I grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, really in suburbia, so my mother was in community theatre plays.

Henley's writing style has evolved throughout her career. [page needed] Her plays of the 1990s are considered experimental in moving beyond the traditional settings and themes of her earlier work. Henley attended Murrah High School in Mississippi followed by Southern Methodist University where Beth Henley was a member of the acting ensemble.

Henley's play Ridiculous Fraud was produced at the McCarter Theatre in 2006 and her play Family Week was produced at MCC Theater in 2010 directed by Jonathan Demme. Elizabeth Becker "Beth" Henley (born May 8 1952) is an American dramatist and actress. The play also earned Henley a nomination for a Tony Award and her screenplay adaptation for the 1986 film of the same name was nominated for an Oscar as Best Adapted Screenplay.