Philomena "Phil" Muinzer is a

dramaturge A dramaturge or dramaturg is a literary adviser or editor in a theatre, opera, or film company who researches, selects, adapts, edits, and interprets scripts, libretti, texts, and printed programmes (or helps others with these tasks), consults auth ...

, writer and former musician from

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

, who has used the

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

Phil O'Brien for some of her work.

Early life and education

Philomena and her twin brother Colum were born in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

, United States, of an Irish mother and American father. Her father, Louis A. Muinzer, graduated from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

in 1949, and moved to

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

to teach at

Queen's University Belfast , mottoeng = For so much, what shall we give back? , top_free_label = , top_free = , top_free_label1 = , top_free1 = , top_free_label2 = , top_free2 = , established = , closed = , type = Public research university , parent = ...

. The family moved to

, Northern Ireland, when the children were young. She is a graduate of the University of Essex. She moved to the United States to study

geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...

in 1973, graduating in 1978. She wrote a

thesis A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: ...

on Arnold Guyot's barometrical explorations. This was followed by postgraduate studies at the Yale School of Drama (1980).

Career

While at Princeton, she was disturbed by the sharp contrast between the violence of Belfast and the peace and calm of

Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine ...

, and wrote the play ''We're on the One Road'', about

The Troubles The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an "i ...

in Ireland. It was performed in 1976, cast and directed by Muinzer. The play was a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize in 1979–80. Both Philomena and Colum played in the post-punk rock band Cruella de Ville, formed in 1982. Philomena Muinzer has served as

for the

Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

. Her 1987 article, "Evacuating the Museum: the Crisis of Playwriting in Ulster", published in '' New Theatre Quarterly'', February 1987, has been extensively quoted in literature about Irish theatre and women playwrights. As of 2011, Muinzer was working as public relations officer for

Pennant Books Pennant may refer to: Flag or banner * Pennon (or pennant), a narrow, tapering flag ** Commissioning pennant, the traditional sign of a warship, flown from its masthead while the ship is in commission ** Broad pennant, flown from the masthead o ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. She was thanked by

Matthew Hussey Matthew Hussey (born 19 June 1987) is a British life coach, YouTube personality, and writer. He is known for his 2013 book, ''Get The Guy: Learn Secrets of the Male Mind to Find the Man You Want and the Love You Deserve''. Early life Hussey ...

in the foreword to his 2013 book, ''Get the Guy''.

Selected works

Muinzer has written several plays and at least two books, sometimes adopting the pseudonym Phil O'Brien (O'Brien being the Munizers' mother's maiden name): * ''We're on the One Road'' (1976) *''Together Against Him'' (1982), a play, which was awarded a bursary by The

Arts Council of Great Britain The Arts Council of Great Britain was a non-departmental public body dedicated to the promotion of the fine arts in Great Britain. It was divided in 1994 to form the Arts Council of England (now Arts Council England), the Scottish Arts Council (l ...

and well-reviewed by the '' Times Literary Supplement'' * ''

Memories of the Irish-Israeli War ''Memories of the Irish-Israeli War'' is a 1995 novel by Phil O'Brien, a pen name for Philomena Muinzer. It was published by New Futurist Books, whose directors were Muinzer and her twin brother, Colum (also spelt Colm). The pair were formerly l ...

'' (1995), a novel (as Phil O'Brien) * ''Coldplay: Look at the Stars'' (2004), about the band Coldplay, in particular the effect of fame on frontman Chris Martin (as Phil O'Brien)

Personal life

She was married to writer Colin Bennett until his death on 15 February 2015.

Footnotes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muinzer, Philomena Women dramatists and playwrights from Northern Ireland Women writers from Northern Ireland Living people Year of birth missing (living people)