BORDEN is a new musical that reimagines the final weeks inside the Borden household before the infamous 1892 murders in Fall River, Massachusetts. Rather than focus on guilt or innocence, the story centers on the shifting power dynamic between two sisters, Lizzie and Emma Borden, as they navigate family loyalty, societal pressure, and a desperate hunger for freedom.
Told through the lens of Emma Borden’s courtroom testimony, the musical flashes between past and present. At its heart, BORDEN asks: how far will we go to protect the people we love… and what happens when loving them means losing ourselves?
When telling a story as infamous and intricately layered as that of Lizzie Borden, the line between fact and folklore can become dangerously thin. From nursery rhymes to tabloid headlines, the case has been sensationalized for over a century — but for us, accuracy mattered. Integrity mattered. The people behind the headlines mattered.
That’s why, from the earliest stages of development, we’ve turned to one of the foremost authorities on the case: Cara Robertson. A Harvard-educated legal scholar and the author of the award-winning book The Trial of Lizzie Borden, Cara has spent more than three decades studying the case. Her work is widely regarded as the most thorough, balanced, and thoughtful account of the trial and the world it took place in.
It’s no exaggeration to say that BORDEN: A New Musical wouldn’t exist in its current form without her insight. Cara’s guidance has shaped everything from the tone of scenes to the emotional complexities of the Borden sisters. In moments where we’ve been tempted to dramatize, she’s reminded us that the truth is already dramatic enough. In moments of uncertainty, she’s helped us ask sharper, more empathetic questions — not just about what may have happened behind the closed doors of 92 Second Street, but why it still matters.