Obscura Dramatica

The Hidden Secrets of New Eden and the Palmer House Hotel in Borrowed Lives

Elise visits two Chicago Hotels in “Borrowed Lives, The New Eden and The Palmer House. The New Eden Hotel is where Elise goes to find her brother Henrick in Episode 1, and where she was staying before waking up in someone else's body. Later, we learn the hotel is run by the Borrowers, and Room 406 has been soundproofed to help them acquire “new envelopes.” Elise visits the much more upscale Palmer House in Episode 3 with Jesse, which is where she first meets Charles Michael. While the New Eden is fictional, the Palmer House was a real hotel in Chicago that opened in September 1870. It was located on the North West Corner of State and Quincy Streets, with 225 rooms and lavish furnishings that cost about $100,000. The owner, Potter Palmer, built the hotel as an extravagant wedding […]

Amanda Caraway August 25, 2025

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The Horrors of Amputation, the Liston Knife, and the Silvester Method

During the grisly scene at the hospital in Episode 5, “A Second Death,” Elise is mistaken for a nurse and forced to witness a critically injured patient undergoing an amputation. This is just one more example of how Borrowed Lives takes listeners back in time to real places and circumstances that were part of life in 1870s Chicago. Although medical science had already made many advances, treatments were still far more barbaric than they are now. The Liston Knife, used by the doctor to amputate the injured man’s arm, was invented by Robert Liston. He was a Scottish surgeon known for his speed and skill, which made a significant difference in terms of pain and survival before the invention of anesthesia. The knife was 6–8 inches long and made out of high-quality metal. Medical amputations were common despite being risky […]

Amanda Caraway July 28, 2025

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The True History of Graceland Cemetery

The Graceland Cemetery has become a bit of a secondary character in the world of “Borrowed Lives.” Elise first encounters the graveyard in Episode 2 when she reconnects with Liberty. Riding in a Streetcar as Jacob Burrows, the driver finds the road blocked by a wagon load of coffins. The driver informs Elise that the gravers are moving the City Cemetery. The City Cemetery was, in fact, moved from what is now Lincoln Park because of health concerns, since the cemetery was located near the city’s water supply. And to accommodate park development, of course. Where the cemetery once resided is the modern-day Lincoln Park. Graceland became the fashionable choice for prominent Chicagoans, perhaps because visionary landscape architects, including O.C. Simonds, designed the cemetery. Simonds was a founding member of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Although he was educated […]

Amanda Caraway July 10, 2025

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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

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Drawn to the Conspiracy Narrative in Borrowed Lives

Actor Jack Harvison, who plays Mr. Chandler and the Stage Manager in Episode One of Borrowed Lives, is excited to be part of this audio drama. He’s always been drawn to mysteries, and Borrowed Lives has an excellent conspiracy narrative. He also loves period pieces and history in general, so he’s thrilled by all the historical spaces the characters get to explore throughout the episodes. Jack is an emerging actor out of southwest Washington who met Borrowed Lives' Creator, David Bareford, while working on David's original play Live in 3, 2, 1 at Love Street Playhouse. When he saw David's post on social media about looking for actors to audition for a new historical audio-drama, Harvison was excited by the prospect of joining the cast. Harvison’s acting credits include The Great Gatsby: A Live Radio Play at Starbird Theatre Company […]

Amanda Caraway May 21, 2025

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Art Created at the Intersection of History and Theatre

For Playwright David Bareford, the creation of Borrowed Lives (BL) began with the image of a person gasping awake in someone else’s body. Like all the ideas that evolve into his plays, the ideas that formed BL didn’t arrive fully formed, they were developed as part of a process. That process included collaboration and brainstorming with many talented artists he’s worked with over his 35 years in the theatre. David lives in the world of historical times and stories, which leads to the intersection between history and theatre, where his plays are created. And the ideas never stop coming. David writes because he’s compelled to get them down on paper. Although he’s written a handful of historical plays, this is his first time writing an audio drama. The thing that excites him about the format is that it can be […]

Obscura Dramatica April 25, 2025

Events

Borrowed Lives: Coming May 6, 2025.

Coming on May 6, 2025: Obscura Dramatica's debut radio drama: Borrowed Lives Written by playwright and host, David Bareford, Borrowed Lives will thrust you back in time to the shadowy streets of 1871 Chicago. When Elise DeJong dies, her ordeal is only just beginning. Thrust into a bewildering cycle of body-swapping upon death, Elise finds herself trapped in the bodies of other people and hunted by a ruthless cult determined to eradicate those who defy mortality. To survive this nightmarish fate and reclaim her own body, Elise must navigate a dangerous hidden world of arcane rituals, fanatic assassins, and secret societies. Get ready to be immersed in a thrilling historical adventure where death is just the doorway to another borrowed life.

Obscura Dramatica March 23, 2025

Blog

The Hidden Secrets of New Eden and the Palmer House Hotel in Borrowed Lives

The Horrors of Amputation, the Liston Knife, and the Silvester Method

The True History of Graceland Cemetery

True Horrors at Cook County Insane Asylum and Poor Farm

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

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

Drawn to the Conspiracy Narrative in Borrowed Lives

Art Created at the Intersection of History and Theatre

Borrowed Lives: Coming May 6, 2025.

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