Douglas Hertler, aka Doug Lory, is a professional actor, playwright, retreat leader and NYC tour guide. He also works at Fordham University School of Law as an actor/educator. His one-man play Merton and Me, A Living Trinity, debuted in the fall of 2018 for the Corpus Christi Chapter of the International Thomas Merton Society (ITMS) in NYC, of which Doug is a member. Merton and Me explores the dynamics of the false self and depicts Doug’s unexpected and life-changing encounter with the writings of Thomas Merton, whose spirit journeys with Doug throughout the show. A universal search for meaning and identity, Merton and Me creates a synergy of spirit and psyche that serves as a mirror into the soul.
Doug was also recently invited to serve on the board of the American Teilhard Association (ATA), grateful to play some small part in bringing the explosive, mystical vision of the renowned Jesuit paleontologist/geologist and philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin to a new generation of spiritual seekers.
Doug holds a BA in Speech/Communication/Theatre from Monmouth University and is currently writing a book with the working title, “God’s Manhattan Project, the Ultimate Human Experiment,” inspired by Teilhard’s hopeful vision that humanity will someday “harness the energies of love.” Perhaps the extraordinary complexity, diversity, and strength found on an island in NYC might offer a foundation of unity and hope for the future of common humanity. His website is www.MertonandMe.com
