Phyllis Ryan (27 July 1920 â€" 6 June 2011) was an Irish actress and
theatrical producer. During 1936â€"1944 and 2000 she was involved with
the Abbey Theatre where she appeared in many productions. In 1939 she
toured with the Abbey Theatre and appeared in a production by Irish
playwright Teresa Deevy called The King of Spain's Daughter; there
were 16 performances in all from September to November.Wanting to get
into theatre management, she launched Orion Productions in 1956. In
1958 came Gemini Productions, based for many years in Dublin's Eblana
Theatre in Busáras. A tiny theatre, famously without wings, it was
open from 17 September 1959 until 1995.Ryan was in the 1960s and 1970s
the major producer of new plays in Ireland outside of the Abbey
Theatre. Phyllis Ryan and her Gemini Productions kept independent
theatre alive in Dublin and premièred most of the work of playwright
John B. Keane. The playwrights â€" Brian Friel, Joe O'Donnell, Tom
Murphy and others â€" that Gemini nurtured were later adopted by the
Abbey and other theatres.She wrote and published her memoirs, The
Company I Kept, in 1996.
theatrical producer. During 1936â€"1944 and 2000 she was involved with
the Abbey Theatre where she appeared in many productions. In 1939 she
toured with the Abbey Theatre and appeared in a production by Irish
playwright Teresa Deevy called The King of Spain's Daughter; there
were 16 performances in all from September to November.Wanting to get
into theatre management, she launched Orion Productions in 1956. In
1958 came Gemini Productions, based for many years in Dublin's Eblana
Theatre in Busáras. A tiny theatre, famously without wings, it was
open from 17 September 1959 until 1995.Ryan was in the 1960s and 1970s
the major producer of new plays in Ireland outside of the Abbey
Theatre. Phyllis Ryan and her Gemini Productions kept independent
theatre alive in Dublin and premièred most of the work of playwright
John B. Keane. The playwrights â€" Brian Friel, Joe O'Donnell, Tom
Murphy and others â€" that Gemini nurtured were later adopted by the
Abbey and other theatres.She wrote and published her memoirs, The
Company I Kept, in 1996.
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