By Michael Buzzelli
When Alice Paul (Maya Keleher) became dissatisfied with the way Carrie Chapman Catt (Marya Grandy) was running (NAWSA), the National American Women’s Suffrage Association, she decided to start a bolder, more rebellious organization to finally win voting rights for American women in Shaina Taub’s “Suffs.”
Alice gets her friend from college, Lucy (Gwynne Wood), to join her organization, the National Women’s Party. Soon, others rallied behind her, including Inez Millholland (Monica Tulia Ramirez) and Ruza Wenclawska (Joyce Meimei Zheng). The party organized a march on Washington, with Ida B Wells on horseback marching down Pennsylvania Avenue.
Issues of race complicated the march. In a parallel story, Mary Church Terrell (Trisha Jeffrey), one of the first African-American women to earn a college degree, founding member of the National Association of Colored Women, and a charter member of the NAACP, squabbled with Ida B. Wells (Danyel Fulton), a Black journalist and another founder of the NAACP.
Alice continued to squabble with Catt and her closest confidante, Mary Molly” Hay (Tami Dahbura). Molly was Catt’s “longtime companion.” Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
Note: It’s suffragists, not suffragettes. Suffragettes was considered a slur devised by the newspapers to minimize the women’s efforts.
Taub’s story is a history lesson set to music. It starts like a high school assembly. It’s all “Gee Whiz! We’re gonna teach a lesson with song,” but evolves into something so much grittier and real.
All the roles in the show were played by women, including, Brandi Porter, who played Dudley Malone, and Marissa Hecker who played President Woodrow Wilson (on the Wednesday night performance).
Keleher was amazing as Alice Paul, a woman who is never deterred even amidst a four-week hunger strike in a woman’s prison. Keleher brought a fascinating woman back to life. Keleher’s musical ability was top notch.
Fulton was phenomenal as Ida B. Wells. She was giving strong Audra McDonald vibes.
Zheng delivered the best punchlines in the script as sharp-witted comic relief.
Other outstanding performances included (but were not limited to) Ramirez, Dahbura, Wood, and Jeffrey.
The orchestra, a combination of the tour with some Pittsburgh CLO orchestra in the mix, does a splendid job with all of the music.
Taub, who wrote the book, music and lyrics, had some great songs, including “Finish the Fight,” “A letter from Harry’s Mother,” and “G.A.B.”
Side note: “G.A.B.” stands for “Great American Bitch.” The song is hilarious, but makes a sharp point about how women who stand up for themselves are treated differently than men who stand up for themselves.
Sadly, the Patriarchy is still pushing against women’s rights (see the current White House administration for context).
The main message of “Suffs” is not one about winning. The message is about continuing to fight for equality, equity and parity. When Catt and Hay sing the reprise “If We Were Married,” the subject of marriage equality comes to the forefront (it took another 90+ years for that fight to the finish).
Part history lesson, part rollicking good time. “Suffs” is a winner.
-MB
“Suffs” runs from July 21-Sun., July 26 at the Benedum Center, 237 Seventh Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For additional information and tickets, please click here.
