Luke Ellenbogen

Luke Ellenbogen (19**- ) is a South African theatre actor, director and playwight.

Biography

The son of Nicholas Ellenbogen and Liz Szymczak, he attended Westerford High School (1994 - 1998) then studied theatre-making and performance at the University of Cape Town Drama Department (2000 - 2004), finishing as class medalist.

He started his theatrical career with Theatre for Africa, continuing to work with them throughout his subsequent career, alongside production positions with various venues in Cape Town.

In March 2021 he became the studio producer for Virgin Active South Africa[1].

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

He has worked for a number of companies and venues over the years, among them Theatre for Africa (1998 to the present), the UCT Little Theatre (December 2010 to July 2020), The Mechanicals (2008-July 2020), the Rosebank Theatre (2013-July 2020), The Fugard Theatre (July 2018-July 2020) and Virgin Active[2] (from (March 2021).

As actor

His acting career has included appearances in The Captain, the Corporal and the Courtesan (2004), Much Ado About Nothing (2005), Raiders of the Lost Aardvark (2010), Shakespeare in Love (2017),

Film performances include playing "Oliver" in The Angel, the Bicycle and the Chinaman's Finger (1998).

As director and theatremaker

Plays directed include: Horn of Sorrow (2004), A Lie of the Mind (2011), The Great Gatsby (2011), A Streetcar Named Desire (2012), Endgame (2010)

Plays created include a number of the "Raiders" plays (see the listing under Nicholas Ellenbogen), as well as Cattle Drive (with Nicholas Ellenbogen), at The Rosebank Theatre.

As lighting designer

Among the plays he has lit have been A Streetcar Named Desire (2012), Cry Havoc (2013/2015) and Oleanna (2018).

Other positions

In addition to his acting and directing career, Luke has held simultaneous teaching, production and managerial positions at various theatres in Cape Town. Among them have been:

Production Manager and Head of Lighting Design, teacher and course convener for the UCT Little Theatre (December 2010 to July 2020).

Production Manager of The Fugard Theatre (July 2018-July 2020).

Studio Producer for Virgin Active in Cape Town (March 2021 to present).