Phyllis Babette Stephens AM

MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...

(née Fergusson) (26 April 1910 – 28 February 2001) was an Australian

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek ...

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

, artistic director, TV game show panelist and acting teacher. A leading theatrical pioneer, she also appeared in film and television, and hosted talkback radio.

Biography

She was born in England. Her theatrical career began after she joined the Brisbane Repertory Theatre in 1930. In the Brisbane Repertory Theatre society, now called

La Boite Theatre La Boite Theatre is an Australian theatre company based in Brisbane, Queensland. La Boite was established in 1925 and is Australia’s longest continuously running theatre company. Playing a vital role in the cultural landscape, La Boite Theat ...

, she served as Council President from 1957 to 1959 and Theatre Director from 1960 to 1968. It was under her leadership that the company acquired its first permanent premises and performing space, and constructed the first La Boite theatre. (The La Boite theatre after which the company is now named is the second, built in the early 1970s.) She was awarded an MBE (Member of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

) in 1972 for her services to theater and in 1994, was awarded the AM (Member of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

) for her services to the performing arts. She is the subject of a biography, ''Never Upstaged: Babette Stephens, Her Life and Times'' by Jay McKee, published in 2004. According to her biography her last acting student was Australian actor, Dwayne Lawler. Her funeral, held at

St John's Cathedral, Brisbane St John's Cathedral is the cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane and the metropolitan cathedral of the ecclesiastical province of Queensland, Australia. It is dedicated to St John the Evangelist. The cathedral is situated in Ann Street ...

, was attended by around 500 people. She received a standing ovation. The speakers included Sue Rider, the immediate past Artistic Director of

, and

Matt Foley Matt Foley is a fictional character from the sketch comedy program ''Saturday Night Live'' performed by Chris Farley. Foley is a motivational speaker who exhibits characteristics atypical of someone in that position: whereas motivational speake ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

's Minister for the Arts.

References

1910 births 2001 deaths 20th-century Australian actresses Australian theatre directors Members of the Order of Australia Australian Members of the Order of the British Empire {{Theat-director-stub