Gonzaga Theatre Presents “I Wish Ma Could Vote: An Evening of Women’s Suffrage Plays”
Gonzaga University Theatre invites audiences to commemorate the 105th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment with “I Wish Ma Could Vote: An Evening of Women's Suffrage Plays,” a collection of plays by activists, suffragettes and critics of the movement.
Directed by theatre department chair and Associate Professor Leslie Stamoolis, and featuring a student cast and student designers and crew, this unique staged reading production Feb. 6-7 explores the power of theater as an agent for change, told through the niche of dramatic literature on women’s suffrage, including amateur parlor plays and professional political theatre.
Beginning in the mid-19th century, theater was a major avenue for the public to explore the idea of women’s suffrage and gender roles. “I Wish Ma Could Vote” highlights how the fight for women’s voting rights was won not only in government chambers but also in living rooms, parlors and theaters, where people gathered to share stories, spark conversations and challenge ideas. With works from Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Marie Jenney Howe and Cicely Hamilton, this performance invites audiences to experience how theater has the unique ability to inspire action and promote change.
“This show features popular, amateur entertainment like parlor plays as well as professionally produced plays that dealt with the subject of women’s suffrage,” says Stamoolis. “The idea behind ‘I Wish Ma Could Vote’ is to say, what role did this small niche of dramatic literature play in changing hearts and minds around the idea of equality for women in the form of the vote?”
These plays not only highlight the strenuous arguments for the suffrage movement, but also dive into the challenges. By including a range of works from both suffragists and opponents of women’s voting rights, known as anti-suffragists, the production provides a more comprehensive view of how theatre is used as an agent for change. This approach invites audiences to engage with the complexities of societal change and understand how theater was used to fight on both sides.
“In addition to the widespread and passionate movement for women’s suffrage, there was an equally ardent anti-suffrage movement, with men and women on both sides of these positions,” Stamoolis says. “Some of those plays are included as well, because since we are exploring how theatre can affect change, we can also explore how theater failed to affect change – that is, to keep the status quo and continue to deny women the vote. In that effort, they were spectacularly unsuccessful.”
“I Wish Ma Could Vote” encourages the audience to think about how theater can shape public opinion, start important conversations and help drive change. It shows that even when views differ, theater can create space for dialogue and understanding, pushing society toward progress. Whether you’re a long-time theater enthusiast or someone discovering the power of theater to inspire change, “I Wish Ma Could Vote” promises to be an enlightening and impactful experience.
Performances will take place Thursday-Friday, Feb.6-7, at 7:30pm. Tickets are $12 for all ages. All performances will be at the Magnuson Theatre (on the East end of the College Hall building) on the Gonzaga University campus (502 E Boone Ave.). You can purchase your tickets at https://bit.ly/TicketCenterTheatre or by visiting the Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center Box Office (211 E DeSmet Ave.), Monday-Friday noon-5pm or by calling 509- 313-2787. Tickets will be sold at the door at the Magnuson Theatre, but availability is not guaranteed. For more information involving the production please email theatre@gonzaga.edu