Garry Hynes (born 10 June 1953) is an Irish theatre director. She was the first woman to win the prestigious Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play.
Life and career Hynes was born in Ballaghaderreen, County Roscommon, and educated at St. Louis Convent at Monaghan, the Dominican Convent at Galway, and UCG.Fay, Stephen. "theatre: How she broke the Abbey habit" Independent, 5 September 1992
She is a co-founder of the Druid Theatre Company with Mick Lally and Marie Mullen in 1975 after meeting through the drama society of U.C.G. where they studied. She was Druid's artistic director from 1975 to 1991, and again from 1995 to date. Hynes directed for the Abbey Theatre from 1984 and was its artistic director from 1991 to 1994, and also the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal Exchange, Manchester, the Kennedy Center and the Royal Court Theatre, London.
She was the civil partner of film producer Martha O'Neill.
Works Stage productions
Druid Theatre Company The Cripple of Inishmaan, (Galway, Irish & UK tour, New York) My Brilliant Divorce, (Galway and Irish Tour) Long Day's Journey into Night, (Galway and Dublin Theatre Festival) Leaves, (Galway and Royal Court Theatre, London) The Playboy of the Western World, (Tokyo International Arts Festival) Empress of India, (Galway and Dublin Theatre Festival) The Year of the Hiker,(Galway and National Tour) DruidSynge, (Galway Arts Festival, Dublin, Edinburgh International Festival and Inis Meáin 2005; Minneapolis and Lincoln Center Festival, New York 2006) Sharon's Grave (Royal Court Co-Production) Sive (Royal Court Co-Production) On Raftery's Hill (Royal Court Co-Production) The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Royal Court Co-Production) The Leenane Trilogy (Royal Court Co-Productions) Lovers Meeting Conversations on a Homecoming Bailegangaire The Shaughran Wood of the Whispering
Abbey Theatre King of the Castle The Plough and the Stars The Power of Darkness Famine A Whistle in the Dark Portia Coughlan
Other The Weir (Gate Theatre, Dublin) (2008) Juno (Encores! New York City Center) (2008)Bacalzo, Dan. "Full Cast Announced for Encores! 'Juno'" theatermania.com, 4 March 2008 Translations (McCarter Theatre/Manhattan Theater Club, New Jersey) (2006)" Translations McCarter Theatre" mccarter.org. Retrieved 7 April 2016 Mr. Peters' Connections (Signature Theatre Company, Off-Broadway) (1998) Crimes of the Heart (Second Stage Theatre, Off-Broadway) (2001)Gutman, Les."Review. 'Crimes of the Heart' curtainup.com, 2001. Retrieved 7 April 2016 My Brilliant Divorce (West End) Crestfall (Gate Theatre, Dublin) (2003)Fricker, Karen. "Review. 'Crestfall'" The Guardian, 23 May 2003 16 Wounded (Broadway) (2004)16 Wounded ibdb.com. Retrieved 7 April 2016 A Streetcar Named Desire (Kennedy Center, Washington) (2004)Marks, Peters. "Uneven 'Streetcar' Still Something To Be Desired" The Washington Post, 15 May 2004
Legacy Portrait in National Gallery of Ireland In 2017, award-winning artist Vera Klute was commissioned by the National Gallery of Ireland to create a portrait of Hynes as part of the 2015 Hennessey Portrait Prize. The bust, made of porcelain, concrete and timber (with a dimension of 164 cm x 54 cm x 45 cm), was unveiled to the public in April 2017 and is currently on display as part of the Gallery's National Portrait Collection.
DruidSynge Hynes directed DruidSynge, the company's critically acclaimed production of all six of John Millington Synge's plays that premièred at the Galway Arts Festival in 2005 and has since toured to Dublin, Edinburgh, Inis Meáin, Minneapolis and New York. DruidSynge has been described by Charles Isherwood of The New York Times as "the highlight not just of my theatre going year but of my theatre going life" and by The Irish Times as "one of the greatest achievements in the history of Irish theatre."Isherwood, Charles. "Review" The New York Times, 12 July 2006 druidsynge.comMcGee, Celia. "Garry Hynes, an Irish Director, Arrives With 8½ Hours of Her Countryman" The New York Times, 2 July 2006
Awards and honours Hynes has received honorary Doctorates from the University of Dublin (2004), The National University of Ireland, Galway (1998) and the National Council for Education Awards (1988).
In 1998 she won the Tony Award for Direction for The Beauty Queen of Leenane,Lefkowitz, David; Viagas, Robert. "RRRROOAARRRR!!! It's 'The Lion King' for Best Musical; 'Art' for Play Tonys" Playbill, 7 June 1998 the first woman to receive the award.
She is a recipient of many other Theatre Awards, including The Irish Times/ESB Irish Theatre Award for Best Director (2002) and a The Irish Times Special Tribute Award for her contribution to Irish Theatre in February 2005.McGarry, Patsy. "'Distinctive and powerful record' of Garry Hynes' work recognised" The Irish Times, 15 February 2005
On 15 June 2006 she was awarded the Freedom of the City of Galway, its highest bestowed honour.
On 30 November 2022 Hynes was named a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
See also Irish theatre List of Tony Award records Eidhean mac Cléireach – ancestor of the Hynes family Mael Ruanaidh na Paidre Ua hEidhin – first Hynes king of Aidhne Eoghan Ó hEidhin – last Hynes king of Aidhne Uí Fiachrach Aidhne – home kingdom of the Hynes family
References
External links
Irish Playography Profile Druid Theatre Dublin Theatre Festival Bio