Infinite Variety Productions Presents THE BLACKWELL ASYLUM

By: Jan. 07, 2020
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Infinite Variety Productions Presents THE BLACKWELL ASYLUM

Infinite Variety Productions invite you to be part of a terrifying immersive theatrical experience: Nellie and the Women of Blackwell. The event runs January 30-March 7 at Wildrence, 59 Canal Street between Allen and Orchard Street in Manhattan's Lower East Side.https://www.wildrence.com/nellie-and-the-women-of-blackwell. This is based on a True Story

In the tradition of Sleep No More, Infinite Variety Productions, dedicated to spotlighting women who have gone unnoticed in history, and Wildrence, a dynamic New York's storytelling space and immersive design studio collaborate to present a unique and powerful experience for its audience.

Based on Ten Days in the Mad house, Nellie and the Women of Blackwell follows 23-year-old journalist Elizabeth Cochran (whose penname was Nellie Bly) as she goes undercover into one of New York City's most notorious "insane asylums" in 1887. Bly saw firsthand unlawful and unsanitary living conditions; harsh and brutal treatment by an unfeeling and tyrannical staff; and even discovered that many of the inmates were not insane at all! Immigrants who could not speak enough English or poor souls who fell through the cracks of a flawed and uncaring system were all-but-buried there.

Placed in a cage simply for being an immigrant. Sound familiar?

Infinite Variety has created an experience where the audience (a select number each night) walk with nellie Bly and interact with the inmates - who whisper secrets to them and learn about this horrible chapter in history. Each audience member will essentially be an inmate in the asylum and experience what the women of the Blackwell Asylum endured.

In the spirit of immersive theater, each ticket holder will have a fully unique perspective and relationship with the women of Blackwell. Each performance only allows 16 audience members so expect a very personal experience. All are encouraged to explore the space, either on their own or in groups, and ask the inmates questions to help further Nellie's quest. Through audience participation and interaction, theatergoers will gain a better understanding of women's lives in this period of history.

"The play is based on history and based on a true story, but what the play is really about is human connection through generations and moments of time" explains Ashley Adelman, founder of Infinite Variety Productions. "What will our audiences see? Who will they meet? And more importantly, how will they get out?" she continues; "we quickly realized that this was a story that is still necessary to hear today," she concluded.

Tickets available at https://www.wildrence.com/events/nellie-and-the-women-of-blackwell.



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