Synopsis: On the morning of July 5, 1857, an eclectic group of tenants bustle about their Manhattan boarding house, arranging the final details of a clever scheme they hope to pull off in the name of the budding women’s suffrage movement. As they prepare to host an important secret gathering, they receive an unexpected visit from a constable. One of the tenants has been murdered.

The odd bunch must then band together in an elaborate ruse to throw the constable off their scent. His investigation, however, reveals much more than murder motives and rabble-rousing. It becomes an examination of early American suffrage movements, the struggle to define “a woman’s place,” and the political systems that have historically sought to snuff out feminist voices.

Artistic Statement: The Suffragette’s Murder by Sandy Rustin is a whodunit, screwball comedy. Set in 1857, a covert group of activists for the women’s movement is hiding in a boardinghouse. One day the constable knocks on the door and says he’s found a dead body. It’s one of their members, so they have to solve who did this. It’s absolutely side-splitting.

This play has everything we love about farce — unusual location, interesting cast of characters, impeccable timing. Then it opens the door to a conversation about women’s role in our culture and the suffrage movement all while making us laugh. It’s a real delight!