LUKE YANKEE
TOPICS
“Diva Dish”
Luke Yankee presents excerpts from his acclaimed one-man show about growing up as a showbiz kid. As the son of Academy Award winning actress Eileen Heckart, Luke got up close and personal with some of the biggest stars of all time. Whether it was Ether Merman teaching him how to make a martini at age ten, Paul Newman giving him acting lessons in his parent’s living room or fielding calls from reporters as his mom won the Oscar, these hilarious and heartfelt stories are sure to entertain, enlighten and enliven!
“Just Outside the Spotlight”
Actor, director and author Luke Yankee shares excerpts from his critically acclaimed book about growing up as the son of Oscar, Emmy and Tony winning actress, Eileen Heckart. With a foreword by Mary Tyler Moore, Rex Reed calls it “a sensitively remembered memoir... the candid writing makes you a willing participant in an extraordinary adventure.” Yankee will share remembrances from his starstruck upbringing from Marilyn Monroe to LBJ to Ellen Degeneres and how his mother used show business as a metaphor to teach him profound life lessons.
Hollywood Legends
The son of an Oscar winner shares inside stories about Paul Newman, Marlene Dietrich, Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, Joan Crawford, Debbie Reynolds, the Academy Awards... and a whole lot more!
Backstage on Broadway
Behind-the-scenes with Ethel Merman, Carol Channing, Arthur Miller, Elia Kazan, George Abbott, Joanne Woodward and many others.
TV Divas
A glimpse at some intimate moments with Lucille Ball, Mary Tyler Moore, Ellen Degeneres, Vivian Vance, Barbara Eden, Jayne Meadows and many others...from someone who was there.
My Mother, The Star
The son of actress Eileen Heckart (who, in the course of her fifty year career won an Oscar, a Tony, 2 Emmys, a Golden Globe and was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame) tells what it was really like growing up a showbiz kid.
Diva Dish Deluxe
Entertainment insider Luke Yankee will provide you with a list of 25 of the greatest Hollywood and Broadway stars of all time. Shout out a name and he’ll give you “the dish” on them!
The Classic Film Package
Eileen Heckart co-starred in more than fifteen classic Hollywood movies, including Bus Stop (with Marilyn Monroe), The Bad Seed (for which she won a Golden Globe), Butterflies Are Free (Academy Award winner, Best Supporting Actress) The First Wives Club (with Diane Keaton), Heller in Pink Tights (with Sophia Loren, directed by George Cukor), No Way To Treat A Lady (with Rod Steiger and George Siegel) and The Hiding Place (with Julie Harris). In conjunction with a local revival movie house or Department of Cinema Studies, Luke Yankee will share behind-the-scenes stories about his mother’s experiences making these films and her relationships with many of the greatest Hollywood stars of all time.
The Golden Age of Broadway Package
Eileen Heckart was one of the most respected actresses from the Golden age of Broadway. With a career onstage spanning more than fifty years, she is a member of the Theatre Hall of Fame and a Tony Award Recipient for Lifetime Achievement. She had leading roles in some of the most groundbreaking plays in the American theatre, including A View From the Bridge, Picnic and The Dark at the Top of the Stairs. When she performed in Kenneth Lonergan’s The Waverly Gallery at age 81, Ms. Heckart received more awards for a single performance in a single season than any actress in theatre history. Luke Yankee will share some of the secrets of her acting craft as well as never-before-heard reminiscences about Arthur Miller, Maureen Stapleton, Jason Robards, Joanne Woodward, Elia Kazan, Carol Channing, Joshua Logan and many other luminaries in the theatre. This program is ideally suited for drama departments, community theatre programs, or anyone who loves Broadway.
The Literary Package
Luke Yankee’s memoir, Just Outside The Spotlight: Growing up with Eileen Heckart (Back Stage Books, 2006) has been praised as “One of the most compassionate, illuminating showbiz books ever written.” (Michael Musto, The Village Voice.) It has received rave reviews across the country from such critics as Rex Reed, Liz Smith and The Kirkus Review of Books. Mr. Yankee is also the co-author of the play, A Place at Forest Lawn (Dramatists Play Service, 2007) and is currently working on his next book, My Brush with Celebrity. Here, he will read excerpts from his memoir and discuss the nature of writing a deeply personal and private book. If desired, he can also share exercises with the participants on how to get in touch with their “inner voice” as a writer so they can begin writing their own stories. Perfect for book clubs, libraries, literary groups and literature or creative writing classes of any kind.
The Master Class Package
Luke Yankee has directed on and off Broadway and served as the artistic director of two regional theatres, working with such luminaries as Harold Prince, Stephen Sondheim, Sir Rex Harrison, Frances Sternhagen, Alec Baldwin and Marcia Cross, to name a few. He has served on the faculty of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Northwestern, AMDA and has guest directed and taught at universities and conservatories around the world. In this program, Mr. Yankee will work in conjunction with your local theatre group or drama department and present master classes in monologue and scene study, audition techniques, speech and dialects or The Alexander Technique. People will learn in a “hands-on” method from a theatre professional with more than thirty years experience.
The Vintage Television Package
Eileen Heckart’s career in television began in the pioneering days of live television, on such shows as Playhouse 90 and spanned all the way up to The Ellen Degeneres Show. With seven Emmy nominations and two wins, she worked with many of the greatest stars of the small screen, including Bill Cosby, Lucille Ball, Jackie Gleason, Tim Allen, David Jansen, Doris Roberts, Michael Douglas and many others...on scores of memorable shows. She is best known Aunt Flo, the wisecracking newspaper reporter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Luke Yankee will share rare television clips and unforgettable stories about the Golden Age of Television. This program is ideal for anyone interested in the history of “the tube.”
The “Get to Know the Stars” Package
What made Marilyn Monroe so special? Why was Elia Kazan such a great director? What was unique and timely about the plays of William Inge? What was it like working with actors of color on tour in the forties and fifties? Who was Christopher Plummer? What was Julie Harris’ magic onstage? Why was Marlene Dietrich so revered...and feared? For younger audiences who might not be as familiar with some of these show business celebrities of yesteryear, Luke Yankee offers a chance to get to know the stars from a personal an intimate vantage point. In addition to articles, unpublished photographs and film clips, Mr. Yankee will share his mother’s private stories (plus a few of his own) about these unique individuals, bringing them to life for people who may have never seen them on stage or screen. A master class in the past fifty years of show business history, this is perfectly suited to theatre and film students of all ages.