Suffs, a new musical written by Shaina Taub, describes the women's suffrage movement of the early 1900s and the generational and cultural struggles tied to it. This is done through the lens of Alice Paul, a firey and determined individual who insists that Carrie Chapman Catt and NAWSA's conservative approach to suffrage is not enough. “Let Mother Vote” will only get the movement so far and Alice is determined to change that. The show focuses on historical truth, bringing to light a narrative often forgotten, and chooses to highlight the intersectional struggles within the rights to vote that women have faced all the while reminding us, Suffs: it's short for suffragist, not suffragette.
A brief note on production history:
First premiering Off-Broadway at the Public Theatre in 2022 following the Covid-19 pandemic theatre closures, this show looked very different. Originally, intended to be presented in 2020 in order to coincide with the election year, Suffs has been quite a labor of love. Gaining traction and eventual partnerships with former First Lady Hilary Clinton and Malala Yousafzai, the show has not shied away from its powerful political messages. Early reviews of the off-broadway run expressed concern for the lack of comedic elements, and that couldn’t be any less true in the Broadway run. The show was originally presented with a total of 38 songs Off-Broadway and now contains 34 songs with roughly 55% of Act 1 being new songs as well as approximately 50% of Act 2. Not only did they hear the feedback, but it is clear beyond a reasonable doubt they implemented the change. When speaking in a recent interview with Raven Snook from AmericanTheatre.org Taub states:
The revisions have been about, how can I further that idea more effectively in a different song? Or how can I distill this beat so it’s actually just a short book scene, and then the bigger moment is here? The bones are the same.
The show's framework is the same but has evolved as she came to realize people were entering the conversation with little knowledge of the topic. Women's suffrage remains a largely under-explored point and Taub as well as the production team are ready to dive in because, unlike historical musicals such as Hamilton, for many audience members they are starting at ground zero.
What is it about?
As the curtain rises for Act 1 we meet Carrie Chapman Catt, reprised by Jenn Colella from her run at the Public Theatre. Catt is a leader of NAWSA or the National American Women’s Suffrage Association, and she is determined to undermine the masculine hold on the vote through the use of familiarity and conservative tactics. She holds the annual convention with this philosophy and meets a young and eager Alice Paul portrayed by book, music, and lyric writer: Shaina Taub.
Alice is bright-eyed and angry, wanting to live to see the change, to be the change, and wants NAWSA's support to enact this so change. In order to enact this change; however, she must get her new, and frankly quite adventurous ideas past Catt, who albeit on her side has a vastly different outlook on how things should be done. This leads to Catt's almost instant no, sighting a struggle for power and men needing to feel comfortable as we approach this new territory as evidence for why it’s not a great idea. Alice then, just as you’d expect, collects a group of women and gets to planning, not taking this "no" as defeat. There will be a march on Washington for the suffrage movement come hell or high water. These women band together and we’re reminded of the discussions of race and culture as they try to determine how to fight every single fight simultaneously.
Alice joined by the other Suffs, protested, encouraging President Woodrow Wilson, played by none other than Grace Mclean who like Colella is returning to reprise their role from Off-Broadway, to make this right and allow women to vote. After all like Catt says they raised the men of this country. Following the success of the march NAWSA and Carrie Chapman Catt finally backed Alice Paul's ideas giving her the support she needed to "keep marching" forward in her plan.
As the show moves forward and the characters, learn more about the harsh reality of activism, we see protest after protest, demonstrations big and small, even hunger strikes and force-feedings. Throughout this thrilling turn of events, we meet characters such as Ruza Wenclawska portrayed by Kim Blanck, Ida B Wells, played by Nikki M James, and Doris Stevens portrayed by Nadia Dandashi, just to name a few. Each having their own backstory and subplot, but never straying too far from the main plot in which they all are working towards a common goal.
Wilson eventually gets re-elected much to the dismay of the suffs, following their campaign against him as he fails to follow through on his promises. Catt continues to fight in her more conservative approach, whereas Alice and her team take their radical endeavors to the next level eventually leading to her drafting of the ERA: Equal Rights Amendment.
But the show does not end there, we watch as they travel state by state as the process to pass the 19th Amendment moves forth, eventually ending in Tennessee. As we end the show a young girl from a future generation comes to Alice and very boldly claims, in no uncertain terms, we no longer have the ability to fight a single injustice at a time. We must include an intersectional approach to our activism.
