Phyllis was born on Feburary 29, 1944, the oldest of 9 children. She attended North Dakota School for the Deaf, graduating in 1962. She went on to Gallaudet College (renamed Gallaudet University), actively participating in theater there. She finally made her debut on April 2, 1967, on the NBC nationwide program, "Theatre of the Deaf". In 1980, she earned the Tony Award for Best Actress of 1980 with her performance in "Children of a Lesser God", a Broadway play, which was also named Best Play of 1980 as well.