The spring musical has started rehearsals, and this year’s production, Suffs, is something notable. West is the winner of “The Young are at the Gates” grant, which awarded twelve schools the rights to perform the Tony Award-winning musical Suffs. The show follows the story of Alice Paul and the conflicts during the suffrage movement from 1913 to 1920. It explores both the external conflict, with characters like Woodrow Wilson, as well as the intergenerational and racial conflict within the movement. It includes historical characters like Carrie Chapman Catt, Ida B. Wells, Inez Millholland, and Lucy Burns. 

The show, with a book and score by Shaina Taub, received Tony Awards in both of those categories and ran on Broadway from April 2024 to January 2025. The show is currently on its national tour, finishing its stop in Philadelphia just a few weeks ago. The West production has been receiving national attention, with a feature in Playbill magazine. The performances will be on April 10th, 11th, 12th, 17th, 18th, and 19th, along with senior citizen and middle school performances. The production will incorporate the film students as they create a documentary archiving the entire process from rehearsal to performance. West will also be partnering with the Alice Paul Institute to learn more about the suffrage movement and New Jersey native Alice Paul, as well as the continuing fight for gender justice. 

Over the next few months, the Lion’s Roar will be publishing regular deep dives into the lives of the women of the suffrage movement who are featured in the show until performances start. Stay tuned for historical facts on Alice Paul, Carrie Chapman Catt, and all the other fascinating women of this movement.