Inez Milholland Finds Her Light in Solo Play About Iconic Women's Suffragist

Diverging Elements Theatre Co. presents the original work, INEZ: The Suffrage Herald, as part of the United Solo Festival at Theatre Row, in New York City.

"Mr. President, how long must women wait for liberty?" were Inez Milholland's powerful last words that helped carry the suffrage movement, long past her untimely death, to victory. Inez devoted her life to equality, regardless of class, race, and gender. She gave everything she had to the cause, despite her endless health obstacles. She was an icon of the women's movement, inspiring a nation with her Amazonian beauty, determination, and courageous temperament.

Inez said "the Suffrage Herald is a story of fighting for what you believe to be right, even when the odds are stacked against you. It is about collaboration, determination, and hope. This is a look into one of the thousands of brilliant minds that have pushed the women's rights movement into the 21st century.

"Beautiful and courageous, she embodied more than any other American woman, the ideals of that part of womenkind whose eyes are on the future. She embodied all the things which make the Suffrage Movement something more than a fight to vote. She meant the determination of modern women to live a full free life, unhampered by tradition."
-- The Philadelphia Public Ledger at the time of Inez Milholland's death

INEZ: The Suffrage Herald is written and performed by Melissa Jessel, Executive Director and founding member of Diverging Elements Theatre Co. Melissa holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Syracuse University.

Diverging Elements Theatre Co. is a New York City-based not-for-profit theatre company committed to devising original and culturally diverse stories for the stage by drawing from elements of art, body, literature, nature, history and film. Employing a collaborative ensemble of artists, we aim to provide our audiences with a visceral human experience through mis-en-scene movement and basic narrative in order to spark thought, stimulate discussion and initiate change. Diverging Elements Theatre Co. is comprised of Daniel Burns, Kayliane Burns, Melissa Jessel, Sammy Lopez, and Erin Schmidt. www.divergingelements.org

United Solo, the world's largest solo theatre festival, currently in its 7th year, will present 120 shows from six continents at Theatre Row: 410 West 42nd Street, New York City. TICKETS, with a price of $20.25 (which includes a $2.25 theatre restoration charge) are available at Theatre Row box office, 410 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036, as well as over the phone at 212.239.6200 and online at telecharge.com. More details can be found at www.unitedsolo.org.

INEZ: The Suffrage Herald will be performed tonight, October 7th at 7:30pm at The Studio Theatre at Theatre Row and is produced by Sammy Lopez.