What do you think?
We care about works like this because this story is true. Suffs invites an entirely new generation of audiences into the political history of our country specifically centered around women. A topic many know, in truth, very little about, as seen by the faint glow of cell phones quietly searching the likes of Ida B Wells and Alice Paul among others, as we exit the theatre. We are given this incredibly diverse ensemble of women and nonbinary individuals who represent what America looks like today, telling us the stories of our own history with incredibly catchy music and firey staging, both literally and metaphorically. You can’t help but leave inspired, ready to keep pushing forward for what you aspire to see. Taub asks you to leave your expectations of what you thought about the American suffrage movement at the door as she entirely shatters them beyond belief.
Suffs has a lot of ideas it wants to tackle, and many it does with passion and deep admiration. I find it, however, challenging to approach the ideas of intersectionality and the struggle for the vote on all fronts in a span of 2 hours. That’s not to say the creative team does not try and even succeed, but rather some threads are simply left with loose ends. I would love to further that conversation on women of color, as the production does begin to start and I truly hope upon seeing this show, people are inspired to continue to keep learning. It’s especially important when we consider the 19th Amendment did not allow all women the right to vote and instead was deeply ingrained in race politics. Black men were granted the right to vote under the 15th amendment, and women, a very general and broad term, under the 19th amendment in 1920, but Native American Women did not have the right to vote until 1924, and many other women followed suit. According to NPR:
"Along with African Americans, other groups who continued to be excluded from the vote included Asian American immigrants, who were long ineligible for naturalized citizenship on account of race, and only won the vote starting in 1943."
Suffs does the work to begin the conversation and leaves it up to you to take the time to continue to learn. The musical showcases the determination and care behind these struggles.
Suffs demands to be brought to the forefront of your attention. The production hits the ground running and does not slow down in the 2 hours and 30 minutes of its runtime with not a minute of that time wasted. It’s thrilling and adventurous, leaving me and many others in tears and inspired upon seeing modern women and nonbinary individuals loudly proclaim that “we demand to be heard.” With a fully female creative team led by director, Leigh Silverman, Suffs on Broadway features an entirely new design team from its' Off-Broadway run. Suffs highlights the work of many artists, including Mayte Natalio whose choreography relies heavily on the use of silhouette and shadow, something I found to be truly stunning. It encourages a more accessible art form, dance through subtle but deeply moving and powerful moments. It didn’t require the company to leap and jump to new extremes, yet the room was buzzing with the energy caused by just a slow-motion march downstage.
In terms of individual performance, a major stand out among the incredibly talented company is Hannah Cruz, who while a part of the company in 2022, is now back but this time as an entirely different character: Inez Milholand originally played by Philipa Soo. Sitting atop a large white horse, Hannah commands the stage with grace and power. A Broadway debut, but if you were unaware, it's likely you'd never catch on, as we lead with confidence and powerful vocals that mimic that of any Broadway veteran. Each time she takes the stage, you can't help but be drawn in by her ever-powerful command of the audience.
Another performance I'd be regretful not to commend is Grace McLean, who reprises her role of Woodrow Wilson from the 2022 Off-Broadway run. No stranger to the comedic arts, Grace leads a song entitled "Ladies" while dancing atop a large desk, center stage. She steals your attention and creates a caricature of Wilson that is both comical and incredibly bold. While we are intended as an audience to be angry with Wilson and his incompetence as a leader, one can not help but love Grace as she delivers a perfectly timed performance. Her vocals need no introduction or explanation and she truly shines in this role.
Suffs is the musical I needed as a little girl and the musical we need today. While it may be about a very specific moment in our nation's history, it speaks volumes to the work and fights of today, especially in our current political climate. In a recent interview, Nikki B. James reflected on her role as Ida as well as the intent behind this story and stated:
"Using your legal system, using your right to protest, using your voice [...] and getting the story out"
She among many others are using this production as a means of self and community expression. Taub explains that with this show she hopes...
"To model for younger women coming up that you can be a multihyphenate on Broadway. You can be a creator-performer; that’s not just an avenue reserved for men."
Suffs can and will steal your heart but most importantly it will make you feel inspired in more ways than one. Fans of Hamilton's historical book will find a great deal of admiration for this show as it joins the ranks in musical theatre history, and fans of musical theatre are sure to relish in this incredible feat in which we see a new kind of musical truly take a powerful stance on why we create art: to inspire.
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