Toronto-based Tapestry Opera has co-commissioned a new opera based on the life and work of pioneering journalist Nellie Bly that will premiere in Philadelphia in September. Opera Philadelphia, Tapestry’s commissioning partner, will present the world premiere of 10 Days in a Madhouse beginning on September 21.
The music is written by American composer Rene Orth, with a libretto by noted Canadian playwright Hannah Moscovitch. Soprano Kiera Duffy stars as Nellie, with baritone Will Liverman as Dr. Blackwell, and the music will be conducted by Daniela Candillari (principal conductor at Opera Theatre of St. Louis). Joanna Settle directs.
“10 Days in a Madhouse exposes — as Nellie Bly herself did — the feminization of madness, the bias of doctors against the sanity of women, and how the systems and social structures in which women find themselves induce madness,” says Orth in a statement.
Nellie Bly
“Could I pass a week in the insane ward at Blackwell’s Island? I said I could and I would. And I did.”
Nellie Bly essentially invented investigative journalism in the late 19th century. Nellie was actually the pseudonym of Elizabeth Cochran, (she later added an “e” to the end of her name), born May 5, 1864 in Pennsylvania.
She began her journalistic career with an angry letter to the Pittsburgh Dispatch about a misogynistic piece titled “What Are Girls Good For?”. The impressed editor gave her a job on the spot. Elizabeth later took up her pen name, based on a popular song by Stephen Foster, when she began to write for the Philadelphia Dispatch. She was expelled from Mexico after her exposés on political corruption and the living conditions of the poor were published in 1886-87.
Nellie was subsequently hired by New York World, run by Joseph Pulitzer, in 1887. As one of her first stories for the paper, she conspired to have herself committed to an insane asylum on what is now Roosevelt Island. After ten days, she wrote a piece revealing the shockingly bad conditions the patients endured. As a result, there was a grand jury investigation, which resulted in a number of improvements.
It wouldn’t be the last of her big stories, or even the peak of fame for this remarkable trailblazer.
The Creators
Rene Orth
“10 Days in a Madhouse is an acoustic work that is selectively electronic,” said Orth. “The acoustic world represents reality as most see it, and the electronic sound world — which includes amplification, live vocal effects, sound design and electronic clips — will dramatize the characters’ journeys into madness.”
Rene Orth is a composer of opera and choral works, as well as pieces for large and small ensembles. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, where she received the Edward B. Garrigues Fellowship, Rene earned her M.M. in Music Composition at the University of Louisville as a Moritz von Bomhard Fellow. She also holds degress from MediaTech Institute and Rhodes College.
Along with Opera Philadelphia, her pieces have been commissioned by Chautauqua Opera, Mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack Shrader, Baritone Will Liverman, and Del Sol Quarte, among others. Her work has been performed by Louisville Orchestra, New World Symphony, Festival d’Aix en Provence, Fort Worth Opera, and Washington National Opera, and Curtis Opera Theater, among others.
She recently won the 2023 NATS Art Song Composition Award, among other distinctions in her career.
Hannah Moscovitch
Ottawa native Hannah Moscovitch is a graduate of the University of Toronto, and studied at the National Theatre School. She garnered notice for plays as early as 2005, but it was in 2007, with her first full-length work, East of Berlin, that she caught the attention of the theatre world across Canada. Her 2013 play This Is War received multiple awards, and her works have been praised for tackling complex and difficult issues.
Her plays have been presented across Canada, including the National Arts Centre and Toronto’s Factory Theatre, among many others. She was won two Dora Mavor Moore Awards, and was the first Canadian woman to snag the Windham–Campbell Literature Prize in 2016 in the Drama category. Her play Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes earned her the Governor General’s Award for English-language drama in 2021.
Hannah now makes her home in Halifax and Toronto. She is also known as a writer for television, including episodes of Interview with the Vampire, and she co-created the 2023 series Little Bird.
Tapestry Opera
Multi-award winning Tapestry Opera has a mission of producing new operas in Toronto. Their co-production with OCAD (Ontario College of Art and Design) University, R.U.R. A Torrent of Light, won multiple Dora Awards, and became the first Canadian work to receive the 2023 Award for BEST NEW OPERA from the Music Critics Association of North America (MCANA).
10 Days In A Madhouse was developed by Tapestry and Opera Philadelphia as one of a string of collaborations. Tapestry Opera’s mandate includes creating new operas, as well as helping to develop and produce the work of women and other marginalized creators. Their recent productions include Of The Sea (with Obsidian Theatre), and Dragon’s Tale (co-produced with Soundstreams and presented at Luminato Festival Toronto).
Opera Philadelphia
As an organization, Opera Philadelphia is committed to developing the art form for the 21st century. The company has a mandate to search out talented emerging artists, and making the works they present relevant to a diverse audience.
10 Days In A Madhouse is being presented as part of their Festival O23, which runs from September 21 to October 1 at various venues. 10 Days… will be performed at The Wilma Theater.
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