Eben Henson, 81, Pioneer Playhouse Founder
Eben Henson, popularly known as Colonel Eben Henson and the founder of Pioneer Playhouse, Kentucky's oldest outdoor theatre, died Sun., April 25, at his home in Danville, Ky. He was 81.
Henson launched the Danville playhouse in 1950 and it continues to run 54 years later. During his tenure at the helm, Henson produced over 300 plays and helped the careers of hundreds of young actors, including John Travolta, Jim Varney, Lee Majors, and Bo Hopkins.
A Danville, Ky. native, Henson served a tour of duty in the Navy during World War II before pursuing an acting career in New York. He studied drama at the New School for Social Research with legendary experimental-theatre director Erwin Piscator and performed in school plays alongside such soon-to-be-notables as Tony Curtis, Beatrice Arthur, and Harry Belafonte.
In addition to founding the Kentucky playhouse as a way of bringing "Broadway to the Bluegrass," Henson acted in or worked on dozens of movies, including "Raintree County," "April Love," and "Treasure of Matecumbe."
He served on numerous arts boards and was twice named a Kentucky colonel by governors of the state, a role he was known for playing to the hilt with his signature string tie and easygoing Southern charm.
