Luke Leonard
Luke Leonard (born January 17, 1975) is an American theatre director, designer, actor, playwright, and filmmaker whose work has been described as "outstanding" by The New York Times and "sophisticated and thought-provoking" by Limelight Magazine. He is the Founding Artistic Director of Monk Parrots, a New York City-based not-for-profit that produces new theatre, music theatre, and opera. Life and career Luke Landric Leonard was born and raised in Houston, Texas, where he attended Cypress Creek High School, played football, and acted in school plays. After his junior year, he left the football team to become president of Cy Creek's Theatre Department and focus solely on acting to prepare for college auditions. He studied theatre at Sam Houston State University before moving to New York City in 1995 to enroll in the BFA Acting Program at Brooklyn College, where he graduated in 1998. 1996–2001 Leonard was among the pioneering artists living and working in DUMBO, Brooklyn, where he founded DUMBO Theater eXchange a/k/a DTX with Natalie Cook Leonard and Yukihiro Nishiyama. DTX promoted emerging talent by presenting new writers and directors and fostered neighborhood development within the downtown Brooklyn area. DTX; however, did not survive gentrification and the venue was added