Luke Yankee

Humorous Keynote Speaker

Luke Yankee has 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 (one of the largest musical theatres in America) and the Struthers Library theatre, a historic landmark in northwestern Pennsylvania.

As a guest lecturer, he created "E.H. On Film: An Eileen Heckart Retrospective" (a video and lecture discussion) which he presented with Ms. Heckart on the ms Crystal Symphony, the ms Rotterdam, the ms Nieu Amsterdam, at the William Inge Theatre Festival and various other venues throughout the US. He also created a similar program with Barbara Eden entitled "Barbara Eden: Still Dreaming" which he and Ms. Eden presented on the ms Crystal Symphony.

Off Broadway, he directed the political comedy, "High Infidelity" with John Davidson and Morgan Fairchild at the Promenade Theatre and Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" at the York Theatre with Penny Fuller and Cynthia Nixon. On Broadway, he has worked as an assistant director on the musical "Grind" starring Ben Vereen (as assistant to Harold Prince), "The Circle" with Rex Harrision and Glynis Johns, "Light Up the Sky" with Peter Falk and New York City Opera's "Brigadoon" with Tony Roberts.

As a director and producer of special events, Luke has worked with Quincy Jones, Stephen Sondheim, Alec Baldwin, Noah Wyle, Annette Bening, Neil Simon, Barry Manilow, Debbie Allen, Dick Clark, Bill Pullman, John Guare, Roma Downey, Patti Austin, August Wilson, Alfre Woodard and Betty White in theatres ranging from Radio City Music Hall to The Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles. Luke has also produced special events and trade shows for the Mattel Toy Company all over the country for the past three years.

As a filmmaker, Luke wrote and directed the short film, "Help Is On The Way" starring Lois DeBanzie. 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. For the past six years, he has been a panelist and guest instructor at the William Inge Theatre Festival, where he has perfomed with Marybeth Hurt, Holland Taylor and George Grizzard. He is also a member of their Advisory Board.

He is the son of the late actress 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.

Currently, Luke is the casting director for the Los Angeles based, syndicated TV spot, "Hero In Education". He also recently served as part of a Presidential Blue Ribbon Task Force to create a theatre piece on drug and alcohol abuse, which will tour to high schools and colleges throughout the country.

Luke studied at the Juilliard School of Drama, New York University, Northwestern University, Circle in the Square and the Herbert Berghof Studio.