The Manhattan theater where “Suffs” is playing is shown. (Credit: Marine Saint)
A new Broadway show called “Suffs” is just starting its run. The musical, created by and starring songwriter Shaina Taub, tells the story of how American women got the vote. It even has some famous supporters, with Hillary Clinton and Malala Yousafzai working as producers.
“Suffs” was supposed to debut in 2020 for the 100th anniversary of American women’s suffrage. Like many productions, it was delayed due to the pandemic.
As Marine Saint finds, that delay means the show’s focus on women’s rights is timelier than ever. Historian Elaine Weiss, whose book “The Woman’s Hour” was a key source for this show, sees notable parallels in her research between women’s rights today and attitudes towards the suffragists of the mid 19th and early 20th century America.
The show’s Tony award winning producers Rachel Sussman and Jill Furman first learned about the suffragette movement in school, but the women behind the banners have long been obscured from history. They hope this show will inspire the next generation of voters and stand out in a busy Broadway season of 18 new shows.
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About the author(s)
Marine Saint is a British and French journalist and a graduate student at Columbia School of Journalism.