When Mrs. Stephen Girard got pregnant by her lover in 1790, her husband took swift and immediate action. He had her committed to an insane asylum. 

"The Insanity of Mary Girard," is the real-life story of a Philadelphia women who spent the last 25 years of her life in a mental institution. The play is set on the first night of Mary's confinement, alone in the basement psycho ward, strapped into a "tranquilizing" chair.

"The Insanity of Mary Girard" by Lanie Robertson is produced by Houston's newest theatre company, New Era Theatre. New Eta Theatre is an up and coming company in the Houston metropolitan area.