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Special Comedy Weekend Starring Lee Cruse!  

For over fifteen years, Pioneer Playhouse has been closing out its summer season with a special comedy weekend, and this year Lee Cruse is back to headline a night full of laughs.

“It all started with my sister Holly Henson,” Heather Henson says, managing director and daughter of Pioneer Playhouse founder, Eben C. Henson.

“Holly was a stand-up comic who toured the country when she wasn’t artistic director here at the theatre we grew up helping our father run. One year she took to the Playhouse stage at the end of the season so that the local audiences could catch her stand-up act, and the rest is history.”

Since that time, the Special Stand-Up Comedy Weekend at Kentucky’s oldest outdoor theatre has featured name acts like Jimmy “JJ” Walker, Etta May, and Scott Hansen. Lee Cruse has performed twice on the historic stage, and he’s thrilled to be back.

“There’s nowhere quite like Pioneer Playhouse,” says Cruse. “So much history here. So many big stars like John Travolta and Lee Majors have stood right where I’m going to be standing.”

Lee Cruse is a big star in his own right, being half the dynamic duo of the nationally syndicated TV hit The Lee and Hayley Show, seen locally on ABC 36.

“I’ve had a chance to go on The Lee and Hayley Show a few times, promoting Pioneer Playhouse, and Lee is just so much fun to work with,” says Henson. “I like to say that you never know what’s going to come out of Lee’s mouth when you go on a show with him, and it’s true. He’s quick; he keeps the quips coming. It’s always a challenge to keep up with him during an interview, and I think that funny, fast repartee is perfect for stand-up. Actually, lots of folks don’t realize that’s where Lee got his start–doing stand-up–and so, it’s like coming home to him. He still performs at Comedy Off-Broadway as well, so he keeps those comedy chops strong.”

The Special Comedy Weekend stars Lee Cruse, but it also is a chance to catch a glimpse of other comics as well. This year, the MC for the show will be Leo “Freak Daddy” Brown, a Lexington radio personality, as well as winners of the KY All-Star Comedy Tour.

“Lee always brings funny acts, comics he knows will appeal to our Playhouse audience,” says Henson. “You might see a rising star from the Kentucky comedy scene, and you’ll be able to say you knew that comic when.”

“What we like about ending with a Stand-up Comedy show,” adds Robby Henson, artistic director of Pioneer Playhouse, and brother to Heather, “is that it honors our late sister, Holly, who died of cancer ten years ago and it’s also a chance to enjoy the Playhouse experience one more time before our season comes to a close. It’s always bittersweet, saying goodbye to patrons till next year, but at least we’ll be laughing while we do it. Come on out!”

The Special Stand-up Comedy Weekend starring Lee Cruse is for two nights only: August 18 and August 19. Tickets are still available but limited. A dinner of Beef au Jus French Dip or BBQ Chicken Breast, baked potato, Cole slaw, corn on the cob, and dessert is available before the show. Dinner is served at 7:00 pm and the show begins at a new time: 8:00 pm.

 

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Final Play of the Season Inspired by ‘Happiness’!  

Pioneer Playhouse, Kentucky’s oldest outdoor theatre, will end its regular play season with Kosher Lutherans, a modern comedy that playwright William Missouri Downs says was inspired by one word: happiness.   

“Many years ago, I was looking up a name in the phone book and saw the word ‘Happiness’ and a phone number beside it,” explains Downs. “I blinked, my eyes re-focused, and the word ‘Happiness’ became “Hapgood.” But the idea stuck with me. What if one day you randomly found happiness in the phone book? That’s how Kosher Lutherans was born.”  

Kosher Lutherans, which runs from July 25 to August 12, and which will close out the historic theatre’s regular 2023 play season, revolves around Franklyn and Hannah, the seemingly perfect couple who desperately want to have a child of their own, but can’t. A chance encounter with a God-fearing pregnant girl from Iowa named Alison seems to offer the perfect solution. Things get complicated, however, when the couple realizes that Alison does not know they are Jewish. Should Franklyn and Hannah pretend to be Lutheran in order to appeal to the girl’s Midwestern sensibilities?  

“Kosher Lutherans is about how chance events and curve balls change our lives,” Downs says. “It’s a comedy about a childless couple and their desperate attempt to find happiness in a world full of crumbling marriages, unhappy jobs, and fertility clinics.”  

