Veteran theater director David Levin, age 87, the older brother of celebrated playwright Hanoch Levin, died in Scotland last weekend, but in accordance with the wishes of his family, will be buried in Israel. The funeral date had not been set at the time of going to press.
A poet and internationally acclaimed director, Levin divided his time in recent years between London, Edinburgh and Tel Aviv. During his military service, he was a member of an army entertainment troupe and; subsequently, went to England to study theater, returning to Israel after three years.
In 1970, he directed Queen of the Bathtub, a somewhat vulgar play written by his brother, which was staged at the Cameri Theatre, Tel Aviv. It caused such a furor in the media and among audiences, the curtain came down permanently after only 19 performances.
From 1978-85, Levin was artistic director of the Habima Theatre, Tel Aviv, after which he traveled to London and Scotland where he produced Shakespearean and Greek classics, as well as plays by Friedrich Schiller, Henrik Ibsen, Bertolt Brecht and other great playwrights. As well, he was in demand as a director in Central Europe and directed plays for the Edinburgh Festival.
Aside from his theatrical career, Levin was a published poet.
Born in Poland, he came to Israel as a child with his parents, but given the many places in which he worked and lived, he could truly be described as a citizen of the world.