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Simon Levy (born May 12, 1949) is a theater director and playwright who has been the producing director and dramaturg with
The Fountain Theatre The Fountain Theatre is a theatre in Los Angeles. Along with its programming of live theatre, it's also the foremost producer of flamenco on the West Coast. History The Fountain Theatre was founded in Los Angeles in 1990 by co-artistic direc ...
in Los Angeles since 1993.


Biography

Levy was born in
Surrey, England Surrey () is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant ur ...
and grew up in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
. He graduated from
City College of San Francisco City College of San Francisco (CCSF or City College) is a State school#United States, public community college in San Francisco, California. Founded as a Junior college#United States, junior college in 1935, the college plays an important local ...
with an Associate in Arts and
San Francisco State University San Francisco State University (commonly referred to as San Francisco State, SF State and SFSU) is a public research university in San Francisco. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers 118 different b ...
with a BA and MA in Theater, and began his theater career as an actor in San Francisco, primarily with the New Shakespeare Company and then The Alley Theater in Houston, Texas. Prior to studying theater, he was a music major, played the saxophone, and was a jazz and rock-and-roll musician. He made his debut as a professional stage director in 1980 at the One Act Theatre Company in San Francisco, where he focused on the development of new work, directing many of the plays of Michael Lynch, among others, and at the
Magic Theatre The Magic Theatre is a theatre company founded in 1967, presently based at the historic Fort Mason Center on San Francisco's northern waterfront. The Magic Theatre is well known and respected for its singular focus on the development and produc ...
, directing the plays of Lynne Kaufman, among others. He moved to Los Angeles in 1990 and joined the staff of
The Fountain Theatre The Fountain Theatre is a theatre in Los Angeles. Along with its programming of live theatre, it's also the foremost producer of flamenco on the West Coast. History The Fountain Theatre was founded in Los Angeles in 1990 by co-artistic direc ...
in 1993. He has taught playwriting at UCLA Writer's Extension and
Chapman University Chapman University is a private research university in Orange, California. It encompasses ten schools and colleges, including Fowler School of Engineering, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Fowler School of Law, and Schmid College of Scie ...
, been a site evaluator for the
National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federa ...
and the
California Arts Council The California Arts Council is a state agency based in Sacramento, United States. Its eight council members are appointed by the Governor and the state Legislature. The agency's mission is to advance California through arts, culture and creativi ...
, and is a member of numerous theater and humanitarian organizations, including the
Dramatists Guild The Dramatists Guild of America is a professional organization for playwrights, composers, and lyricists working in the U.S. theatre market. Membership as an Associate Member is open to any person having written at least one stage play. Active Me ...
, Society for Directors and Choreographers, and
Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
.


