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==Foundation of the Abbey==
[[Image:Yeats.jpg|left|frame|A 1907 engraving of W. B. Yeats, one of the founders of the Abbey Theatre.]]
In the light of the success of the St Theresa's Hall venture, the Irish National Theatre Society was formed by Yeats as president, Lady Gregory, Æ, Martyn, and [[John Millington Synge]]. Funding was provided by Annie Horniman. When the [[Mechanics' Hall|Hibernian Theatre of Varieties]] in Lower Abbey Street and an adjacent building in Marlborough Street became available after the local fire safety authorities closed the Hibernia on fire safety grounds, Horniman and William Fay agreed their purchase and refitting to meet the needs of the society. On [[May 11]], [[1904]] the society formally accepted Horniman's offer of the use of the building. As Horniman was not normally resident in Ireland, the Royal Letters Patent required were paid for by her but granted in the name of Lady Gregory. William Fay was appointed theatre manager and took on responsibility for training the actors in the newly-established repertory company. Yeats' brother [[Jack Yeats]] was commissioned to paint portraits of all the leading figures in the society for the foyer and [[Sarah Purser]] designed some stained glass for the same space.
On [[December 27]], the curtains went up on the opening night. The bill consisted of three one-act plays, ''On Baile's Strand'' and ''Cathleen Ní Houlihan'' by Yeats, and ''Spreading the News'' by Lady Gregory. On the second night, ''In the Shadow of the Glen'' by Synge replaced the second Yeats play and these two bills alternated over a five-night run. Frank Fay, playing [[Cu Chulainn|Cuchullain]] in ''On Baile's Strand'', was the first actor on the Abbey stage. Although Horniman had designed costumes, neither she nor Lady Gregory was present. Horniman had, in fact, returned to England and her main role with the Abbey over the coming years, in addition to providing funding, was to organise publicity and bookings for touring Abbey productions in London and provincial English venues. In [[1905]], Yeats, Lady Gregory and Synge decided to turn the theatre into a [[Limited Liability Company]] without properly consulting Horniman. Annoyed by this treatment, she hired [[Ben Iden Payne]], a former Abbey employee, to help run her new repertory company in [[Manchester]].
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