Just as the curtain was going down at the musical “Suffs” last month, I sat in my seat and texted this to Joe and the girls: “1. Hamilton 2. Dear Evan Hansen 3. Suffs.” They were shocked. So was I.
I was aware when “Suffs” opened – and closed – on Broadway and knew it had been nominated for Tony Awards (6 nominations, won 2). I also knew one of the characters was Alice Paul, who I am familiar with because of the Alice Paul Center for Gender Justice, which is housed in Alice’s childhood home in Mt. Laurel. But I didn’t know much more, so I wasn’t really dying to see the show.
But then I was invited to a performance in Philly as a guest of the Alice Paul Center. I thought it would be a nice night.
In two acts, I watched the story of real women who fought for decades for the right to vote. They were imprisoned, abused by men at the highest level of power and abused by men with no power. They were ignored and criticized, yet they didn’t stop. Then they won. Somehow.
I had no idea the impact this show would have on me. No idea how moved I would be. And more importantly, no idea how much women fought for their rights over 100 years ago. I think I was really only aware of the fight for equality that has existed in my lifetime. On the one hand, it was disheartening (and baffling) that the fight must be so difficult and so ongoing. But on the other hand, I found hope in the show.
One of the scenes shows the suffragists march in Washington on the day before Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration. The march was organized by Alice Paul – who, did I mention went to Moorestown Friends School and is buried in Cinnaminson – and as I watched I thought, wow did these women protest like this and it was just fine? But no of course not, the show then goes on to demonstrate – in a very nonviolent way – the violence they experienced right there on the street. But, and this is key, they kept marching. It was 1913.
Another scene has a very upbeat song that makes you laugh in a kind of “it’s funny because it’s true” way. It’s called “If we were married,” and it’s a duet between a man and a suffragist. Here are some of the words:
The male character named Dudley: If we were married/We’d save up a nest egg to cushion us later in life.
The suffragist: If we were married/My earnings would be in your name/And I couldn’t control my own spending/Or open a bank account/Or sign a contract/Or hire a lawyer because, economically speaking/I’d die by becoming your wife/If we were married.
At the very end of the show, the woman next to me was crying, and I totally got it. This is a story that is personal to many women. To me. And I didn’t realize just how personal until I saw it played out on a stage with music and costumes and some lighthearted jokes.
The next day, I bought tickets for my oldest daughter and her friend to see the show before it ended. And I bought two more tickets so I could take Joe. I wish everyone could see it, because there’s a lot to learn, a lot to feel and a lot to fight for.
And FYI – Alice Paul also wrote the Equal Rights Amendment, which in 2026…still hasn’t been passed.
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