Selected works

* ''What I Heard About Iraq''—an anti-Iraq War play adapted from
Eliot Weinberger Eliot Weinberger (born 6 February 1949 in New York City) is a contemporary American writer, essayist, editor, and translator. He is primarily known for his literary writings (essays) and political articles, the former characterized by their wide-ra ...
's acclaimed prose poem and performed at the 2006
Edinburgh Fringe Festival The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...
, among many other venues (2006) * Levy's stage adaptation of ''
The Great Gatsby ''The Great Gatsby'' is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsb ...
'', published by
Dramatists Play Service Dramatists Play Service (also known as The Play Service) is a theatrical-publishing and licensing house, established in 1936 by members of the Dramatists Guild of America and the Society for Authors' Representatives. DPS publishes English-language ...
—authorized and granted exclusive rights by the Fitzgerald Estate—has had over 100 productions around the world and continues to be produced. The play inaugurated the
Guthrie Theater The Guthrie Theater, founded in 1963, is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The concept of the theater was born in 1959 in a series of discussions between Sir Tyrone Gu ...
's new theater complex, was subsequently produced at
Seattle Repertory Theatre Seattle Repertory Theatre (familiarly known as "The Rep") is a major regional theatre located in Seattle, Washington, at the Seattle Center. It is a member of Theatre Puget SoundPEN Award in Drama."Literary awards season"
LAObserved.com July 31, 2007 (2007) * Produced the premiere of
Stephen Sachs Stephen Sachs (born August 14, 1959) is an American stage director and playwright. He is the co-artistic director of the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles, which he co-founded in 1990. Biography Sachs was born in San Francisco and grew up in Los ...
' ''
Bakersfield Mist Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's populat ...
'' (2011) * Directed the award-winning and critically acclaimed premiere of Stephen Sachs' '' Cyrano'', a co-production of
The Fountain Theatre The Fountain Theatre is a theatre in Los Angeles. Along with its programming of live theatre, it's also the foremost producer of flamenco on the West Coast. History The Fountain Theatre was founded in Los Angeles in 1990 by co-artistic direc ...
and
Deaf West Theatre Deaf West Theatre is a non-profit arts organization based in Los Angeles, California, USA. It is most well known for its Tony Award-nominated productions of '' Big River'' and '' Spring Awakening''. Deaf West Theatre is led by Artistic Director, ...
(2012) * Produced the West Coast premiere of
Ken LaZebnik Ken LaZebnik (original Czech surname Lazebník) (born November 11, 1954) is an American writer, best known for his work in television, film, and theatre. His work has appeared in films such as ''A Prairie Home Companion'' and in television shows ...
's ''
On the Spectrum The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
'' at
The Fountain Theatre The Fountain Theatre is a theatre in Los Angeles. Along with its programming of live theatre, it's also the foremost producer of flamenco on the West Coast. History The Fountain Theatre was founded in Los Angeles in 1990 by co-artistic direc ...
(2013) * Directed the Los Angeles revival of ''
The Normal Heart ''The Normal Heart'' is a largely autobiographical play by Larry Kramer. It focuses on the rise of the HIV/ AIDS epidemic in New York City between 1981 and 1984, as seen through the eyes of writer/activist Ned Weeks, the gay founder of a p ...
'' for
The Fountain Theatre The Fountain Theatre is a theatre in Los Angeles. Along with its programming of live theatre, it's also the foremost producer of flamenco on the West Coast. History The Fountain Theatre was founded in Los Angeles in 1990 by co-artistic direc ...
, winner of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards Best Production (Revival), among numerous other awards (2013) * Produced the Los Angeles premiere of
Tarell Alvin McCraney Tarell Alvin McCraney (born October 17, 1980) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and actor. He is the chair of playwriting at the Yale School of Drama and a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble. He co-wrote the 2016 film ''Moonlight'' ...
's ''
The Brothers Size The ''Brother/Sister Plays'' is a triptych of plays written by American playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney. Overview Over the course of three years, McCraney wrote the Brother/Sister Plays while studying at Yale. He describes them as a triptych r ...
'' for
The Fountain Theatre The Fountain Theatre is a theatre in Los Angeles. Along with its programming of live theatre, it's also the foremost producer of flamenco on the West Coast. History The Fountain Theatre was founded in Los Angeles in 1990 by co-artistic direc ...
(2014) * Produced the West Coast premiere of
John Biguenet John Biguenet has published seven books, including ''Oyster'', a novel and ''The Torturer's Apprentice Stories'', released in the United States by Ecco/HarperCollins and widely translated. His work has received an O. Henry Award for short fict ...
's ''
Broomstick A broom (also known in some forms as a broomstick) is a cleaning tool consisting of usually stiff fibers (often made of materials such as plastic, hair, or corn husks) attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. I ...
'' for
The Fountain Theatre The Fountain Theatre is a theatre in Los Angeles. Along with its programming of live theatre, it's also the foremost producer of flamenco on the West Coast. History The Fountain Theatre was founded in Los Angeles in 1990 by co-artistic direc ...