“We’re huge fans of William Missouri Downs’ writing,” says Robby Henson, artistic director of Pioneer Playhouse, which his father, Eben C. Henson, founded in 1950. “His dialogue is sharp and funny, and his characters are very relatable. I think it comes from his early background in writing for television and sitcoms, such as the original The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”  

William Missouri Downs will be traveling to Danville, Kentucky from his home out west to see the July 29th production of Kosher Lutherans. Pioneer Playhouse will offer a talk-back with the playwright immediately following the Saturday night performance.  

“We’re always thrilled when a playwright comes here to see their work,” says Heather Henson, sister to Robby, and managing director of the family-run summer stock theatre. “It’s fun to give the audience a chance to ask questions and learn a little bit about what went into writing the play they just saw.”  

“A year ago, I attended Pioneer Playhouse,” says Downs. “It was magical to sit under the stars and watch my comedy. So, I had to come back to see Kosher Lutherans.”  

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Second Show at Pioneer Playhouse Opens with a Bang!  

Pioneer Playhouse of Danville opens the second show of its 74th season, Farce of Nature, with a bang on Tuesday, July 4th.  

“It’s a little unusual starting on July 4th,” admits Heather Henson, managing director of the theatre her father, Col. Eben C. Henson, founded in 1950. “There will definitely be some fireworks in the background, but that’s just part of the charm of outdoor theatre.”  

Farce of Nature, penned by the writing team of Jones, Hope, and Wooten, will run Tuesdays through Saturdays, July 4 through July 22. The comedy is set in a family-run fishing lodge in the Ozarks that’s seen better days. Enter a bungling cop on witness protection duty and a couple of Chicago wise guys, and business definitely starts to pick up.  

“What’s hilarious is that each character has their own agenda,” says Heather. “The married couple that owns the inn, played by fan favorites, Patricia Hammond and Daniel Hall Kuhn, are keeping secrets from each, and then one crazy character after another shows up, each with something fishy up their sleeves.”  

Beside Hammond and Kuhn, the play stars Erika Lee Sengstack, Peyton White, and Jack Giglia who all appeared in the first show of the season, Blood Suede Shoes. Joining the cast will be veterans of the Playhouse stage, Rita Hight and Eric Seale. New to the roster is Jonny Maldonado.  

“We worked with Jonny in New York City this past fall during our Voices Inside festival of short plays by incarcerated writers,” says Robby Henson, brother to Heather, and artistic director of Pioneer Playhouse. “He’s a terrific actor, and we’re lucky he was able to join us.”  

Maldonado, a lifelong resident of the Lower East Side of Manhattan, teaches theatre at City College of New York and performs regularly at The People’s Improv in NYC.  

“I’m happy to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city and come to this lovely state that I’ve never been to before,” says Maldonado. “I laughed so many times as I first read the script, and have been laughing even harder now that it’s coming to life.”  

Director Jennifer Goff, an associate professor and director of the theatre program at Centre College, returns for her third show having previously directed Southern Fried Funeral and Southern Fried Nuptials, two hugely popular comedies with Playhouse audiences.  

“It’s been such a blast being back this summer!” says Goff. “Farce of Nature is so silly, and the cast and I have had a great time leaning into the wild comedy of it. We have laughed a lot over our rehearsal process – and we can’t wait to pass that fun along to the audience!”  

“We love working with Jen, and we love partnering with Centre College on sponsoring this play,” says Heather. “Centre College is a terrific supporter of the arts in Danville.”  

Pioneer Playhouse is located at 840 Stanford Road in Danville. The brand-new optional pre-show dinner gives patrons a choice of Beef au Jus or BBQ Chicken Breast plus sides. Prices for dinner and show are $36; $20 for show only. Discounts for kids and groups are available. Tickets may be purchased online at pioneerplayhouse.com or by calling the box office at 859-236-2747.

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A Premiere Original Opens Season 74 at Pioneer Playhouse!

May 31, 2023 Pioneer Playhouse, Danville, KY
Blood Suede Shoes

Pioneer Playhouse of Danville will open for its 74th season under the stars on June 9th with the world premiere production of Blood Suede Shoes: A Sergeant Elvis Presley Murder Mystery, written by Robby Henson, artistic director of the historic theatre his father, Eben C. Henson, founded in 1950.

Blood Suede Shoes: A Sergeant Elvis Presley Murder Mystery is an original comedy/mystery set in 1960 in a spooky Scottish castle where London’s posh set have gathered for a séance. Enter a dashing young Sergeant Elvis Presley – – not a ghost, but the real thing! Grounded on his way stateside due to stormy weather and a mysterious threat to his life, Sergeant Elvis quickly realizes he must use every bit of his down-home common sense and military training to catch a killer who may (or may not) be a lunatic escaped from the nearby asylum.

