The Public Theater is extending the World Premiere of SUFFS, a new musical with book, music, and lyrics by Public Theater Artist-in-Residence Shaina Taub, music direction and music supervision by Andrea Grody, choreography by Obie Award winner Raja Feather Kelly, and direction by Tony Award nominee Leigh Silverman. SUFFS was originally scheduled to begin previews on Thursday, March 10 but will now begin performances three days later on Sunday, March 13 due to several pandemic-related supply chain issues that have affected the completion of the large-scale production. SUFFS will have an official press opening on Wednesday, April 6. The one-week extension includes performances through Sunday, May 1.
The complete ensemble cast of SUFFS features Jenna Bainbridge (Harry T. Burn/Ensemble), Ally Bonino (Lucy Burns), Tsilala Brock (Dudley Malone), Jenn Colella (Carrie Catt), Hannah Cruz (Ruza Wenclawska), Nadia Dandashi (Doris Stevens), Aisha de Haas (Alva Belmont/Phoebe Burn), Stephanie Everett (Understudy), Amina Faye (Robin/Ensemble), Holly Gould (Alice Paul Standby), Cassondra James (Mary Church Terrell), Nikki M. James (Ida B. Wells), Jaygee Macapugay (Mollie Hay/Ensemble), Grace McLean (Woodrow Wilson), Susan Oliveras (Nina Otero-Warren/Ensemble), Mia Pak (Mrs. Wu/Ensemble), Liz Pearce (Warden Whittaker/Ensemble), Monica Tulia Ramirez (Understudy), J. Riley Jr. (Phyllis Terrell/Ensemble), Phillipa Soo (Inez Milholland), Shaina Taub (Alice Paul), Angela Travino (Understudy), Ada Westfall (Mrs. Herndon/Ensemble), and Aurelia Williams (Understudy).
A musical event one hundred years in the making, SUFFS brings to life a complicated chapter in the ongoing battle for the right to vote: the American women’s suffrage movement. Written by and featuring one of the most exciting new voices in theater, Shaina Taub, this epic new musical takes an unflinching look at these unsung trailblazers. In the seven years leading up to the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, an impassioned group of suffragists-“Suffs” as they called themselves-took to the streets, pioneering protest tactics that transformed the country. They risked their lives as they clashed with the president, the public, and each other. A thrilling story of brilliant, flawed women working against and across generational, racial, and class divides, SUFFS boldly explores the victories and failures of a fight for equality that is still far from over.
SUFFS features scenic design by Mimi Lien; costume design by Toni-Leslie James; lighting design by Natasha Katz; sound design by Sun Hee Kil; sound effects design by Daniel Kluger; hair, wigs, and makeup design by Matthew Armentrout; orchestrations by Mike Brun; and prop management by Corinne Gologursky. In addition to choreographer, Raja Feather Kelly is creative consultant and Ayanna Thompson is dramaturg. Melanie J. Lisby serves as production stage manager, and Amber Johnson and Jessie Moore serve as stage managers.
SUFFS, presented in L-ISA Hyperreal Sound technology by L-Acoustics, will be an immersive audio experience, enveloping the audience and providing a deeper connection to the performance. Sound designer Sun Hee Kil said, “I am thrilled to bring this innovative technology, with its expanded realm of creativity for our sound team, to the production of Suffs, and to The Public’s audiences.”
The Public’s audience policy requires complete COVID-19 vaccination, including a booster dose (for those eligible according to CDC guidelines), by the date of attendance for access into the facility, theaters, and restaurant. For complete health and safety protocols, visit Safe At The Public.
The Library at The Public has reopened, serving food and drink Tuesday through Sunday beginning at 5:00 p.m. and closing at midnight. The Library will be closed on Mondays. For more information, visit publictheater.org.
Lia Chang loves to tell stories that are diverse and inclusive – as an actor, a multi-media content producer, award-winning filmmaker, and a performing arts photographer and documentarian. Photo archives: Lia Chang Theater Portfolio collection,1989-2011, housed in the AAPI collection in the Library of Congress’ Asian Reading Room; Lia Chang Photography Collection in The Billy Rose Theatre Division of the New York Public Library. Awards: 2000 OCA Chinese American Journalist Award, the 2001 AAJA National Award for New Media. Lia is an AAJA Executive Leadership Graduate (2000), a Western Knight Fellow at USC’s Annenberg College of Communications for Specialized Journalism on Entertainment Journalism in the Digital Age (2000), a National Press Photographers Association Visual Edge/Visual Journalism Fellow at the Poynter Institute for New Media (2001), a Scripps Howard New Media Fellow at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism (2002), and a National Tropical Garden Environmental Journalism Fellow (2003). A co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, Lia makes films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. She stars in and is the Executive Producer for the indie films Hide and Seek (AA Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Best Actress Nomination), Rom-Com Gone Wrong, and When the World Was Young (2021 DisOrient Film Audience Choice Award for Best Short Narrative). Lia has also appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, and The Last Dragon. Along with an extensive career in Off-Broadway productions, favorite stage credits include her debut as Liat in a national tour of South Pacific with Barbara Eden and Robert Goulet and playing Joy in Signature Theatre’s revival of Sam Shepard’s Chicago. www.liachang.com, www.liachangphotography.com
Backstage Pass with Lia Chang 