(2014) * Directed the Los Angeles premiere of Zayd Dorhn's ''
Reborning A reborn doll is a hand made art doll created from a blank kit or a manufactured doll that has been transformed by an artist to resemble a human infant with as much realism as possible. The process of creating a reborn doll is referred to as reb ...
'' for
The Fountain Theatre The Fountain Theatre is a theatre in Los Angeles. Along with its programming of live theatre, it's also the foremost producer of flamenco on the West Coast. History The Fountain Theatre was founded in Los Angeles in 1990 by co-artistic direc ...
(2015) * Produced the premiere of
Stephen Sachs Stephen Sachs (born August 14, 1959) is an American stage director and playwright. He is the co-artistic director of the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles, which he co-founded in 1990. Biography Sachs was born in San Francisco and grew up in Los ...
' stage adaptation of
Claudia Rankine Claudia Rankine (; born September 4, 1963) is an American poet, essayist, playwright and the editor of several anthologies. She is the author of five volumes of poetry, two plays and various essays. Her book of poetry, '' Citizen: An American L ...
's '' Citizen: An American Lyric'' for
The Fountain Theatre The Fountain Theatre is a theatre in Los Angeles. Along with its programming of live theatre, it's also the foremost producer of flamenco on the West Coast. History The Fountain Theatre was founded in Los Angeles in 1990 by co-artistic direc ...
(2015) * Directed the West Coast premiere of
Athol Fugard Athol Fugard, Hon. , (born 11 June 1932), is a South African playwright, novelist, actor, and director widely regarded as South Africa's greatest playwright. He is best known for his political and penetrating plays opposing the system of apar ...
's '' The Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek'' for
The Fountain Theatre The Fountain Theatre is a theatre in Los Angeles. Along with its programming of live theatre, it's also the foremost producer of flamenco on the West Coast. History The Fountain Theatre was founded in Los Angeles in 1990 by co-artistic direc ...
(2015) * Directed the West Coast premiere of
Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...
' ''
Baby Doll ''Baby Doll'' is a 1956 American dramatic black comedy film directed by Elia Kazan, and starring Carroll Baker, Karl Malden, and Eli Wallach. It was produced by Kazan and Tennessee Williams, and adapted by Williams from his own one-act play '' ...
'' for
The Fountain Theatre The Fountain Theatre is a theatre in Los Angeles. Along with its programming of live theatre, it's also the foremost producer of flamenco on the West Coast. History The Fountain Theatre was founded in Los Angeles in 1990 by co-artistic direc ...
(2016) * Produced the premiere of
Robert Schenkkan Robert Frederic Schenkkan Jr. (born March 19, 1953) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and actor. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1992 for his play '' The Kentucky Cycle'' and his play '' All the Way'' earned the 2014 Tony Award ...
's '' Building the Wall'' for
The Fountain Theatre The Fountain Theatre is a theatre in Los Angeles. Along with its programming of live theatre, it's also the foremost producer of flamenco on the West Coast. History The Fountain Theatre was founded in Los Angeles in 1990 by co-artistic direc ...
(2017) * Directed the West Coast premiere of
Aaron Posner Aaron Posner is an American playwright and theater director. He was co-founder of the Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia and was the artistic director of Two River Theatre from 2006 to 2010. He has directed over 100 productions at major regiona ...
's revised adaptation of Chaim Potok's '' The Chosen'' for
The Fountain Theatre The Fountain Theatre is a theatre in Los Angeles. Along with its programming of live theatre, it's also the foremost producer of flamenco on the West Coast. History The Fountain Theatre was founded in Los Angeles in 1990 by co-artistic direc ...
(2018) * Directed '' The Immigrant'' by
Mark Harelik Marcus Frank Harelik (born June 5, 1951) is an American television, film, and stage actor, and playwright. Early life Harelik was born in Hamilton, Texas. In 1909, Harelik's Russian Jewish grandfather, Haskell Harelik—upon whom Harelik's ...
for
Sierra Madre Playhouse Sierra (Spanish for "mountain range" and "saw", from Latin ''wikt:serra#Latin, serra'') may refer to the following: Places Mountains and mountain ranges * Sierra de Juárez, a mountain range in Baja California, Mexico * Sierra de las Nieves, a ...
, where it received rave reviews. (2018) * Produced the premiere of
Stephen Sachs Stephen Sachs (born August 14, 1959) is an American stage director and playwright. He is the co-artistic director of the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles, which he co-founded in 1990. Biography Sachs was born in San Francisco and grew up in Los ...
' play '' Arrival & Departure'' for
The Fountain Theatre The Fountain Theatre is a theatre in Los Angeles. Along with its programming of live theatre, it's also the foremost producer of flamenco on the West Coast. History The Fountain Theatre was founded in Los Angeles in 1990 by co-artistic direc ...
(2018)


Awards and recognition

Levy is the recipient of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle's Milton Katselas Career Achievement Award in Directing.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Levy, Simon Living people 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights American theatre directors 1949 births People from Surrey