DAVID A. LEVY, Ph.D.

Sandwiched between my careers as an actor and a psychologist, I worked for a stretch as a theatrical director. I immediately felt at home in that role, one that really seemed to suit my interests and aptitudes. In addition to working with actors (which I had always enjoyed), I now had the chance to spread my creative wings by creating overall artistic visions -- everything from casting and script interpretation to lighting and sound design.  

My most memorable experience was directing and co-creating an original musical revue, Let’s Call the Whole Thing Gershwin --which marked the first time the Gershwin estate had permitted their catalogue of songs to be presented on stage. The music and lyrics of George and Ira Gershwin? C’mon, it doesn’t get much better than that! Perhaps equally gratifying was directing the West Coast premiere of Golda: A Partial Portrait. I was able to assemble an extraordinary cast of actors which ironically confirmed to me that acting probably wasn’t the career path for me: I was a good actor, but these were great actors. Oh, one more production stands out: I assisted Steve Allen in directing his satirical musical revue, Seymour Glick Is Alive but Sick, starring Bill Maher. It was a very short run in Los Angeles, but working with both Allen and Maher was like attending a post-graduate clinic in comedy.  

 

My experiences as both an actor and director had a tremendous influence in my subsequent career in psychology. They are all, after all, about exploring and expressing the human experience.