US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have invited Druid’s artistic director Garry Hynes to a special St Patrick’s Day Reception at the White House.
Ms Hynes will form part of the official Irish delegation to the White House which will include some of Ireland’s top names in business, sport, politics, and the arts.
Druid is particularly well known in the States for its production of The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh which won Druid four Tony awards including Best Director for Garry Hynes, the first woman ever to win the award.
As well as abroad, Ms Hynes will also be honoured at home as she is to receive The President’s Medal from NUI Galway’s Literary and Debating Society this evening in the Upper Aula Maxima, the Quadrangle, NUIG, at 7pm.
The medal is the society’s highest accolade and recognises those who have excelled in their chosen fields. Previous recipients have included Nobel Peace prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former Irish president Mary Robinson, and Prof Noam Chomsky.
On the evening, NUIG’s Prof Adrian Frazier will interview Ms Hynes on her own experience with Irish drama, the contribution of Druid, the development of Irish theatre in the past, and the threat it faces through cuts in funding.
Following the interview, there will be a question and answer session with the audience. The event is open to the public as well as students.
