Blue Grass Trust May 2022 deTour of Pioneer Playhouse

Founded in 1950 by Colonel Eben C. Henson, Pioneer Playhouse is Kentucky's oldest outdoor theatre and one of the oldest continuously operating summer stock theatres in the United States. Many well-known actors cut their teeth at the Playhouse including Lee Majors, John Travolta, and Jim Varney. But the rich history of the structure exceeds its own glamorous past. Colonel Henson was a tremendous proponent of the "waste not, want not" ethos and salvaged many of his building materials from other historic structures that he couldn't bear to see destroyed. A walk through the grounds of Pioneer Playhouse reveals hand-hewn beams repurposed from a 200-year-old livery stable and former Centre College buildings, floorboards from the Kentucky School for the Deaf, and the train station from MGM's Raintree County which now serves as the Playhouse's box office--as well as countless other fascinating artifacts!

Colonel Henson's family, who continue to run the Playhouse, gave us a special behind-the-scenes tour of areas of the Playhouse that the public rarely sees including backstage, the costume room, and the actors' lodging spaces. Learn about the fascinating history of this Kentucky treasure, which celebrated its 73rd season in June 2022!