MTM Brings Audiences Inside A Madhouse with A New Musical About Nellie Bly
In 1887 The New York Times reported that a “mysterious waif” with a “wild, haunted look in her eyes” was committed to the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island. But this “waif” was not mentally ill; she was the pioneering young journalist Nellie Bly, on special assignment from Joseph Pulitzer to infiltrate the hospital and write about the deplorable conditions she found inside. After a week and a half of witnessing rancid food, torturous and unsanitary baths, drugged patients and cruel staff, Bly was rescued from the asylum and began to craft her expose.
After her columns appeared in Pulitzer’s newspaper, The World, the horrifying accounts raised public awareness about abuse, and eventually led to reform. To preserve Bly’s reports, they were assembled into the book Ten Days In A Madhouse. This marked the beginning of serious investigative journalism and cemented her legacy as much more than a “girl detective” and “stunt journalist,” even before she bested Jules Verne’s fictional record of traveling around the world in 80 days.
More than a century later, Bly’s remarkable exploits have been the subject of many books, plays, musicals, films and television programs. There is even a statue in the works to honor her. Locally, Bly’s adventures have been dramatized in a new musical, commissioned by Music Theatre of Madison (MTM).
Ten Days In A Madhouse, by Dane County artists Jennifer Hedstrom (music and lyrics) and Karen Saari (book and lyrics), received an initial read-through last December. In lieu of a scheduled public workshop this summer, a revised version of the musical is available through a series of podcasts, posted at www.mtmadison.com. The website also features a virtual program with information about the cast and creators, preliminary set renderings by Erin Baal and costume design concepts by Shannon Heibler.
Though this format was necessitated by current health and safety concerns, MTM Executive Director Meghan Randolph says there are some advantages to a podcast over either an in-person event or a live Zoom broadcast. “I like the podcast because it gives people more freedom to listen: At the gym, on a commute, cooking dinner, or with a glass of wine on the couch. We also had so much we wanted to get across. We wanted to talk about the process, the history, and the concept, plus we wanted to give everyone a chance to listen and provide feedback, which is a key part of this process. We want people to be able to listen and respond at their own pace.”
Episodes 1 and 2 of the podcast, available now, include discussions with the creative team about Nellie, her portrayal in media, conditions in the asylum, and how the original script has evolved since its inception. Episodes 3 and 4, coming out on August 21, will present the work-in-progress musical, performed by a local cast and professionally recorded. In order to help the development process, audiences are encouraged to provide thoughts and feedback on the show by filling out a form on the company’s website. In the last episode, available September 4, the creative team will discuss comments they received and share their thoughts on further revisions.
Meghan Randolph, overseeing the Zoom recording of Ten Days In A Madhouse.
“The show is a fascinating look at journalism, mental health, and the general treatment of women,” says Randolph, who also directs the production. But initially Randolph wasn’t familiar with the subject. She explains, “Jennifer, Karen and I all wanted to write about a strong woman, and Karen suggested Nellie Bly. I didn't know anything about her myself, but when I heard about her infiltration of the madhouse I was immediately intrigued.”
In contrast, Saari’s fascination with Nellie Bly began when she was a child, reading about the adventures of the groundbreaking female journalist in a children’s book. Then, playwright explains, “In a college acting class, we had to write a monologue from the perspective of a historical figure. I chose Nellie randomly and as I researched her, I was flummoxed as to how this woman was not a household name. Her drive and her voice were so ahead of their time.”
Saari continues, “The more I’ve learned, the more inspired I am by her ambition to rise up after a traumatic childhood and to tell women’s stories from a fresh perspective.” She says the biggest challenge of bending historical events to fit a musical framework was “building a story arc for Nellie over these ten days that didn’t overshadow the horrific things experienced by the other patients at Blackwell’s.” She added, “I hope we’ve succeeded.”
At times, Randolph conceded, dramatizing the story has been challenging. “Nellie’s account is very matter-of-fact. We had a lot of space to bring different people into the story, but we also wanted to stay close to the book. So Karen and Jennifer did a lot of research and found a way to walk that line.” She conceded that this version of the script includes some additional characters and creative liberties, but still follows the outline of the source material.
Ten Days In A Madhouse is part of MTM’s Wisconsin New Musicals Cycle, which begins with a reading, then proceeds to a public workshop. In the third phase of the cycle, the new musical takes the stage as part of the company’s regular performance season. If live productions resume in 2021, Ten Days will enjoy a fully produced world premiere next August. It is the second original musical commissioned by MTM; Nathan Fosbinder’s Hephaestus, debuted in 2019.
While the podcast is free, donations will be accepted on the MTM website. “It’s a tricky time to ask for funds for the arts,” Randolph admitted. “But at a time when many artists don’t have projects or work, we did pay everyone, and we’re really grateful for donations to help us continue to create and share interesting programming in an uncertain time.”