Watch the video of the two songs that cast members from “Suffs” sang at the Broadway in Bryant Park noontime concert, plus a third sung as part of BroadwayCon a couple of days later.
The two songs at Bryant Park are inspired by some fascinating real-life history in the seven-year struggle to win women the right to vote, which is what “Suffs” is about.
In the first video, cast member Nadia Dandashi as Doris Stevens and D’Kaylah Unique Whitley as Dudley Malone (introduced by Emily Skinner) perform the song “If We Were Married.” (Below the video is reprinted the lyrics from the song and the dialogue that leads up to it.)
The song is based on the true story of Doris Stevens, a leading suffragist, who met an aide to President Wilson, Dudley Malone, and so convinced him of her cause that he quit the Wilson Administration in protest of the president’s lack of support for women’s rights – and wound up marrying Doris Stevens.
In the second video, Emily Skinner sings “A Letter from Harry’s Mother.” Phoebe Burn sent her son Harry a letter arguing why he should support women’s suffrage. And that’s why the 24-year-old Tennessee state legislator cast the deciding vote in the thirty-sixth and final state to ratify the 19th amendment granting women the right to vote, making it the law of the land.
from the script:
DUDLEY
Miss Stevens, the president is focused on trying to keep the United States out of the Great War in Europe. But he plans to support your cause eventually, try to believe him.
DORIS
(With a dose of liquid courage) What about your wife? Does she believe him? DUDLEY
DUDLEY
Actually, I’m uh – not married yet.
DORIS
I don’t intend to marry until we get the right to vote.
DUDLEY
That’s quite a commitment to your cause.
DORIS
It’s not a pledge of my commitment – it’s because until I can vote, I have no say in changing the laws that make marriage essentially a death sentence for women.
DUDLEY
What?
DORIS
For example, if we were married, the country would consider us one person, not two.
DUDLEY
If we were married?
DORIS
No! Not you and me specifically, but for the sake of the argument, yes.
DUDLEY
Well for the sake of the argument…
IF WE WERE MARRIED, I’D PROMISE TO CHERISH YOU JUST AS A GENTLEMAN SHOULD
DORIS
IF WE WERE MARRIED, I’D PROMISE TO FORFEIT MY LEGAL AUTONOMY FOR GOOD
DUDLEY
IF WE WERE MARRIED, WE’D BUY OUR OWN ACRE OF LAND FOR OUR OWN LITTLE HOUSE
DORIS
IF WE WERE MARRIED, OUR POSSESSIONS AND PROPERTY WOULD SOLELY BELONG TO THE MASCULINE SPOUSE
IF WE WERE MARRIED
DUDLEY & DORIS
IF WE WERE MARRIED
DUDLEY
IF WE WERE MARRIED
IF WE WERE MARRIED, WE’D FILL OUT OUR FAMILY AND LIFE WOULD BE SIMPLY SUBLIME
DORIS
IF WE WERE MARRIED, I’D CHURN OUT YOUR CHILDREN ‘CUZ CONTRACEPTION’S A FEDERAL CRIME
DUDLEY
IF WE WERE MARRIED, WE’D SAVE UP A NEST EGG TO CUSHION US LATER IN LIFE
DORIS
IF WE WERE MARRIED, MY EARNINGS WOULD BE IN YOUR NAME
AND I COULDN’T CONTROL MY OWN SPENDING OR OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT OR SIGN A CONTRACT OR HIRE A LAWYER
BECAUSE ECONOMICALLY SPEAKING, I’D DIE BY BECOMING YOUR WIFE
IF WE WERE MARRIED DUDLEY
DORIS & DUDLEY
IF WE WERE MARRIED
IF WE WERE MARRIED
DORIS
YOU’VE GOT TO ADMIRE THE EASE WITH WHICH MEN CAN SQUEEZE US INTO SUCH A RIGID ROLE
DUDLEY
You do?
DORIS
DAUGHTERS ARE TAUGHT TO ASPIRE TO A SYSTEM
EXPRESSLY DESIGNED TO KEEP ‘EM UNDER CONTROL
FOR INSTANCE, IF WE WERE MARRIED AND YOU PHYSICALLY BEAT ME THAT WOULDN’T BE ILLEGAL TO DO
DUDLEY
What?!
DORIS
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT IS 1916 AND ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE STILL ACTUALLY TRUE?
DUDLEY
I SUPPOSE I’VE NEVER STOPPED TO THINK ABOUT HOW IT WOULD BE FOR YOU IF WE WERE MARRIED
They look at each other and the energy shifts, there’s a spark…
DORIS
IF WE WERE MARRIED
DUDLEY & DORIS
IF WE WERE MARRIED…
A less historical and more playful song (added after the Off-Broadway run) begins with Doris reluctantly telling the others that she’s upset because an old man during the march called her a bitch. This is what the cast — Kim Blanck as Ruza, Ally Bonino as Lucy, Hannah Cruz as Inez, Nadia Dandashi as Doris, and Shaina Taub (the show’s librettist, lyricist and composer) as Alice Paul — performed as part of BroadwayCon’s First Look concert.
