I really enjoyed Suffs, and thought that the inclusion of black women’s parallel fight for suffrage was mindful. It didn’t focus purely on suffrage for white women nor paint the main characters as completely morally correct— Ida B. Well’s script and performances highlighted the oppression of black women, not excluding injustices perpetrated by white women as well. Some potential challenges and responsibilities of portraying history in contemporary theater might include the language used, as well as not only telling a singular story in a fight that included so many people and groups. The suffrage movement was not without internal tension, between both the white women, black women, and with each other. The usage of lighting and sudden asides (not sure of the official term) where the audience caught a glimpse of one character’s thoughts, while everyone else was frozen on stage, portrayed these internal and external tensions well.  

The specifics of suffrage was not really taught in any of my history classes, so I actually learned a lot from Suffs. It introduced me to historical figures like Alice Paul and Inez Milholland, and did a good job of conveying the inaction by the president and government that dragged on this never-ending fight for suffrage. It’s true that women are still not equal today, and the ending of the play affirmed that with a call to action. 

I also noticed the actor in a wheelchair, which was my first time seeing inclusion for people with disabilities on such a big stage. It was significant that her character wasn’t characterized by her disability.