Deevy, Theresa (1894-1963)

Irish playwright whose works were staged at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, in the 1930s. Despite original rejections, the Abbey successfully produced her first full-length drama, Reapers, in 1930. This was followed by other plays such as A Disciple (1931), The King of Spain's Daughter (1935), and Katie Roche (1936). Known for her vivid characterizations and excellent dialogue, she enriched the Abbey Theatre at a time when inventive plays were lacking.

Deevy was born in Waterford, Republic of Ireland. She suffered from Ménière's disease, which left her totally deaf by the time she reached adulthood. Nevertheless, she developed a passion for the theatre. A member of Cumann na mBan (the Women's League), she also fought against censorship and for the establishment of an Irish republic. In 1942 she started writing for the BBC and Radió Éireann. In 1954 she was elected to the Irish Academy of Letters.