“1917 or 2026?” someone behind me whispered during the National Tour of Suffs, which premiered at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore this week, and honestly, I haven’t
stopped thinking about it since.
Set during the women’s suffrage movement of the 1910s leading up to the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, Suffs somehow feels both historical and painfully current. The show never tries to beat audiences over the head with its message, but rather, presents the messy, exhausting, and often complicated reality of creating change that reminds us progress is never as simple as one victory with a clean ending.
What makes this national tour work so well is how entertaining it is while carrying that weight. The first act is surprisingly funny, filled with sharp comedic timing and energetic ensemble moments that keep the show moving. Lucy Burns, played by Gwynne Wood, was a comedic standout, along with Livvy Marcus’ Doris Stevens and Brandi Porter’s Dudley Malone, who consistently landed some of the show’s funniest moments without ever pulling focus from the bigger story. By the second act, though, the tone shifts significantly as the stakes become heavier and the sacrifices more real. That tonal progression is one of the production’s greatest strengths because it reinforces the idea that the work never truly ends.
Vocally, this cast is stacked with powerhouses. The harmonies are rich, layered, and incredibly well-blended throughout the show. I really appreciated the sound design, which allowed every lyric to come through clearly and is essential for a show this dense. The lighting design beautifully supported the changing tone between the hopeful energy of the first act and the harsher realities of the second.
The main character is Alice Paul, who carries much of the show’s momentum, and Maya Keleher’s Alice absolutely holds her own, grounding the story and keeping the narrative moving forward even in its quieter moments. But one of the show’s smartest choices is that it never frames change as the result of one singular hero. Suffs repeatedly reminds us that there is more than one way to get the job done. Some activists push loudly, others work strategically behind closed doors, and some simply refuse to stop showing up. The show acknowledges the disagreements within
movements without dismissing the importance of any one approach.
That’s ultimately why Suffs resonates so strongly in 2026. The show understands that progress is ongoing work; that change is not something that simply happens and then stays fixed forever. Every generation has to decide whether it is willing to continue the fight, continue the conversations, and keep the work of our ancestors going. These women did exactly that, and Suffs makes sure we understand both the triumph of what they accomplished and the reality that the work is never fully finished.
Final Grade: A
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