Garry Hynes founded Druid in 1975 and has worked as its Artistic Director from 1975 to 1991, and from 1995 to date. From 1991 to 1994 she was Artistic Director of the Abbey Theatre, Dublin.
Born in Ballaghadereen, Co Roscommon in 1953 Garry moved to Galway with her family in 1965. In 1971, she started an Arts Degree (History & English) in University College, Galway, now NUI Galway. Upon leaving college in 1975, Garry founded Druid Theatre with Marie Mullen and Mick Lally.
Garry has also worked with The Abbey and Gate Theatres (Ireland) and internationally with The Royal Shakespeare Company and The Royal Court (UK), and with Second Stage, Signature Theater and Manhattan Theater Club in New York; and with The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.
Productions
Druid: Productions include: DruidMurphy – Plays by Tom Murphy (Irish, UK & USA tour), Big Maggie (Irish tour), The Silver Tassie (Irish & UK tour), The Gigli Concert (Galway Arts Festival and Irish Tour), The Cripple of Inishmaan (Irish Tour, UK Tour and Atlantic Theater, New York); Long Day’s Journey into Night (Galway and Dublin Theatre Festival); Leaves (Galway and Royal Court Theatre, London); Empress of India (Galway and Dublin Theatre Festival); The Year of the Hiker (Galway, Dublin 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, Sive, On Raftery’s Hill, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, The Leenane Trilogy (Royal Court co-productions); Lovers’ Meeting; Conversations on a Homecoming; Bailegangaire; The Shaughraun; The Wood of the Whispering.
Other Theatre (Ireland): Productions include: Afterplay, The Weir, Crestfall (Gate Theatre, Dublin); King of the Castle, The Plough and the Stars, The Power of Darkness, Famine, A Whistle in the Dark, Portia Coughlan (The Abbey Theatre).
Other Theatre (International): Equivocation (Manhattan Theater Club); Juno (Encores New York City Center); Translations (McCarter/Manhattan Theater Club, New York); Mr Peters’ Connections (Signature Theatre, New York); Crimes of the Heart (Second Stage, New York); My Brilliant Divorce (West End); 16 Wounded (Broadway); A Streetcar Named Desire (Kennedy Center, Washington);
Awards
Garry Hynes is the recipient of a number of awards including:
1988 Honorary Doctorate from the National Council for Education Awards
1997 Honorary Doctorate from the National University of Ireland, Galway
1998 Tony Award for Direction of The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh
2002 Irish Times ESB Irish Theatre Award for Best Direction for Sive by J.B. Keane
2004 Honorary Doctorate (Litt.D) from Trinity College Dublin
2005 Irish Times ESB Irish Theatre Special Tribute Award for her contribution to Irish Theatre
2006 Freedom of Galway City
2009 Joe A.Callaway Award (New York) for Outstanding Directing for The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh
2011 Honorary Doctorate (Litt.D) from University College Dublin
2012 Best Director – TMA Theatre Awards UK (for DruidMurphy – Plays by Tom Murphy)
Other
2011 Garry Hynes is appointed Adjunct Professor of Drama and Theatre Studies at NUI Galway.
2010 Garry Hynes was appointed to the Global Irish Network by Mr Micheal Martin T.D., Minister for Foreign Affairs
2010 Garry Hynes attended a St Patrick’s Day reception (March 17th) in the White House as a guest of the President and Mrs Obama. Garry was part of the official Irish delegation which included some of Ireland’s top names in business, sport, politics and the arts.
2010 Garry is elected an Honorary Member of the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin.