5Q: Suffs

A new generation of changemakers takes center stage as “Suffs” arrives in Minneapolis, bringing the story of the American women’s suffrage movement to life with urgency, wit and heart. The musical traces the fight for the right to vote, spotlighting the passion, setbacks and resilience of the women who refused to be written out of history (while drawing clear parallels to the movements still unfolding today).

For St. Paul native Victoria Pekel, this stop on the national tour marks a powerful homecoming. This show serves as Pekel’s national tour debut. She portrays Phyllis Terrell and Robin, characters who reflect the spirit and determination of a rising generation stepping into the fight. With deep Twin Cities roots and a thoughtful perspective on both politics and performance, Pekel brings a personal connection to the story as she returns home to share it with her community.

What does it mean to you to bring “Suffs” home, and how does it feel stepping on stage knowing your community is in the audience?

It feels so amazing to come home. I grew up seeing shows at the Orpheum Theatre, so getting to come back and be on that stage is honestly surreal. I spent my later high school years (shoutout St. Paul Central High School) at protests, sit-ins and doing whatever community organizing I could. That’s a big part of why I went on to study both theater and political science at Yale. So coming home with this story, in this moment, feels really full circle. 

Knowing my people are in the audience makes it even more meaningful. These are the people who shaped me — my teachers, my family, my friends, my community — and to share a story like “Suffs” with them, especially one rooted in activism and civic engagement, feels really special.

How did the Twin Cities shape you as both an artist and a person, and do you see any of that influence showing up in your performance?

The Twin Cities shaped me in every way. I grew up singing in a Black church — Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church — which gave me my foundation as a performer and taught me how powerful storytelling through music can be. I also grew up performing at Steppingstone Theatre for Youth Development, which was a monumental building block for me as an artist. Minnesota absolutely has some of the best youth theater and arts programs.

Minnesota has also deeply shaped me as an activist. We are a place that consistently shows up, organizes and pushes for change. Living here, especially during pivotal moments in recent history, made me understand the importance of using your voice and of not backing down. I’m incredibly proud to be Minnesotan, especially in this current climate. These experiences made it impossible for me to be passive, and it continues to inform both who I am and the work I do. 

With your background studying both political science and theater at Yale University, “Suffs” feels like a perfect intersection of your passions. How has that dual perspective influenced the way you approach this story and your characters?

Studying both political science and theater at Yale was absolutely the unintentionally perfect precursor to working on “Suffs.” It has allowed me to approach this work from both an artistic and an analytical perspective. I’ve spent a lot of time reading the autobiographies and biographies of the women we portray, which helps me ground my performance in real history. It makes the work feel like we are not only storytelling, but also honoring real people and the complexity of the movement.

“Suffs” centers voices that have historically been pushed to the margins. As a young artist, how do you think about representation, both in the roles you take on and the stories you want to help tell?

Representation is incredibly important to me. Especially with young people, it makes a real difference to see yourself reflected in history and on stage or screen. I’m especially proud to play Black women in this story, because Black women were absolutely crucial to the suffrage movement, and that’s not often acknowledged. The show doesn’t shy away from the fact that this movement excluded and marginalized many of those women, and I think it’s important that we tell that truth while still honoring their contributions.

I really love performing the song “I Was Here,” which is a trio with my character Phyllis Terrell, her mother Mary Church Terrell and Ida B. Wells. It’s a moment where the Black suffragists acknowledge that even while they are being excluded from the movement in many ways, they are still present, still fighting and refusing to be erased. It’s incredibly powerful and absolutely feels like a critical emotional anchor of the show.

As a young artist, I am deeply focused on the power of art to uplift, transform and elevate social change, and I am committed to focusing on art with meaningful impacts on my communities.

The show is also deeply rooted in the idea of the “next generation” carrying movements forward. What does that responsibility feel like to you personally? Where are you seeing that energy show up in your own generation right now?

It feels incredibly real and incredibly urgent. I just graduated from Yale in 2025, and I saw that energy firsthand with students organizing, protesting, building community and refusing to back down, even when it came with real consequences. That responsibility feels crucial at this moment in history.

I really feel that we are at a turning point, and it does fall on our generation to continue the fight, as it always does. Every movement reaches a moment where the next generation has to decide whether to take it on. That is something I think about every night on stage, and try to carry with me offstage as well.

“Suffs” runs at the Orpheum Theatre April 7-12. For more information and to purchase tickets, head to hennepinarts.org.