The Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Suffs is based on the true story of the American Women’s Suffrage movement in the early decades of the 1900s. The production reveals the complex and strenuous process of the fight for women’s right to vote. Characters from our nation’s history come to life for us as we watch and listen to the 2.5-hour show. Suffs doesn’t just tell the historical events, it creates an emotional connection with the audience. It allows a greater appreciation for what these women endured and respect for what they accomplished.

           The show begins in the year 1920, with a young woman named Alice Paul who is passionate about winning equal voting rights for women but frustrated with the movement’s lack of success. Early on in the show, Alice partners with Carrie Chapman Catt, a fellow suffrage activist, and from there they recruit a group of passionate women: Inez Milholland, Doris Stevens, Ruza Wenclawska, and Lucy Burns. Together, they form a political organization known as the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Suffs shows us the extreme lengths these courageous women went to start a movement: their objective being to break from older suffragists–who first sought to win over politicians by being ladylike– and take on a more radical approach by persuading two hundred thousand women to march on Washington.

     At the march, two African American women, Nikki M. James and Ida B. Wells, attempt to join the suffragists in their effort. However, Alice is hesitant to recruit them because of the southern delegations of women and the general racism at this time. Even after the march, the women are faced with the daunting task of persuading President Woodrow Wilson to give in to their demands. Wilson, on the verge of war, continues to evade the women and lead them along with false hope; through his speeches and political maneuvering he expressed support but never prioritized or took real action on the matter. 

    Suffs shows us that these women continued to fight and march despite constant letdowns, setbacks, and suffering. Through its complex plot and psychologically rich characterization, the play evokes the discouragement and the excitement that women experience in their fight for equal voting rights. Suffs ends with a rousing song, “Keep Marching,” reminding us that the fight is still not over, and even today, we need to stand up for causes we believe in.

    With stirring songs, vivid sets, and intricate and historically accurate costumes, Suffs brings history to life in an engaging way. Suffs draws us into its characters’ hopes, fears, and ambitions in a way that makes us invest in their work and their fates. Charlie Epstein, a junior at RCS who also saw the musical and wrote her term paper on the suffrage movement, said “I think Suffs is a great way to combine history with a lively and compelling musical that reveals individual women’s experiences as the pioneers of the Women’s Suffrage movement. It gives people who wouldn’t necessarily pick up a textbook a chance to learn history in an engaging way.”   

    Another unique aspect of the show is that the cast is made up of all women, and even the male characters are played by women, reinforcing the feminist message of the show. Junior Grace Selvers, another RCS student and actress, agreed: “I love the choice of an all-female cast for a musical regarding women’s suffrage. I love the diversity within the cast of different races and even different physical abilities. The musical features a character in a wheelchair, representing the many different women who fought for their rights.” In Suffs, the struggle for the right to vote brings together women from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, who, despite their differences, unite to pursue a shared objective.

    RCS senior Leo Ziff points out that the show will teach not only people in New York about the Suffrage movement but tourists from all over the world about a neglected aspect of American history in a lively and enthralling way. He also explains how he went with his family, including his grandparents, and they had stimulating and educational conversations afterwards. As a person who went with her grandmother and mother, the show unites generations and allows people from different eras and various perspectives to discuss challenges faced by women over time and the fight for women’s rights, then and now. Suffs brings people together from different backgrounds, countries, and experiences to learn about and celebrate this crucial epoch in history. Audiences leave the theater filled with appreciation and inspiration to fight for causes they believe in.