If you know about him you could skip this part.

Minnesota's own Sinclair Lewis was an American novelist, short-story writer, and playwright. In 1930 he became the first author in the United States (And the first from the America's) to received the Nobel Prize for Literature, which was awarded "for his vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to create, wit and humor, and new types of characters".

Lewis is known for six popular novels: Main Street (1920), Babbitt (1922), Arrowsmith (1925), Elmer Gantry (1927), Dodsworth (1929), and It Can't Happen Here (1935).

But just before Main Street was one called Free Air.

Free Air is about a young New York socialite, Claire Boltwood who has become bored with her upper-crust way-of-life. Although she enjoys much of the fancy part of her life, she is seeking adventure.

Claire decides to drag her father who does not want to "return to the shore or the Adirondacks. There are always the same people, the same sights" on a cross-country road trip in their roadster.

They put the Gomez-Dep on a train bound for Minnesota.

The story chronicles the challenges they face and the people they meet while driving from Minnesota to Seattle.

Well, this story was made into a silent film. The film was the first to be filmed "on location" instead of in Hollywood. And, parts of it were filmed in Rosemount, Minnesota which made it the first movie filmed in Minnesota (As per the Minnesota Historical Society).

No part of the movie exists. But there are photographs which were taken during the filming. These pictures were donated to the Rosemount Area Historical Society and will be used in a slideshow as part of a stage adaptation of Free Air.

I am beyond excited to be playing Claire's father, Henry B. Boltwood.

The Front Porch Players of Rosemount will present the show in mid-November at The Steeple Center in Rosemount.

The show will be Livestreamed on YouTube on Saturday, November 11th.

If you would like more information about this production please shoot me an email!

genrich.steveandann@gmail.com

Free Air the book is a delight!

This was a beast-of-a-show to do but also a ton of fun!! And what a gret story. I appreciate the person from this site who responded and bought the livestream ticket. Thanks again!

"Henry"

I’ve only read Babbitt. Good stuff, holds up today.
While I was reading it, someone saw that and made a reference to The Hobbit - of which I had absolutely no familiarity, haha. wrong book!