Phyllis Annetta Frelich (February 29, 1944 – April 10, 2014) was a

deaf Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...

American actress. She was the first deaf actor to win a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

Early life

Frelich was born to deaf parents Esther (née Dockter) and Philip Frelich. She was one of nine siblings. Her parents were alumni of the North Dakota School for the Deaf. At Gallaudet she completed a degree in library science, but also participated in theater. It was there that she was seen performing by David Hays, one of the founders of the National Theater of the Deaf, who asked her to join the theater company.

Career

Frelich originated the leading female role in the Broadway production of '' Children of a Lesser God'', written by Mark Medoff. That play was specially written for her, and based to some extent on her relationship with her husband Robert Steinberg. ''Children'' won the Tony for Best Play; Frelich won the 1980 Best Actress

and her co-star, John Rubinstein, won the Best Actor

. Frelich was the first deaf actor or actress to win a Tony Award.

Marlee Matlin Marlee Matlin (born August 24, 1965) is an American actress, activist, and author. Deafness, Deaf since she was 18 months old, Matlin is known for her portrayals of deaf women, and for her activism on behalf of deaf individuals in Cinema of the ...

played Frelich's role in the film version, for which she won the

Academy Award for Best Actress The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a lead ...

. Frelich later starred in other plays written by Medoff, including ''The Hands of Its Enemy'' and ''Prymate''. She was nominated for an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

for her performance in the 1985 television movie '' Love Is Never Silent''. On the original air date of February 9, 1985, she appeared as a guest in the ''

Gimme A Break! ''Gimme a Break!'' is an American television sitcom created by Mort Lachman and Sy Rosen that aired on NBC for six seasons from October 29, 1981, to May 12, 1987. The series starred Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief ...

'' episode "The Earthquake". Frelich appeared in the recurring role of Sister Sarah on '' Santa Barbara''. Her last acting role was in an episode of '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' in 2011. Frelich was elected to the ninety-member Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Board in Hollywood, the highest policy-making body in the entertainment industry in 1991. She was the first deaf actress to be recognized in the United States. In 1991, Frelich starred with Patrick Graybill in '' The Gin Game'' at the Deaf West Theatre in Los Angeles drawing critical acclaim on their aesthetic art of American Sign Language. This performance was adapted from D. L. Coburn's play and was directed by

Linda Bove Linda Bove is a Deaf American actress, her most notable role being a fictionalized version of herself in the PBS children's series ''Sesame Street'' from 1971 to 2002. Bove was the first Deaf actress to be a member of the program's recurring c ...

, with Deaf West Theatre artistic director Ed Waterstreet.

Death

Frelich died on April 10, 2014, at her home in

Temple City, California Temple City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California located northeast of downtown Los Angeles and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. Temple City is part of a cluster of cities, along with Pasadena, Cal ...

at the age of 70 in April 2014 from

progressive supranuclear palsy Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a late-onset neurodegenerative disease involving the gradual deterioration and death of specific volumes of the brain, linked to 4-repeat tau pathology. The condition leads to symptoms including Balance di ...

(PSP), a rare degenerative neurological disease for which there are no treatments.Notice of death of Phyllis Frelich
, silentgrapevine.com; accessed April 13, 2014.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

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External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Frelich, Phyllis 1944 births 2014 deaths People from Devils Lake, North Dakota 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from North Dakota American deaf actresses American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Tony Award winners People from Temple City, California American deaf people Gallaudet University alumni