Over the past two decades, actor David Conrad has worked under the bright lights of Hollywood in both large and small screen productions.

But this fall, the Edgewood native is working under the lights of the Rogers Art Center on the campus of his alma mater, The Kiski School in Saltsburg.

He is volunteering his time as artist-in-residence at the private boarding school for 200 boys in grades 9-12 and directing the play “Goldstar, Ohio,” which is about 22 members of a Marine battalion from Ohio who died in Iraq’s Al Anbar province in 2005. It’s a huge departure from the comedies the Kiski students have staged in recent years.

The intense and emotional play is in a documentary format in which a journalist interviews surviving relatives of the dead Marines. Through it the students will learn not only about drama but the effects of modern history, war and the sudden loss of a loved one. There is a 13-member cast that includes several girls — some whose parents work at the school and others from nearby Saltsburg High School.

“Goldstar, Ohio” was written by Michael Tisdale, a close friend of Mr. Conrad, and has been staged just several times, including its premiere in Cleveland in 2008 and performances in Chicago and later performances in New York and Chicago.

Kiski’s production is set for sometime in the first week of December.

“It’s going to be very interesting. He is one of the brightest guys I know. He’s a very deep thinker and has tremendous classical training,” said Kiski headmaster Chris Brueningsen.

Mr. Conrad, 47, has a fierce dedication to Kiski, where he serves on the board, has donated a collection of art from Pittsburgh-area artists valued at $300,000 and hung most of the pieces personally. He said he came to the school on a scholarship as a sophomore transfer from Woodland Hills High School as a “deeply, emotionally messed up kid” and that Kiski taught him to focus andwork hard. It also put him on the trajectory that led to his future successes.

“Here I was a kid from more or less a steel town who was told I could go to an Ivy League school. That was the first big door that opened for me,” Mr. Conrad said.

After graduating from Kiski in 1985, he attended Brown University and The Juilliard School.

He’s had roles in movies that include “Wedding Crashers,” “Men of Honor” and “Return to Paradise.” But he’s likely best known for his role in the CBS series “Ghost Whisperer,” which ran from 2005 to 2010. He played Jim Clancey, the husband of Jennifer Love Hewitt’s character, Melinda Gordon, who helps spirits of the deceased cross over to the other side.

Last season Mr. Conrad was cast in “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” as Ian Quinn, a wealthy industrialist who was working to develop weapons with enemies of S.H.I.E.L.D. He said he turned down an offer for a second season on the show and has moved back to the Pittsburgh area.

“A year or so ago I needed to clear the decks. I didn’t want to be in front of a camera or live in a big city,” he said. “I wanted to see what kind of voices would speak in my head.”

He had previously spent 10 years in Los Angeles and 10 years in New York. “I just shut everything up and came back,” he said.

He has apartments in Braddock and Saltsburg and has been involved in a number of fundraising and civic and cultural activities.

The artist-in-residence role resulted from a conversation he had with Mr. Brueningsen. “We were having dinner together and he said sometime [he’d] like to direct a play. I said ‘How about this fall?’ ” Mr. Breuningsen said.

Mr. Conrad said he’s never worked with the teens before, but he’s finding it interesting and enjoyable.

“Kids have such emotional volcanoes in them and the challenge is to know where to lead them,” he said.

He’s a strict director who insists on rehearsals that are free from cell phones and chatter.

Getting Kiski students to let go of their inhibitions is particularly challenging, he said, since they tend to be over-scheduled overachievers who maintain tight control in order to get through their demanding days.

During a recent one-on-one workshop with senior Mike Murawski of Murrysville, Mr. Conrad had Mike jog the steps of the auditorium six times to loosen up and slow down. “Lines are like stones. When you toss something to someone, wait to see if they catch it,” Mr. Conrad instructed.

In a scene where Mike, who plays the brother of a deceased Marine, needs to laugh hysterically, Mr. Conrad told him: “You can’t fake it. Find something that’s funny and crack up. I need you to laugh until you can’t speak. Don’t give me a little ‘ha ha.’ Laugh until you can’t talk.”

Mr. Brueningsen and the student actors said Mr. Conrad has raised considerably the level of intensity of play rehearsals but that the students appreciate the intensity.

“When you make art, you can’t fake it. So I’m interested in getting the kids to understand how difficult the the rehearsal experience is,” Mr. Conrad said.

Mr. Conrad was coaching senior Sammi Ponzetti of Jeannette to put more emotion into a scene where her character, the widow of one of the fallen Marines, is recalling a dream she had about her husband. Mr. Conrad told her: “I don’t know if you’ve ever lost anyone in your life. I have and I’ve prayed to dream about them. I’ve begged to dream about them,” Mr. Conrad said.

Sammi said the extra details that Mr. Conrad pushes students to incorporate make their performances more powerful. “The simple tweaking of stuff is what changes the meaning of things. Sometimes it’s just one word and it changes the whole meaning,” she said.

Senior Kyle DePasquale of Cranberry said rehearsing with Mr. Conrad is similar to learning a music composition. “It’s like when a singing group finally gets the notes down. Then you have to get the dynamic — soft or loud. He makes intensity fun. It’s intense, but I’ve never enjoyed acting more.”

First Published: October 26, 2014, 4:00 a.m.