Strolling the shady streets of Montford in downtown Asheville, one may happen upon a large, grey stone building at the mouth of Zillicoa St. that was once on the grounds of the Highland Mental Hospital. The hospital was, during the ‘30s and ‘40s, where Zelda Fitzgerald, writer and wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald, spent the last years of her life. Her husband committed Zelda to the hospital in 1936 after she developed what was then considered schizophrenia. Zelda lived in the local hospital for twelve years, all the while F. Scott Fitzgerald would stay at the Grove Park Inn when visiting his wife.
On March 10, 1948, in the kitchen of a house on the grounds, a fire broke out and spread through the house, killing nine women, including Zelda Fitzgerald.
The Last Flapper is the story of Zelda Fitzgerald’s last day, based on her letters and stories, written by William Luce. The HART Studio Theatre in Waynesville will be presenting The Last Flapper on Feb. 4 and 5 at 7:30 p.m. and on Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. The story of one of the most influential women of the roaring twenties will be in the Fletcher Studio Theatre: tickets are $5 for students and $8 for adults. For more information or to reserve tickets, call the HART Box Office at 456-6322.
LLR Books
