Review: SUFFS at TPAC'S Jackson Hall

Anyone who has paid attention in history class knows that the Nineteenth Amendment gave women (specifically white women) the right to vote in the United States in 1920. What some history classes don’t cover is how we got to the Nineteenth Amendment. Who exactly paved the way for this historical moment? What sacrifices had to be made to make this happen? Why did it take so long? Shaina Tubb’s Tony-winning musical Suffs answers nearly every question about the suffragists and their fight for equality. That’s right, I said “suffragists” instead of “suffragettes” because the latter term was used to downsize the movement and make the activists seem all cutesy instead of people to take seriously. Performing at TPAC’s Jackson Hall March 3-8, Suffs is a fierce and witty celebration of a tremendous moment in US history. 

If there’s one reason to go see a musical, it’s the music. Duh. What makes the music of Suffs so special? The evolution of the music matches the evolution of the suffragette movement. When we’re first introduced to movement at the very beginning of the show, the older suffragists come across as too sweet to take seriously. The same goes for the very first song, which made me wonder what I had gotten myself into. However, the introduction of Alice Paul offers a fiery shift in the movement and the music. From that moment on, the music perfectly represents the emotional rollercoaster of the movement. Where it’s the taking back of the power of a word in “Great American B***h” or the fury of “Fire and Tea”, each emotion is depicted perfectly through the music. There’s a reason why this show won the Tony Award for Best Score. 

Other than the music, the audience goes to musicals for the performances. Suffs has no shortage of talent. Maya Keleher brilliantly brings the revolutionary Alice Paul back from the dead. Her voice is angelic, and yet there is a sting to it that matches Alice’s energy. She is given a wonderful frenemy in the form of NAWSA president Carrie Chapman Catt, who is played to perfection by Marya Grandy. The legendary civil rights activist Ida B. Wells is reborn through Danyel Fulton, whose subtle-yet-powerful presence is enough to get me to be quiet and listen to her. Other highlights include Gwynne Wood as the supportive Lucy Burns, Livvy Marcus as the shy-yet-determined Doris Stevens, Joyce Meimei Zheng as the tough and hilarious Ruza Wenclawska, Trisha Jeffrey and Victoria Pekel as mother and daughter duo Mary Church Terrell and Phyllis Terrell, and Jenny Ashman as the confident-yet-clueless Woodrow Wilson. I would like to give a shout out to Ariana Burks, who filled in for Brandi Porter in the role of Dudley Malone on Opening Night. While everyone stood out in their own way while also working so well together, a huge standout for me was Monica Tulia Ramirez as the irresistible and influential Inez Milholland. Even in between her scenes, you could feel her presence. Whether it was her energy or her voice, I just couldn’t stop thinking about her. Give all of these performers their flowers. 

Even after a century, the full story of the suffrage movement isn’t told in its entirety. With Suffs, audiences learn the rich history of how women received the right to vote. While an important change was made, it was clear back then that there was still so much more to do. The movement only gave white women the right to vote, meaning that African American suffragists like Ida B. Wells and Mary Church Terrell didn’t live to see the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Although some African Americans had limited voting rights prior to this, the act prohibited racial discrimination in voting. After the Nineteenth Amendment had passed, Alice Paul spent the rest of her life fighting for the Equal Rights Amendment, which would secure constitutional equality for women. A hundred and three years have gone by, and it has yet to become a part of the Constitution. In between the memorable music and performances, Suffs reminds us that changes will only be made if we fight for them. Even after one quest is done, another is sure to begin.