Deirdre O'Connell
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Eleanore Deirdre O'Connell (June 16, 1939 – June 9, 2001) was an actress, singer, and theatre director who founded Dublin's Focus Theatre.
O'Connell was born in the South Bronx district of New York, one of five children whose parents were Irish immigrants. When she finished school, she pursued her interest in theatre by studying, first, at Erwin Piscator's New York Dramatic Workshop, and later at the Actors' Studio, run by Lee Strasberg.[1]
In her early twenties, O'Connell moved to Dublin, Ireland, where she set up the Stanislavski Studio at the Pocket Theatre. There she trained a small company of actors in Stanislavski's 'system'. In 1967 she founded the Focus Theatre, becoming its manager, artistic director, and fund-raiser, as well as acting in many of its productions.[1]
O'Connell was a noted folk-singer and performed at the Newport Folk Festival. She married the Irish singer Luke Kelly in June 1965.[1]
Deirdre O'Connell died of cancer at her home in Dublin at the age of 61.[2] She is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c The Irish Times, "Single-minded actor behind Focus Theatre", June 16, 2001
- ^ Sunday Independent, "Exit, stage left", June 17 2001,
[edit] Further reading
- Deirdre O'Connell at Irish Playography
- O'Connell Cusack, Geraldine, Children of the Far-flung, The Liffey Press (Oct 2003), ISBN 978-1904148333
