10 DAYS IN A MADHOUSE to Make Canadian Premiere at the Bluma Appel Theatre

10 Days in a Madhouse is a bold contemporary opera from innovative American composer Rene Orth and acclaimed Canadian playwright Hannah Moscovitch that will make its Canadian premiere in four performances at the Bluma Appel Theatre on June 16, 18, 20, and 21, 2026, produced by Tapestry Opera and co-presented by Luminato Festival, as part of Luminato's 20th anniversary festival next June, and the Canadian Opera Company, in association with TO Live.

When trailblazing journalist Nellie Bly suspected patient abuse at the Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island in 1887, New York City, she bravely chose a dangerous path to discovering the truth: feigning mental illness herself in order to be admitted and investigate first-hand. What Bly uncovered was a shocking world designed to break the human spirit—and where women's grief, poverty, and trauma were labelled as insanity.

Based on Bly's groundbreaking exposé, and originally commissioned by Tapestry Opera and Philadelphia Opera, this gripping psychological work exposes the stigmatization that shaped women's mental health and the systems that sought to contain them. In 2024, the Music Critics Association of North America awarded it Best New Opera, with The New York Times raving: “Opera needs works like 10 Days, which treats the medium with affection and respect while also chafing at its tropes throughout history. The Wall Street Journal further praised Orth and Moscovitch's “[trenchant work to] explore how female insanity has been used both as an operatic trope and as a way to label and control non-compliant women.” 

“10 Days is a thrilling contemporary opera, and a powerful story about the trailblazing investigative journalist, Nellie Bly, brought to life by the uniquely talented duo of Hannah Moscovitch and Rene Orth,” says Tapestry Opera's Artistic Director, Michael Mori. “We are proud to have commissioned this work and even prouder to collaborate with the Canadian Opera Company and Luminato Festival together for its Canadian premiere.”

"Luminato Festival is proud to support the Canadian premiere of this visionary new opera that champions twentieth-century whistleblower Nellie Bly," says Olivia Ansell, Artistic Director, Luminato Festival. "This type of important collaborative partnership between Tapestry Opera, Luminato Festival, Canadian Opera Company, and TO Live champions the work of Canadian creators and artists to festival audiences on the world stage."

COC General Director David Ferguson further adds, "Nellie Bly's fearless commitment to truth resonates as powerfully today as it did in her time, and there is truly no better art form than opera for conveying the magnitude of her remarkable courage. In partnering with Tapestry Opera, Luminato Festival, and TO Live, the Canadian Opera Company is proud to champion bold, contemporary creators, supporting work that reminds us all of the extraordinary impact a single voice can have.” 

Award-winning theatre director Joanna Settle leads the production team; Settle previously collaborated with Moscovitch on the powerful 2018 opera Sky on Swings at Opera Philadelphia, which earned widespread acclaim for its moving portrayal of the emotional wreckage of living with Alzheimer's. Sets from American designer Andrew Lieberman transform the stage into a dark labyrinth—part asylum, part mindscape—pulling audiences deep into Nellie's world. Canadian conductor and the Canadian Opera Company's Price Family Chorus Master Sandra Horst leads musical direction of the opera's dynamic score that blends electronic and acoustic elements to create a sense of tension that mirrors the drama on stage.

Canadian soprano Mireille Asselin stars as Nellie. Deemed “a treasure” by the Toronto Star, Asselin brings her “power [and] dramatic chops” to the role of Nellie, navigating the violence of indifference and its swift corrosion of one's grasp on reality. American mezzo-soprano Taylor-Alexis DuPont brings her “beautifully rich and spirited voice” (Washington Post) to the role of Lizzie, whom Nellie befriends on the inside, while American baritone Jorell Williams, with his “stunning vocals” (Seattle Times) performs as the asylum's malevolent Dr. Josiah Blackwell. Canadian soprano Lauren Pearl completes the cast, reprising her role from the world premiere as Nurse/Matron, effectively “physically embod[ying] the institution's sadism” (The Wall Street Journal).

Through striking visuals and haunting music, 10 Days in a Madhouse reimagines a true story of courage and confrontation. It asks what it means to be believed — and what happens when speaking truth sounds like madness.