The Alumni Spotlight is a place to hear from the School of the Arts alumni community about their journeys as artists and creators.
Lawrence Michael Levine '08 wrote, produced and stars in Always Shine (Tribeca '16). Lawrence's past films as a writer, director, and actor include Wild Canaries (SXSW '14) distributed by IFC Films, and Gabi and the Roof in July. He also produced and starred in Sophia Takal's Green and produced Jay DiPietro's Peter and Vandy (Sundance '09). In 2005, Levine wrote, produced, and directed his debut film Territory, based on his stage play of the same name. In 2009, he wrote and directed the short films The Empress and Fat Friend. His next film, 2010's romantic drama/comedy Gabi on the Roof in July, received a positive critical response. The film is also noteworthy for featuring an early appearance of actress and filmmaker Lena Dunham. In 2014, Levine wrote, directed, and starred in the mystery/comedy Wild Canaries.
Was there a specific faculty member or peer who especially inspired you while at the School of the Arts? If so, who and how?
I had a number of inspiring teachers at SOA: Tom Kalin, Bette Gordon, and Nick Proferes among them. The late Jerry Kass was my favorite teacher. He was extremely encouraging to me at a time when I needed it most. My confidence was problem for me when I was starting out and I'm not sure I would have continued on this path if he hadn't believed in my ability. He passed this year but not a day goes by that I don't think of his warmth and generous spirit.
What was your favorite or most memorable class while at the School of the Arts?
The class I remember most of all was the very first directing class I took. Nick Proferes was the teacher and he was tough as nails. I was terrified of him. He watched my first exercise and said, "You mother's wasting her money sending you to film school if you're going to be turning in crap like that." It hurt, but I took the next exercise more seriously because I could see he was holding us to a higher bar. When I turned the second exercise in, he could see I'd worked on it and was very complimentary. Turned out he was tough but fair. I learned a lot from him.
