Luke Yankee’s critically acclaimed memoir, Just Outside the Spotlight: Growing up with Eileen Heckart has been praised by critics as “One of the most compassionate, illuminating showbiz books ever written.” It chronicles the life and career of Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony-winning actress Eileen Heckart from a unique perspective: through the eyes of her youngest son. It is a cornucopia of the golden age of Broadway and Hollywood, including personal, stories about Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, Bette Davis, Paul Newman, Arthur Miller, and Ellen Degeneres, to name a few.

Critic Rex Reed calls it “The intimate revelation of a very special relationship between a mother and son that is warm enough to make you cry, funny enough to make you laugh, intimate enough to make you blush, and painful enough to make your heart ache. More than an observer, the candid writing makes you a willing participant in an extraordinary adventure.”

Yankee’s The Art of Writing for The Theatre: An Introduction to Script Analysis, Playwriting and Criticism is a practical, “hands-on” primer for anyone interested in theatre. In addition to the basic, “how-to” sections of the book, it includes interviews with some of the most important playwrights, critics and librettists of our time, including David Henry Hwang, Masha Norman, David Lindsay Abaire, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Beth Henley, Ben Brantley and David Zippel, among others.

Stephen Schwartz, Tony winning composer of Wicked, Pippin and Godspell states, “Even after fifty years of creating musicals, I found The Art of Writing for the Theatre immensely helpful, especially as I undertake new projects. Luke Yankee’s clear, concise analysis and advice, coupled with the insights of the writers he interviewed, is invaluable and inspiring for anyone wanting to write for the theatre, from beginner to long-time professional.”

Mr. Yankee has also written articles for Broadway World, The Theatre Times, Dramatists Play Service and Passport Magazine.