Nellie

Book By: Robby Steltz
Play #: 2529
Pages: 27 pgs
Cast: 1 m, 9 w

In the late 1800s rumors were circulating about alleged horrors taking place on Blackwell’s Island, home of the Insane Asylum of New York. Women were apparently the victims of abuse and torture, and one woman, a newspaper reporter, decided to risk her own life to investigate. Nellie Bly committed herself to the asylum, documenting her findings and ultimately revealing the horrors to the entire world. This one-act play, adapted from her book, “Ten Days in a Madhouse,” tells the incredible story of how this “girl” reporter forever changed the way the world looks at treatment and housing of the insane.

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Productions

MANOR MIDDLE SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
MANOR, TX 3/28/2025
PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL 3 Performance(s)
PASADENA, TX 3/17/2025
DEXTER SOUTHFIELD 2 Performance(s)
BROOKLINE, MA 2/27/2025
PALMER ISD 1 Performance(s)
PALMER, TX 2/7/2025
JARRELL ISD 2 Performance(s)
JARRELL, TX 2/1/2025
PEARSON MIDDLE SCHOOL, FRISCO ISD 2 Performance(s)
FRISCO, TX 1/31/2025
NARROWS HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE DEPARTMENT 2 Performance(s)
NARROWS, VA 1/8/2025
GORDON-RUSHVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 4 Performance(s)
GORDON, NE 11/15/2024
TRAVIS SCIENCE ACADEMY 3 Performance(s)
TEMPLE, TX 11/2/2024
AQUINAS HIGH SCHOOL 6 Performance(s)
DAVID CITY, NE 10/24/2024
SOMERSET PREPARATORY ACADEMY HOMESTEAD 2 Performance(s)
HOMESTEAD, FL 10/18/2024
DAYTON HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
DAYTON, NV 10/1/2024
OAK HARBOR HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA CLUB 1 Performance(s)
OAK HARBOR, WA 6/28/2024
OAK HARBOR HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA CLUB 3 Performance(s)
OAK HARBOR, WA 6/28/2024
DUXBURY HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
DUXBURY, MA 6/7/2024
BARRIENTES MIDDLE SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
EDINBURG, TX 5/10/2024
OAK HARBOR HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA CLUB 1 Performance(s)
OAK HARBOR, WA 3/15/2024
BRENHAM HIGH SCHOOL 3 Performance(s)
BRENHAM, TX 2/27/2024
BLANCO ISD 5 Performance(s)
BLANCO, TX 2/24/2024
VALE MIDDLE SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
SAN ANTONIO, TX 2/16/2024
ROYALTON SECONDARY SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
ROYALTON, MN 2/3/2024
ROYALTON SECONDARY SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
ROYALTON, MN 1/27/2024
PAYNESVILLE AREA SCHOOLS 4 Performance(s)
PAYNESVILLE, MN 1/26/2024
ISD 300 3 Performance(s)
LA CRESCENT, MN 1/20/2024
EDMUNDS CENTRAL SCHOOL DIST. 22-5 1 Performance(s)
ROSCOE, SD 1/17/2024
CAPE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL 4 Performance(s)
CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO 12/14/2023
LLANO JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
LLANO, TX 12/2/2023
HAWKINS ISD 2 Performance(s)
HAWKINS, TX 11/27/2023
CARRINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
CARRINGTON, ND 11/20/2023
OAK HARBOR HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA CLUB 3 Performance(s)
OAK HARBOR, WA 11/16/2023
BOYD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL 3 Performance(s)
SPENCER, NE 11/14/2023
BRENHAM HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
BRENHAM, TX 11/12/2023
CARRINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
CARRINGTON, ND 11/2/2023
OKARCHE HIGH SCHOOL 3 Performance(s)
OKARCHE, OK 10/2/2023
BATON ROUGE MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
BATON ROUGE, LA 4/25/2023
JONESBORO ISD 1 Performance(s)
JONESBORO, TX 3/9/2023
BECKVILLE HIGH SCHOOL 3 Performance(s)
BECKVILLE, TX 3/1/2023
ALVORD HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
ALVORD, TX 2/22/2023
OSCAR SMITH HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
CHESAPEAKE, VA 2/18/2023
OSCAR SMITH HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
CHESAPEAKE, VA 2/4/2023
PHILIP HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
PHILIP, SD 2/2/2023
LAKE OF THE WOODS SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
BAUDETTE, MN 1/27/2023
LITCHFIELD HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
LITCHFIELD, MN 1/26/2023
PHILIP HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
PHILIP, SD 1/15/2023
MATER BRIGHTON LAKES ACADEMY 2 Performance(s)
KISSIMMEE, FL 11/11/2022
LONGLEAF SCHOOL OF THE ARTS 3 Performance(s)
RALEIGH, NC 10/21/2022
TELL CITY REGIONAL ARTS 2 Performance(s)
CANNELTON, IN 8/26/2022
HUMBLE ISD 1 Performance(s)
HUMBLE, TX 2/11/2022
GLEN A. WILSON HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
HACIENDA HEIGHTS, CA 2/10/2022
WOODCREEK MIDDLE SCHOOL 3 Performance(s)
HOUSTON, TX 1/21/2022
JEFFERSONTOWN HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
LOUISVILLE, KY 12/9/2021
GRAND ISLAND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
GRAND ISLAND, NE 12/6/2021
PALMYRA HIGH SCHOOL 4 Performance(s)
PALMYRA, NE 11/12/2021
CITIZENS CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 1 Performance(s)
DOUGLAS, GA 11/10/2021
CITIZENS CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 1 Performance(s)
DOUGLAS, GA 11/3/2021
NARROWS HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE DEPARTMENT 1 Performance(s)
NARROWS, VA 5/1/2021
NARROWS HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE DEPARTMENT 1 Performance(s)
NARROWS, VA 4/9/2021

