Review: World Premiere of ALL THESE WOMEN by Melanie MacQueen at Theatre 40

Everyone should know who Susan B. Anthony was – a suffragette who led women to speak up for their equal voting rights in a time when such action was foreign to most people’s ears and minds, especially men not wanting to lose control of “their” government. After the goal of women’s suffrage began in 1848, the first national suffrage organizations were established in 1869 when two competing organizations were formed, one led by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the other by Lucy Stone and Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. After years of rivalry for dominance, they merged in 1890 as the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) with Anthony as its leading figure.

But what do you know about suffragettes Lucy Burns, Alice Paul and so many other women who picked up the cause in the early 19th Century, joining with many other dedicated women who threw caution to the wind and set out to make sure the federal government heard their pleas and granted women the right to vote nationally in 1920 with the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution? It states, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” A long hard battle had been won for just a few words that meant so much to so many.

Facts leading up to that monumental moment in our history are brought to vivid life by Melanie MacQueen in her world premiere play, All These Women, which she also directs at Theatre 40 in Beverly Hills. The play begins in 1913 with the new Democratic President Woodrow Wilson taking office as World War I looms and divisions among the suffragettes threaten to unravel all their hard work.

Along the way to passage, we are introduced to many of the women who made sure their voices were heard in the name of suffrage thanks to MacQueen’s extensive research to gather historical information often hidden from the public to give recognition to those women who devoted their lives, as well as their health, to the cause. And trust me - the story of how women earned the right to vote in national elections was a long and hard-fought battle - one to which playwright MacQueen dedicated years of research to tell the truth and honor those who made it happen.

And what better time to get to know these trailblazing women when voting rights continue to be challenged across various parts of the United States just as they were a century ago?

The talented cast is led by Kristin Towers-Rowles as Lucy Burns, portrayed as one of the major leaders of the suffragette movement. But her delivery is never just cut-and-dry since MacQueen allows Lucy to break the fourth wall and speak directly to the modern-day audience, bringing us closer into her life and struggles as if everyone in the theater is one of the suffragettes looking to Lucy for direction. And when most welcome, Towers-Rowles injects moments of great hilarity, such as during her arrest in front of the White House for peaceful protesting (our Constitutional right, remember) when a “Keystone Cops” moment occurs as the inept officers do their best gather the women, allowing us to laugh at the inherent stupidity of her arrest, and then organizing a hunger strike just to be heard by the President. Lucy was gutsy and Towers-Rowles does her proud.

The other four suffragettes include Anica Petrovic as Alice Paul, a key leader of the American suffrage movement who organized the first major women’s rights march in 1913 in Washington D.C. on the eve of President Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration, and co-founded the National Woman’s Party with Lucy Burns to campaign for a constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote. And after passage, Alice went on to draft the Equal Rights Amendment, continuing her lifelong fight for gender equality. Her courage in the face of such odds deserves recognition to encourage all of us to remember nothing will ever change if you do not speak up. Just how sad is it that prior to MacQueen’s play, I had never heard of Lucy Burns or Alice Paul. You can bet I will never forget them now.

Other actors who take on roles of several suffragettes include powerful leadership performances by April Audia, Jessica Kent, and Michele Schultz whose dedication to portraying each of the women as true individuals raises her performance to more than just a supporting role. Adding in many masculine characters in a variety of costumes, designed by Michael Mullen (whose gowns for the women were a delight to the eyes) are Daniel Leslie and Todd Andrew Ball, with Lary Ohlson bringing Woodrow Wilson to life. (But he needs a better fitting wig, Judi Lewin!)

Director MacQueen keeps the action moving along at a steady pace, a much-needed component of a 2.5 hour play offering so much information to absorb. And kudos to the entire cast for mastering such massive amounts of dialogue without losing the essence of what’s being said. The creative team includes assistant director LeeAnne Rowe, set design by Jeff G. Rack which allows actors to move set pieces into place easily to suggest different locations, projections designed by Gabrieal Griego include people and places mentioned in the script, with stage manager Craig Hissong to be commended for correcting a misstep in the lighting design without stopping the performance I attended. And given the amount of light and sound cues (designed by Joseph Sloe Slawinski) requiring perfect timing, it’s a wonder how such a correction was done while keeping the show running so smoothly. Live theater never disappoints!

Everyone needs to see All These Women which brings renewed urgency to a century-old story of resilience, resistance, and hard-won change. Make plans to be in the audience through October 19 on Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm. and Sundays at 2:00pm in the Mary Levin Cutler Theatre at Theatre 40, on the campus of Beverly Hills High School at 241 S. Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Enter at Durant and Moreno Drives and follow signs to ample free parking available in the lot adjacent to the theater entrance. Tickets run $35 plus service fees, available by calling (310) 364-0535 or online at http://theatre40.org

And please remember the best way to honor these women who gave so much for our rights is to VOTE in every election! And take a moment to offer thanks the next time a Susan B. Anthony U.S. dollar coin crosses your palm.