We are beyond excited to announce that the world premiere of The Suffragist, a musical about the final push to ratify the 19th Amendment and the leadership battles between Alice Paul, Carrie Chapman Catt, Ida B. Wells, Lucy Burns, and others, has a director!
Rachel Klein, a New York City based artist has come on board as both director and choreographer for our upcoming production at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa.
Rachel’s work has been hailed as “endlessly clever” by the New York Post, called “nothing short of brilliant,” by Broadway World, and the New York Times summed up her skills perfectly when they said, “What makes this show pop is the bracing vision of its director, Rachel Klein.”
Klein recently directed the acclaimed Grateful Dead jukebox musical, Red Roses, Green Gold off-Broadway. Her work has also been seen in NYC at House of Yes, (le) Poisson Rouge, the Highline Ballroom, the National Arts Club, La MaMa, Night of 1000 Stevies, the Hiro Ballroom, Dumbo Dance Festival, the Kitchen, and the Slipper Room.
Miss Klein is a member of the SDC, a member of Musical Theatre Factory, and attended The Actor’s Gymnasium School of Circus Arts, as well as The International Directors Symposium in Spoleto, Italy.
The Suffragist marks a reunion for Klein and librettist/lyricist Cavan Hallman. The two were students together at Columbia College Chicago, where Klein received her degree in Theatrical Direction. Later, they collaborated on Michael Cooper’s short play, The Great Space Mountain, and the New York premiere of HOUND by John Patrick Bray.
Rachel has a long history of not only staging, but developing new musicals, and we couldn’t be happier to be collaborating with her on this powerful original piece that documents and dramatizes the struggle to finally win the vote for women.