The musical "We Did It for You!" is more than just something to entertain people. “It offers a multi-century parade of feminine genius and courage, and does it with humor and fun,” says Paul Williams, the Oscar-winning songwriter. Written by Thea Iberall, "We Did It for You!" is a charming musical that tells of the struggles and triumphs women have undergone to get their basic rights in America.
"We Did It for You!" will be performed on November 3 at 3 p.m. at Needham Town Hall. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students, in advance; they will be $20 at the door, if available. After the performance, there will be a Q&A with the cast and playwright.
The play follows a high school student whose history project requires her to determine who has done the most for women of today, and she learns the answer from the women themselves. The cast portrays more than 25 impactful women in US history.
When members of the Needham League of Women Voters saw "We Did It for You!", they knew this was an important piece of theater to bring to Needham. “As I was watching the musical for the first time, I envisioned it being performed in historic Powers Hall," says LWV Needham President Karen Price. "We are excited to bring the play to Needham for a special matinee performance as part of our yearlong celebration of women.”
"We Did It for You!" has been performed in Massachusetts since 2017 in churches, libraries, theaters, and museums. What makes "We Did It for You!" so special? Playwright Iberall didn’t want to just tell the basic story of women’s suffrage and the women’s rights movement in the 1960s. She dug deeper, doing research that brought in early influences on women’s rights such as the Puritan Revolution and the Abolitionist Movement. She also augmented known stories with lesser-known activists and constructed the play around specific anecdotes. It’s not what the women did, but how and why. “The result is like peering at history through a magnifying glass,” explains Iberall.
Visit www.lwv-needham.org for information and to purchase tickets. For photos, more about the play, and ticket purchasing, visit www.wediditforyou.org. For questions, contact president@lwv-needham.org. The program is partially funded by a grant from the Needham Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, and the League of Women Voters of Needham Education Fund.
