Becoming Wilkinson How do you approach life when a famous, larger than life, Oscar winning woman is your mother? LUKE YANKEE figured it out and has come into his own as a successful Producer, Director, Actor, Author, Playwright, filmmaker and so much more.
Luke Yankee
Has written, directed, produced, taught, lectured and acted throughout the country and abroad. He has run two regional theatres, serving as Producing Artistic Director of the Long Beach Civic Light Opera and the Struthers Library theatre.
Luke’s published plays include THE LAST LIFEBOAT and A PLACE AT FOREST LAWN, both published by Dramatists Play Service. His other plays include THE JESUS HICKEY (which premiered in Los Angeles starring Harry Hamlin) and THE MAN WHO KILLED THE CURE, which had it's world premiere in Southern California in February 2017. He has also written numerous TV spec scripts and pilots.
His book, JUST OUTSIDE THE SPOTLIGHT: GROWING UP WITH EILEEN HECKART is published by Random House (under the imprint of Back Stage Books), with a foreword by Mary Tyler Moore. Critics have praised it as “One of the most compassionate, illuminating showbiz books ever written.” (Musto, The Village Voice) It was recently cited by PaperMag as “One of the Ten Best Celebrity Memoirs of All Time.”
He has taught and guest directed extensively at colleges, universities and conservatories throughout the U.S. and abroad, including five years at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Northwestern, Ohio State, AMDA, Denison, University of New Mexico, the Folkwang Hochschule (in Essen, Germany) and three years on the faculty of Columbia College-Hollywood. He has been a panelist and guest instructor at the William Inge Theatre Festival, where he has performed with Marybeth Hurt, Holland Taylor and George Grizzard. He is also a member of their Advisory Board. He is currently on the faculty of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), teaching advanced acting and scene study.
His theatre acting credits include “Our Town” at the American Shakespesare Theatre with Fred Gwynne, the U.S. premiere of “The Greeks” at The Williamstown Theatre Festival with Gwyneth Paltrow, Blythe Danner, Christopher Reeve and Celeste Holm and “The Dream Watcher” with Eva LeGallienne. In film and television, he has appeared in “The Hiding Place” with Julie Harris, “Ragtime” with Elizabeth McGovern, “Evergreen” with Armand Assante and “The Equalizer” with Jim Dale.
Luke has studied at the Juilliard School of Drama, New York University, University of California – Riverside, Northwestern University, Circle in the Square and the Herbert Berghof Studio.
He is the son of the late Eileen Heckart, who won an Academy Award for “Butterflies Are Free” and appeared in over 15 feature films, 20 Broadway plays, and countless television programs. Ms. Heckart is a member of the Theatre Hall of Fame and a multiple Emmy and Tony Award winner. In her honor, Luke created the Eileen Heckart Memorial Scholarship Fund at Ohio State University, her alma mater.
Luke toured internationally for more than ten years with DIVA DISH, his one-man show about the golden age of Broadway and Hollywood. There was such demand for a sequel, he created DIVA DISH: THE SECOND HELPING, which he premiered at the Desert Rose Theatre in Palm Springs.
Luke and his husband Don Hill spend time at their homes in Long Beach, CA and Palm Springs, CA.
For more info ( including his full Bio) or to contact Luke: https://yankeehillproductions.com
Luke's email is: luke@lukeyankee.net
Photo: Copyright Wilkinson/2022
Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.
To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com