“The idea came when we were sitting around with the actors at lunch a couple of seasons ago, riffing on what might make a funny play,” says Robby Henson, who has written several crowd pleasers at Pioneer Playhouse, including The Wonder Team, Good Blues Tonight, and Breaking Up with Elvis, another Elvis-centric play. “I guess I had Elvis on the brain and thought it would be interesting to mix genres – – an Agatha Christie or Clue-type mystery/comedy with a young Elvis Presley thrown in.”

“Clue was extremely popular with our audiences,” says Heather Henson, sister to Robby, and managing and marketing director of Kentucky’s oldest outdoor theatre. “This has the same outrageous vibe and high energy. Lots of zany characters and crazy situations. I think people will love it.”

“The play was inspired by a tiny kernel of truth,” adds Robby. “As a sergeant in the army, Elvis’ plane was grounded on a stormy night in Glasgow in 1960. My story is a farcical take on what might have happened to make Elvis never want to return to Scotland again.”

Blood Suede Shoes: A Sergeant Elvis Presley Murder Mystery stars fan favorites Patricia Hammond, Daniel Hall Kuhn, and Erika Lee Sengstack, as well as faces new to the Pioneer Playhouse stage: Kevin Hardesty, whose theatre credits include the Broadway tour of Biloxi Blues and title roles of MacBeth and Hamlet, and in film: Not to Forget, Heathers, and Happy Together; and Daniel Bird Tobin, assistant professor of theatre at Centre College in Danville. Peyton White returns from last season, as does Jack Giglia, who wowed audiences as the title character in Dracula Bites, and this time brings a young Elvis to life.

Blood Suede Shoes: A Sergeant Elvis Presley Murder Mystery runs nightly, Tuesdays through Saturdays, June 9 through July 1. An optional dinner is served at 7:00 pm and the show begins at 8:30 pm. Dinner and Show is $36 per person; show only is $20. Group discounts are available. A bar serving beer, wine, and spirits is open to those 21 years and older.

Pioneer Playhouse is located at 840 Stanford Road in Danville. Tickets can be purchased on line at www.pioneerplayhouse.com or by calling the box office at 859-236-2747. Plays are performed outdoors; rainchecks will be given for cancelation due to severe weather. weather.

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Party Down for Jan Sheffield, Sat. April 29!

One day, our own Jan Sheffield was wowing Pioneer Playhouse audiences in Southern Fried Nuptials; the next, she was being rushed to a Lexington hospital for emergency surgery to combat a sudden and rare infection in her spine.

Since then, Jan has been in a quadriplegic state. At every turn, there have been huge obstacles, but Jan continues to defy the odds!

Jan is a fighter! With her amazing husband, Jeff Cooper, constantly at her side, she continues to redefine what is possible.

So many of you have helped already—thank you!!!! But Jan needs 24/7 care, and all the physical therapy and medical equipment and home-care support that goes with that is, quite frankly, astronomical.

Pioneer Playhouse adores Jan and Jeff, and so we are throwing a Party Down for Jan Benefit here on Saturday, April 29th from 7-11 pm. Michael Fly and The Sounds will be grooving live on our indoor stage, and local restaurateurs and distillers are donating food and drink. A $25 cover will include food; the bar will be cash/credit. No silent auction, but we will have donation boxes at the event. All proceeds go to Jan and Jeff.

This is a fundraiser, but it’s also a celebration! Come on out and join together with Jan and Jeff and the rest of this awesome community to celebrate what strength looks like, and what the power of love and hope can do!

Buy tickets at pioneerplayhouse.com or call 859-236-2747 (M-F, 9-1)

Direct link to tix: https://pioneerplayhouse.csstix.com/event-details.php?e=168

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Immediate Job Opportunity at Kentucky’s Oldest Outdoor Theatre!!

We are hiring!! Immediate Job Opportunity at Kentucky’s Oldest Outdoor Theatre!!
Part-time Office Manager
Perform box office and bookkeeping functions for arts education nonprofit. Manage contracts, payroll and tax reporting. Conduct ticket sales and staff scheduling/training for summer season. Provide phone and walk-in customer service. Advanced Quickbooks bookkeeping experience and strong interpersonal skills required.
Hours: 20 hours/week 9-1, M-F; more hours in summer with some nights and weekends. Salary based on experience.
No calls please! Email cover letter and resume to pioneerplayhouse@att.net.
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Good giving challenge kicks off Tuesday, November 29

Pioneer Playhouse has been entertaining generations of families for nearly 75 years!

