The Asylum Project

by elizabeth mozer

THE ASYLUM PROJECT is based on stunning true events that weave together the lives of a Polish immigrant, psychiatric hospital patients and a woman following the clues of her past. Their experiences are intimately connected to the Binghamton State Hospital in upstate New York and unfold over the course of six decades. Drawn from personal accounts, historical documents and imaginings, these five individuals are...

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The Asylum Project

One woman - an actress with strong movement skills - embodies five diverse characters with specific dialects and physical attributes. The transitions from one character to another are swift and seamless and made through distinct behavioral adjustments. The characters linked by circumstances exist in different time periods: Lina (1977), Rose (1942), Willa (1954), Bonnie (1965), and Agnes (1914-1977).

Production History

Type Fringe, Organization United Solo Theatre Festival (nyc), Year 2019
Type Professional, The Cherry Arts, Inc., Year 2019
Type Professional, Organization Concordia University, Year 2017
Type Professional, Organization Irondale (nyc), Year 2017
Type Professional, Organization The Harold Clurman Center for New Works in Movement and Dance Theatre (nyc), Year 2017
Type Professional, Organization University at Buffalo, Year 2017
Type Professional, Organization Wells College, Year 2017
Type University, Organization Binghamton University, Year 2017
Type University, Organization Naropa University, Year 2017
Type University, Organization SUNY Brockport, Year 2017

Awards

BEST DRAMA

United Solo Thetare Festival (nyc)

Winner

2019

Genre

docudrama/historic,

drama,

movement/physical

Subject Matter Keywords

first generation immigrants,

child of immigrants,

mental illness

Length

30-60 minutes

Cast Size

Age of Intended Audience

ages 14-17,

ages 18 and up

Narrative Attributes

Centers Female Characters

Reviews

Solo's Critic Choice - “The Asylum Project Shows That Refuge Isn’t Always Comfortable"

“
At 55 minutes, this tough, raw, beautiful and compassionate play is never heavy handed...That’s the beauty of such a great play.
Far from exploitative, it offers humanity and understanding. Understanding: something of which you will gain a great deal by the very end of this masterwork.
”