The Willard Suitcases by Julianne Wick Davis

5403 Silica Drive,Sylvania OH 43560

14 July, 2023

Description

Once Julianne Wick Davis saw The Willard Suitcases as photographed by Jon Crispin, she knew she wanted to write a theatrical piece telling the stories of the suitcases and their contents. The Willard Asylum for the Chronic Insane opened in New York State in 1869 and closed in 1995. The 427 suitcases, found in an attic in 1995, had belonged to those who came to live at the Asylum during those years, many of whom died there. Crispin’s photographs document the stories of those people, Http://willardsuitcases.com. Wick Davis’ song cycle, The Willard Suitcases, is based on the photos. She chose not to investigate the actual stories of the people, but rather researched the time period and the artifacts in the cases. She writes: “Some of the songs are about the character’s journey while at Willard, some are about the character’s journey while at Willard, and some songs are about their journey to Willard.” (From the Author’s Note) The songs are fictional, yet the stories are powerful.