Please help us continue to do just that during The Bluegrass GoodGiving Challenge!!

The donation page goes live tomorrow, Tuesday, November 29 at 9:00 am!! Just click on www.bggives.org/pioneerplayhouse and give!!

Even $10 helps Kentucky’s oldest outdoor theatre! Funds will be matched at the end of the week so your donation goes even further!

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Pioneer Playhouse announces 2023 lineup!

Covid 19 Safe and Very Entertaining!

Accessibility and accessible seating in all areas, including dining patio, play amphitheater,  restrooms and exhibits in indoor theatre. 

Performances nightly Tuesday-Saturday June 9 – August 12 Dinner & Show – 7:00pm Show Only – 8:30pm (EDT)

All performances are held outside.  In case of light rain, show continues.  If show is canceled due to severe weather, rain checks will be given.
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2023 Season – Celebrating 74 years!!

Blood Suede Shoes: A Sergeant Elvis Presley Murder Mystery By Robby Henson (Breaking Up with Elvis; The Wonder Team; Good Blues Tonight!) World Premiere event! June 9 – July 1 It’s the swinging ‘60s, and a threat to young Sergeant Elvis Presley’s life during stormy weather over Scotland forces an emergency landing near a spooky castle where London’s posh set have gathered for a séance.  In this zany new murder mystery mash-up, cultures clash, the body count rises, and a dashing young Elvis must use every bit of his down-home common sense and military training to catch a murderer! Family fun!! Rated G.

Farce of Nature By Jamie Wooten, Jessie Jones, and Nicholas Hope July 4  – July 22 Welcome to Reel ‘Em Inn, the finest little fishing lodge in the Ozarks!  Well, it used to be, but lately business is slow … until a jittery gangster from Chicago shows up, followed by a string of surprise guests, each with something hilariously fishy up their sleeves! Slamming doors, mistaken identity, crazy disguises, and an increasingly awful stench, make for a wacky roller coaster ride of a comedy, and some good ole Southern fried fun! Famiy fun! Rated G.

Kosher Lutherans By William Missouri Downs July 25 – August 12 Hanna and Franklyn are the perfect LA couple who desperately want to have a baby of their own, but can’t.  Enter Alison, a naïve, unmarried 18-year-old runaway from Iowa who’s pregnant.  It’s an adoption match made in heaven…except Alison doesn’t realize Hanna and Franklyn are Jewish, which leads to a few hysterical — and heartwarming — twists and turns on the road to parenthood. “A delightful comedy with message and heart.” (Louisville Courier Journal). Rated PG.

Special Stand-Up Comedy Weekend Starring Lee Cruse!! August 18-19 Co-host of the nationally-syndicated and hugely popular ‘The Lee and Hayley Show’, airing locally on WTVQ Channel 36, and a favorite here at Pioneer Playhouse, Lee Cruse has been making people laugh for over two decades! Lee has become the gold standard for comedy in the Bluegrass, and beyond. Don’t miss a chance to see Lee and his Kentucky All Stars on our historic stage!

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Rain Policy Pioneer Playhouse shows are held in our historic outdoor amphitheater. There is always a slight risk of rain when attending shows outside. All performances are held outside.  In case of light rain, show continues. If show is canceled due to severe weather, rain checks will be given. Shows are not considered rained out until show time. We may delay or pause to allow weather to pass. ALL SALES ARE FINAL AND NON REFUNDABLE If a performance is canceled or cannot continue due to rain, your ticket will be stamped as a rain check and may be redeemed for any performance during the season. Please hold onto the ticket and contact the box office to reschedule You may bring umbrellas. Umbrellas and ponchos are also available for purchase in our gift shop. In extreme cases of threatening weather we may cancel a show prior to curtain and will make an announcement on our social media pages. We want to provide the Playhouse experience you know and love and keep everyone safe. Seating capacity will be reduced to promote social distancing. Only one family member should come to the box office window. You are welcome to make your reservations online.  Please do not print out your tickets. They will be given to you when you arrive (and will not be torn). Please come early so there is not a crowd rush at show time. DINNER: Line up and be served a delicious, home-cooked dinner, then find your own seats in our shaded courtyard.  Dietary restrictions or vegetarian requests must be made before noon the previous day.  No dinner reservations can be taken after 3 PM on the day of the show.
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For show tickets, we encourage you to purchase online at pioneerplayhouse.com