BY EMILY MANN
In 1861, Illinois law allowed men to hospitalize their wives for insanity without the evidence normally required. Elizabeth Packard, the wife of Reverend Theophilus Packard, is a loving mother and educated woman. However, her dissenting views on a variety of topics—the most volatile of which being religion—lead to her husband having her institutionalized.
But has she been wrongfully committed? Or is Mrs. Packard truly losing her mind? And the poor conditions and violent treatment of the patients at the Jacksonville Insane Asylum present their own problems. Elizabeth’s impassioned clash with Dr. McFarland over her own mental health and the mistreatment of the other women leads down a dangerous road. Based on actual events, Emily Mann’s darkly-compelling drama gets to the heart of humanity, freedom, faith, and the fine line of sanity.