Marilyn, Mom and Me: A Play by Luke Yankee
Photo credit for all images: Paul Kennedy
By Anthony T. Eaton
In March, I had the opportunity to attend the second to last performance of the inaugural run of Luke Yankee’s dynamic play Marilyn, Mom & Me at The International City Theatre in Long Beach, CA. While there were stage readings of the play, this was the first total production, with its premier performance on February 14th and final performance on March 3rd. Despite being a fan of Marilyn since birth, I was unaware of this story and learned some things I never knew.
This unique play is based on the relationship between Marilyn Monroe and Luke’s Mother, Eileen Heckar, (1919 – 2001), throughout the 1956 shooting of Bus Stop. A prominent American character actress, Eileen was renowned for her performances on stage and screen, with a career that lasted almost six decades. Eileen was cast as Vera, the best friend of Marilyn’s character Cheri. Marilyn, a student of the “Actors Studio,” had adopted method acting, and to bring authenticity to the part, she wanted herself and Eileen to be actual best friends on and off set. Complete opposites, the two would forge a connection that would go beyond the movie and profoundly affect Eileen.
Grounded in actual events and recordings made by Luke between him and his Mother, the play explores not only the relationship between Eileen and Marilyn but also the complexity of Luke’s relationship with his Mother. Luke lets us see the often contentious side of their relationship and the intricate dance they do as she relays the stories about “her.” Similarly, we get an inside look at the complexity that Monroe brought to the set and relationships with the rest of the cast and crew.
The cast is fantastic, and Alisha Sope’s performance as Marilyn makes you feel like you are getting to watch Marilyn as she was. Brian Rohan plays Luke in the production as an adult and a child, transporting us back to those early years of growing up. I asked Luke about the casting process and how the actors were selected.
“The three leads – Laura Gardner as Eileen, Alisha Soper as Marilyn, and Brian Rohan as Luke – have been with the play from the beginning and have done every reading and workshop. We are like a family now! Noah Wagner (who plays Josh Logan, Arthur Miller, and a host of others) did some of the early readings. He has played the lead in two of my other original plays, so I was thrilled that he was able to do the world premiere. Jacquelin Lorraine Schofield (who plays Ella Fitzgerald, Rosetta Le Noire, and Paula Strasberg) is new to this production and came to me through the casting director, Michael Donovan. They have all been a joy to work with!”.
Luke lets us see how his Mother was affected by her relationship with Marilyn and the impact she would continue to have on her decades later. There is a poignancy to the story of how the star and the character actor created a relationship that would only last until the film was completed. A short six years later, Marilyn would tragically die of an overdose, and it would be years before Luke would finally get his Mother to speak at all about “her.” Since Luke’s Mother would never get to “critique” the play or Luke, I wanted to know what he thought his mom’s reaction would be.
“I’ve asked myself that question many times, but I’m honestly not sure. Ultimately, I think she’d appreciate that she is seen for the vulnerability underneath her facade of toughness. At intermission, I see many people in the audience Googling Eileen Heckart, and I hear them say, “I remember her!” If this play helps to keep her memory alive, that makes me very happy. “
Marilyn’s generosity is well known, and we get to see how, in 1955, Marilyn lobbied the owner of the Mocambo nightclub in Hollywood for Ella Fitzgerald to headline. Monroe agreed to book a front-row table and fill it with the biggest stars, including herself. The booking was instrumental in Fitzgerald’s career. We also get to see Marilyn’s well-known vulnerability and naivete as well as the lesser-known strength and control she possessed. Alisa Soper’s performance impeccably represents Marilyn’s commitment and authenticity to her character Cheri’s performance. Brian Rohan’s Luke takes us on a very personal and poignant journey with the most famous woman in the world. Perhaps oddly, I had to ask Luke what happened to those “earrings?”
“Per my Mother’s instructions, I gave them to Mary Tyler Moore after my mom died. Mary was very emotional when she heard the story and the history behind them. She was a dear, family friend and very close with my mom.”
Of course, for context, you will have to see the play 🙂
The film, starring Marilyn Monroe, Don Murray, Arthur O’Connell, Betty Field, Robert Bray, Hope Lang, and Eileen Heckart as Marilyn’s characters’ best friend, was shot in 1956 in Sun Valley, Idaho, and Phoenix, Arizona. Unlike other Monroe films, Bus Stop is neither a full-fledged comedy nor a musical but a dramatic piece with a touch of music and comedy. Ironically, the play is very much the same. Monroe sings one song in the film: “That Old Black Magic” by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer, and we get to see Alisha Sope as Marilyn rehearsing it.
Directed by Joshua Logan for 20th Century Fox, Bus Stop was the first film Marilyn made under a new contract after spending a year studying at the Actors Studio in New York. It was also the first film made under Marilyn Monroe Productions.
For her performance as chartreuse singer Cheri, Marilyn adopted an Ozark accent and was influential in choosing the costumes and make-up that lacked the glamor of her earlier films. Despite initially doubting Monroe’s acting abilities and knowing her reputation for being difficult, Logan still agreed to direct the picture with Monroe, who was “technically in charge” as the head of MMP (Marilyn Monroe Productions, her film production company). Maureen Lee Lenker stated:
“Marilyn was “one of the first women to found her own production company since silent star Mary Pickford.”Â
Bus Stop became a box office success, earning more than 7 million dollars, and received favorable reviews, with Monroe’s performance being highly praised. The film marked a turning point in Monroe’s career, showing she was more than just a pin-up blond in a sweater. She would only make five more films, and Eileen and Marilyn would never see each other again after the filming wrapped up.
While I could talk about Marilyn for hours, my last question for Luke was, what’s next now that the premier performance has closed?
“Several Broadway producers are very interested in taking it to New York. I am in meetings with various people, and the script is out to a few “big name” actors for the roles of Eileen and Luke at this time.”
Eileen would go on to have roles in film and television, nominated for and winning many awards, including the Oscar, Emmy, and others. It would be years after Marilyn passed that Luke would finally be able to get his Mother to talk about “her.” As we wrapped up our conversation, my final question to Luke was: If you could have a conversation with Marilyn Monroe, what would you like to discuss?
“I’d love to know if she could give me any greater insights into my mom since they were both such complex women. I’m pretty sure I got their relationship right, but if I could somehow hear it from Marilyn, that would be amazing!”Â
There are two things you need to do. First, if you have never watched Bus Stop, start there and watch the performance between Eileen and Marilyn. Then, if you ever get the chance, see this play because it will take you beyond the film and the movie star and give you a glimpse into the person behind the legend and those around her. For those who think they know everything about Marilyn, I guarantee you will learn something new.
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Luke Yankee is the son of actress Eileen Heckart and Jack Yankee. He studied at the University of California, Riverside, New York University, and the Juilliard Drama School in New York. He has an MFA in Playwriting and Screenwriting. He is married to Don Hill, the Chair of Drama at the University of California, Irvine, and they live in Long Beach, CA.
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