Drumroll, please–Suffs is not just any other musical! It is a powerful reminder that the rights women have today were hard-fought, deeply contested, and never guaranteed. On January 8, 2026, the Young Feminists Club, led by Ms. Desmond, attended a performance of Suffs at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. What I expected to be a typical Broadway-style performance turned out to be an emotional and thought-provoking experience that felt incredibly relevant to modern feminism.
Suffs, written by Shaina Taub, tells the story of the American Women’s Suffrage Movement beginning in 1913 and leading up to the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. Rather than presenting the movement as a unified effort, the musical explores the internal conflicts among suffragists (not suffragettes!) themselves–especially the divide between those who believed in patient, polite activism and those who demanded immediate and radical change. Figures like Alice Paul, Carrie Chapman Catt, and Ida B. Wells are portrayed as complex women with differing priorities, strategies, and sacrifices. This honesty about disagreement makes the musical feel more authentic and more powerful in its message.
The origins of Suffs are deeply rooted in feminism, making it perfect for young feminists or any feminist to see. Shaina Taub created the musical not just to tell a forgotten story, but to question how progress actually happens. The musical highlights how women were dismissed, arrested, and punished for demanding basic political rights. It also confronts the uncomfortable truth that the suffrage movement often excluded women of color, reminding the audience that feminism has not always been inclusive. By addressing both victories and failures, Suffs challenges viewers to think critically about who benefits from social movements and who is left behind.
When watching the musical, there was one particular song that stood out to me: “Worth It.” No, not the pop song by Fifth Harmony. The song reflects a broader and more personal struggle that women face: the expectation to leave parts of themselves behind to fulfill society’s definition of what a “true” woman should be. The lyrics describe the pressure placed on women to abandon their passions, ambitions, or creative dreams in favor of traditional roles–getting married, having children, maintaining a household, and putting others before themselves. Additionally, the song describes an alternate reality where a woman ignores societal pressures and proceeds with her ambitions even when that means possibly facing backlash.
Even today, women are often expected to choose stability over ambition, family over passion, and sacrifice over self-fulfillment. “Worth It,” in other words, captures the quiet grief of those choices and asks whether a life shaped by obligation rather than desire can truly be fulfilling.
I relate to this song on a personal level, as women in my family have abandoned their dreams in order to settle down and pass down a family name through generations. Sometimes, I see the same expectation being expected and placed on my shoulders from my parents and extended family. By being the oldest daughter in an immigrant family, it is expected that you learn to take care of children (likely the younger siblings) and be able to do everything around the house efficiently and well. I have my own ambitions that I wish to pursue, even if it means ending years and years of safe tradition.
All in all, Suffs is a wonderful musical that depicts history in a respectful artistic manner. It shows that feminism is not a finished project but an ongoing struggle shaped by expectations, limitations, and resistance. It raises the question: if women are constantly asked to give up who they are to meet society’s standards, then what is the true cost of progress?
Seeing Suffs was more than entertainment–it was a reminder of why feminism still matters today. If you can see it yourself while it’s on tour, I highly recommend it!
