-
Beth's parents were Charles B. Henley and Elizabeth Josephine Henley. She also had three siblings, all being sisters. Her father was an attorney and a politician who served as a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives. Her mother was an amateur actress. -
Beth Henley was born on May 8th, 1952 in Jackson, Mississippi.
-
During the 1950s and 60s, the civil rights movement was taking place, and it had influenced some of her work. It was shown in "The Jacksonian". -
A person who played a big role in influencing Beth was her mother. She would take Beth to her auditions. From a young age she would always watch her mother and that's what exposed her to the art of theater. -
Beth Henley's first play was called "Am I Blue," and it was written in 1972. It was then released to the public and performed at Southern Methodist University in 1974. The setting for this play was a rundown apartment in New Orleans. -
Beth Henley went to Murrah High School in Mississippi, and she attended Southern Methodist University in Texas. She got a BFA degree, which is a degree that's based on visual arts, film, and creative writing. She graduated from high school in 1970 and university in 1974. -
Beth Henley became a teacher of playwriting, and she taught for about 30years. She taught at the University of Illinois and the Dallas Minority Repertory Theater. After that, she taught in Loyola Marymount University for 20 years.
-
This play is about 3 sisters who reunite at their family home, which is in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. It was their sister Lenny's birthday. -
This took place in a set in Brookhaven, Mississippi. This play has comedy, and it's about Carnelle Scott, who is a woman from Mississippi who tries to win the Fourth of July beauty pageant in her town to get rid of the bad reputation she has. -
Beth won this award in 1981 because of her play "Crimes of the Heart". She was also nominated for the Tony Award. -
She also won this award with her play "Crimes of the Heart" -
This is about dramatic play about a family gathering for a wake, and there are lots of secrets being exposed between the family. -
Beth also wrote screenplays, and she wrote Nobody's Fool in 1986. It was a comedy film that had to do with a girl named Cassie who was looking for love. She meets a traveling Shakespeare troupe officer who offers a community acting workshop. -
This is about a gambler named Reed Hooker. It takes place during the Great Depression, and they opened a taxi-dancing emporium -
Beth Henley has never been married, but she did have a long-term relationship with another actor, Stephen Tobolowsky, that ended in 1988. Their relationship lasted about 15 years. -
Beth's artwork of theater had to do with a lot of Gothic themes. She also described her style as Film Noir.
-
This play is about an old woman who is getting interviewed by her great-granddaughter. They talk about regretting not using birth control to avoid having so many kids. -
This was her last play made was "The Jacksonian," and it was about a night of murder, racism, and family breaking apart. It premiered in the Geffen Theater in 2013. -
She lives in LA and is the president professor at Loyola Marymount University -