True Horrors at Cook County Insane Asylum and Poor Farm

Episode two of Borrowed Lives, “Finding Liberty,” begins with Elise being startled awake after being doused with a deluge of freezing cold water. The man conducting the treatment refers to it as “cold-water therapy,” and reveals that Elise is in the Cook County Asylum for the Insane. The asylum was a real place in Chicago, often called Dunning, and Hydrotherapy was the name of the treatment being used on Elise. It was thought at the time to help soothe people who were depressed or agitated. The man in charge refers to himself as an alienist. The term is rooted in the Latin word, allius, which means other. It’s also the source for the English word alien and the French word, aliéniste, referring to a doctor who treats the mentally ill. The character would be called a psychiatrist today. When the […]

Amanda Caraway June 27, 2025

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Factory Workers in 1870s Chicago Strike for Safety and Fair Wages

In Episode One of Borrowed Lives, “Awakenings,” Elise wakes up in the body of a Textile Factory worker named Mary. Her coworker, Sarah, warns Elise to pay attention and button her sleeve cuff. Otherwise, Elise could lose her hand or even her whole arm. Working in a factory could be dangerous! In the 1870s, technological advances, particularly in making steel, allowed the construction of factories for mass production. Large-scale, well-financed companies came to dominate most industries. Factories no longer needed many skilled artisans or craftsmen, whose work could now be done by machine. Instead, they needed large numbers of unskilled or semiskilled workers to operate the machines. Working conditions in many of Chicago's factories were arduous and hazardous, with employees enduring long hours and unsafe environments. Industrial workers who experienced dangerous or exploitative conditions had little leverage to negotiate fair […]

Amanda Caraway June 9, 2025

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It’s a Dream Come True for a Life-Long Radio Theatre Lover

When actor Lauren Rogers saw playwright David Bareford post on social media that he was working on a new audio drama, she was thrilled at the prospect of joining the project. As a young girl, listening to radio theater was her favorite pastime, and she often dreamed of what it might be like to be one of the actors behind the mic. For Lauren, acting in an audio drama is such a unique way to experience playing a character. The only tool an actor has to convey their emotions is their voice. Lauren reached out to David and became part of the collaboration team that helped develop the script. When David was ready to move forward, Lauren auditioned with two monologues from the play and was cast as the lead, making her childhood dream come true! Lauren is an artist […]

Amanda Caraway June 2, 2025

Month: June 2025