Garry Hynes
Garry Hynes
Garry Hynesis an Irish theatre director. She holds the distinction of being the first female to win the prestigious Tony Award for direction of a play...
NationalityIrish
ProfessionDirector
Date of Birth10 June 1953
CountryIreland
case early looked notice realized stick stuff theater until unusual
I still get called 'a stick of dynamite' or 'pint-sized dynamo,' stuff like that. Actually, I was too busy to notice there was anything unusual about being a woman director until the early 1980s, when I looked around the professional theater and realized there weren't many of us. You have to make more of a case for yourself than any man.
became born directing grew involved society university
I was born in Ballaghadreen, but I grew up in Galway, and when I went to the University College of Galway, I became involved in the drama society there and started directing plays.
everywhere number quite women wonderful
I think women are in much the same place in the Irish theater as they are everywhere else. Certainly, we have wonderful Irish writers, and we have quite a number of Irish women directors. But there could be more, and there should be more.
fact far great ireland irish languages obviously shared time writers
As far as Irish writers being great, I think the fact that there have been two languages in Ireland for a very long time; there has obviously been a shared energy between those two languages.
amateur anybody anyone came family few growing happened inspired involved particular plays saw
There wasn't anyone in my family who was involved in the theatre. I saw a few amateur plays when I was growing up, but I can't think of anything that happened or anybody in particular who inspired me; it all came from within.
bit call cultural
I wouldn't call myself religious. I'm spiritual. Everybody's a bit more so as you get older. I'm a cultural Catholic; it's inescapable, but I think I have to believe.
brian huge martin people plays
Plays by people like Martin McDonagh and Brian Friel attract huge audiences, not because they're Irish, but because they're brilliant plays.
absolutely along felt pretending terrifying
I remember thinking, 'I can't act.' Pretending to be someone else is a terrifying thought. The thing was that, along with other people, I could create a whole world. I felt absolutely right directing.
odd performed
The odd thing about 'Cripple of Inishmaan' is it's never actually been performed on the island.
corners encouragement english fact four ireland national reaches theater younger
The English playwrights of the '50s and '60s didn't really keep writing or getting produced, while the Irish did. There's encouragement for the younger ones also in the fact that Ireland is exceptional in its ability to make theater part of the national dialogue, and it reaches to all four corners of the country.
charge coming education entire good inspirational originally personal promoted teacher tony
My father, Oliver Hynes, was an educator. He was originally just a teacher, a very good one, but then he was promoted to be in charge of education for the entire area. He was always an inspirational teacher. He was my big personal supporter, always coming here for the Tony Awards. My mother, Carmel, was a homemaker.
winning firsts minutes
I was the first woman to win a Tony for directing, but the second woman came along five minutes later.
new-york ideas done
I had spent time in New York, where I loved the idea that theater could be done up in tiny little rooms rather than for lots of money on a big stage, and be tied to ordinary life.
thinking
I think I'm attracted to writers who tell us something about ourselves.