Nellie & the Women of Blackwell
To expose the system, she became invisible within it
1887, New York City.
Twenty-three-year-old reporter Nellie Bly feigns madness to infiltrate Blackwell Island's notorious asylum. Moving through the institution's corridors, she encounters women whose stories were never meant to be heard—immigrants unable to communicate, those fallen through society's cracks, victims of a system that silenced inconvenient voices.
In this immersive experience, audiences walk in Nellie's footsteps and meet the women she documented, discovering how their fight for dignity and truth echoes today. Based on Nellie Bly's groundbreaking exposé 'Ten Days in a Mad House' and extensive research into the lives of Blackwell's forgotten women."
Written by Ash Singer
Based on “Ten Days in a Madhouse” by Nellie Bly
Run time of 75 minutes
Community Response
Nellie & the Women of Blackwell sparked meaningful connections between past and present, bridging Nellie Bly's 1887 investigation with today's ongoing fight for mental health justice. On International Women's Day 2020, IVP partnered with the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House's Women's Mental Health Shelter to host a benefit performance and talk-back, creating direct pathways for audiences to support women experiencing homelessness and mental health challenges today.
The production's impact resonated throughout the theater community, earning recognition as Best Immersive Theatre Play in the 2021 Broadway World Awards. This acknowledgment affirmed IVP's commitment to creating experiences that don't just entertain, but activate—transforming historical truth into present-day action and ensuring the voices of Blackwell's women continue to advocate for change more than a century later.
What People Are Saying
“Winner of Best Immersive Theatrical Experience Off-Off-Broadway”
— Broadway World, 2021
“A powerful ‘dark ride’ into the history of mental health treatment”
— No Proscenium
“With their brand of storytelling, the future of immersive theater is in solid hands.”
— Manhattan Digest
Production History
Nellie & the Women of Blackwell premiered at Wildrence Immersive in New York City in February 2020. Directed by Jessica Schechter and stage managed by Hadley Todoran, with set design by Andrew Dunn. The cast featured Kate Szekely, Ash Singer, Janessa Floyd, and Nicole Orabona, each creating unique relationships with audience members that made every performance distinct.