Category Archives: Minneapolis

The Great Migration – Chanel Bonfire

The Great Migration: from Summer Stock in North Carolina to the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and, of course, divorce.

In the Smoky Mountains.
Having a wonderful time Skype-ing with Book Groups!  If you’re group is reading Chanel Bonfire I’d be happy to do a live Q & A with you.  Just email me at chanelbonfire@gmail.com 
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Posted by Wendy Lawless  Book Group Skype, Book Groups, Chanel Bonfire, Georgann Rea, Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, North Carolina, Robin Lawless, Skype, Smoky Mountains, Summer Stock, Wendy Lawless

Fatal Glamour

The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Designed by Ralph Rapson and completed in 1963 with one of the first thrust stages in America, designed by Tanya Moiseiwitsch. 


Peter Zeisler, Sir Tyrone Guthrie and Oliver Rea — founders of the theater.

“Oliver Rea was a successful Broadway producer who, disenchanted with the New York theater scene, had moved his family to Minneapolis to found the Guthrie Theater, where he and Sir Tyrone Guthrie, a scion of the English stage, planned to produce serious classical theater….He wasn’t handsome but had a craggy allure and an air of mystery that mother found fatally glamorous.”  — Chanel Bonfire

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Posted by Wendy Lawless  Chanel Bonfire, Georgann Rea, Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, modern architecture, Oliver Rea, Peter Zeisler, Ralph Rapson, Regional Theater, Sir Tyrone Guthrie, stage design, Tanya Moiseiwitsch, Wendy Lawless

Robbie and me in our playclothes from Dayton’s…

Every summer our dad would meet our plane at the Minneapolis Airport.  He’d take one look at our Florence Eiseman dresses and polished Mary Janes and take us straight to Dayton’s Department store (where Mary Tyler Moore tosses her hat in the air) to buy Garanimals, Keds and dungarees that we could get dirty and muddy and wet and be kids in.

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Posted by Wendy Lawless  Chanel Bonfire, children of divorce, Dayton's, Florence Eiseman, Garanimals, Guthrie Theatre, James Lawless, Keds, Mary Janes, Mary Tyler Moore, Minneapolis

From Chanel Bonfire

My mother did finish her book, “Somebody Turn Off the Wind Machine” and it was optioned by Columbia Pictures by the famous fellow (and his daughter) in this photo. Sadly, the film was never made. Can anyone guess who was attached to play my mother? Think hot in the 80’s. Go!

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Posted by Wendy Lawless  60s New York, ASL, Beaver Country Day, books, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Cambridge, Dakota, dysfunctional family, Guthrie Theatre, Holly Golightly, insanity, Kansas City, London, memoir, Minneapolis

Four Stars from People, people!
And I’ll keep posting this offer periodically: If your book club is reading Chanel, I’d be happy to schedule a Skype Q & A with you!  If you all are having coffee or tea, I’ll have coffee or tea on my end!  Cocktails?  Cocktails!  
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Posted by Wendy Lawless  60s New York, ASL, Beaver Country Day, books, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Cambridge, Dakota, dysfunctional family, Guthrie Theatre, Holly Golightly, insanity, Kansas City, London, memoir, Minneapolis