Protesters briefly disrupted a performance of the Broadway musical “Suffs,” a Tony Award-winning musical about the suffragist movement, by unfurling a banner with the slogan “Suffs Is a White Wash” and chanting “Cancel ‘Suffs!’” The protest lasted only 20 seconds before demonstrators were escorted out of the theater. The show’s producers stated that the safety of the cast and audience was not compromised during the incident.
The protesters, who call themselves “radical, anti-racist, queer feminists,” criticized the musical for being a “betrayal of the next generation of feminists” and accused it of promoting “rehashed white feminism.” However, the musical actually addresses the role racism played in the suffragist movement and highlights the contributions of Black women to the voting rights cause.
This is not the first time a Broadway show has been disrupted by protesters. In March, “An Enemy of the People” was disrupted by a climate activist group chanting “No theater on a dead planet.” Despite these disruptions, the shows have continued to address important social issues and spark thought-provoking conversations among audiences.
“Suffs” has received critical acclaim and won two Tony Awards at last month’s award show. The show’s producers and creative team have chosen not to directly respond to the protesters’ complaints, but it is evident that the musical strives to shed light on the complexities of the suffragist movement and the diverse voices that contributed to the fight for equality.
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