at two NYC churches, St George Greek Orthodox Church on 54th Street and St Nicholas National Shrine at the World Trade Center.

When I’m not working, I paint and craft for fun, head to the beach, and spend time with my husband, Parker, and our orange tabby cat, Daisy. 

What brought you to NYWIFT? 

After directing my most recent short, Nina, the lead actress, Carole DellAquila, suggested I join NYWIFT. She is a member and spoke very highly about the community this organization offers. 

How has your childhood shaped your career trajectory? 

This is a loaded question! Throughout my life, I have held so many different creative interests. I’m finally seeing the way my many creative passions can come together as a writer and director. My love of fine art, music, and storytelling fuels every stage of production. I used to see my many interests as a weakness, rather than a strength, because of my classical music background. I was often chastised for being unfocused and undisciplined.

Now that I’ve allowed my inner child to be interested in more than one subject at once, I feel like my creativity is much more alive and vibrant. While I did perform in operas, I was often left feeling unfulfilled because I wasn’t involved in other areas of production. Now, as a writer and director, I can allow myself to freely enjoy all forms of art and creativity. 

Maria Eleni Zollo performing stand-up comedy

What is your favorite aspect of storytelling? 

I love a good metaphor. I love when a story can transcend its literal meaning and apply to many other instances of daily life. The deeper search for meaning gives life purpose. 

How does your background in acting influence your writing and directing style? 

My background in acting is rather atypical. I was first trained as an opera singer and classical pianist. I think that training made me love extremely heightened stakes and deeply vulnerable emotions, both in comedy and in tragedy.

The emphasis on practice and preparation in classical music also has transferred to how I show up on set. I take pre-production very seriously. I want to be as prepared as possible so that when we are shooting the script all the technical aspects flow seamlessly and the actors and crew alike can just relax, be themselves and have fun. 

Maria Eleni Zollo singing with an orchestra

Do you gravitate to a particular theme or subject? If so, why? 

My most recent short and the script I’m working on now are both connected to fine art and real artists. I am also very interested in telling stories tied to specific locations. Both of these projects feature the workspace of the artist in the story.

I am also drawn to stories that are connected to religion and spirituality told through a female lens. These kinds of stories interest me because I feel they connect to our universal experience as humans. There’s something inexplicable about the human spirit that only the arts can fully express, many times without words. Like, I look at a painting or listen to a piece of music and then, something about the present moment makes a little more sense. It goes beyond words and explanations.

Maria Eleni Zollo works as Greek Chanter

What is a valuable lesson you wish you learned earlier in your career journey? 

I wish that I had learned that being a lifelong learner is way more important than being an expert in one, singular subject. I also wish that I knew how often others project their own fear of failure onto creative people, manifesting that fear as bad advice or overzealous caution. Trustworthy criticism and advice usually contain an action item and words of encouragement, not merely worries and “what if’s.” 

Connect with Maria Eleni Zollo on her website www.mariaeleni.online, on Instagram at @maria_eleni_33, Facebook @MariaEleniZolloSoprano, or on TikTok @maria.eleni.33.  

(All images courtesy of Maria Eleni Zollo)