| before the lake |
Harling Comes Home
Famed ‘Steel Magnolias’ playwright revisits his Madison roots.
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIA LYNN IVEY
R
Robert Harling, who penned the
Robert Harling
sits in his family’s
enduring classic “Steel Magnolias,”
former pew
at Madison
Presbyterian
rst discovered his knack for storytelling in his
stage play that was made into a star-studded
Church during a
childhood hometown of Madison.
movie in the 1980s, has stood the test of time,
visit back to his
“is is where it all began,” says Harling, who
with countless theater renditions performed all
hometown last
returned to Madison last spring to take a nostalgic
over the world, movie reboots produced, and the
spring.
stroll through the historic district, not far from
original lm still a beloved classic watched by
where he lived with his family on Belmont Street.
fans across the globe. e story follows a group
“Steel Magnolias,” the sharp-witted and heartwarming
of strong, sassy southern women forging sacred
SUMMER 2022 | LAKE OCONEE LIVING 31