Behind The Scenes

With Robby Steltz

What inspired you to write this play?
It was a few things, actually. I had been reading "Alias Grace" by Margaret Atwood, which led to my fascination with women asylum and "insane" stories. I recall doing a Google search and the name Nellie Bly came up. All this being said, I think the inspiration came from Nellie herself. There was a day when I remember writing, but it was as if she had knocked on my door and come over for tea. We spent many days together, and what she told me to tell, I told in the best way that I could; she held my hand the entire way.

What's your favorite part or line in the play? Why?
I really enjoy the two part poem that is the prologue and epilogue of the play. I was having trouble with the beginning and wanted something that was more mysterious, poetic, and dreamlike. I don't remember how I wrote that poem, it just came out. It's title is actually "The Woman and The Leech." I enjoy it because it's similar to reverse poetry which I love, only in this case the reverse is in the way the words are, the second part is more optimistic than the first. I wanted it to feel hopeful, while also existing with the final prayer that the women end with.

Where did the characters come from? Are they based on people you know?
They're all real people. They all come from Nellie's own diary/novel "Ten Days in a Madhouse," but regarding the creation of the characters: many of the events that happened were events that either took place in New York Asylums or events that took place in Nellie's book. The only characters that weren't in Nellie's novel were the characters of Catherine and Bridget, as I felt like it was important to have a pair of sisters in the story; they ended up being identical twins, which funny enough, I am too!

What did you try to achieve with this play?
I really wanted to inspire people. Although this is a women's play, I wanted the story to give hope to anyone who has ever felt victimized. My true hope for this play is that it serves as a reminder to women that there can be men that care for them too. My hope is that they feel that through my writing of this play. I did it for the women in my life. It's for them.

Do you have anything else you'd like to add?
Just that I hope everyone enjoys this script and that they feel a warmth in their heart. This is just a small sliver of Nellie's amazing life, and I hope you all go on to learn more about this incredible woman.