Words From the Wings: Ada Westfall of SUFFS

BroadwayWorld is bringing you Words From the Wings, a new series of interviews that take fans behind the scenes of some of their favorite Broadway stars' backstage routines!

Today we're chatting with Ada Westfall, who is currently appearing in Suffs. Ada told us all about her backstage routines, must-haves, and more!

Check out her answers, along with photos taken by BroadwayWorld's Jennifer Broski, below!

What’s the first thing you do when you arrive to the theatre?

Usually, while I’m signing in at the stage door, I nerd out with Jeff (our absolutely lovely Music Box doorman) about Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley series. We adored the Andrew Scott version on Netflix and have been working our way in parallel through the book series and other film adaptations!

What’s the last thing you do before you go on stage?

The show opens with six of us already onstage backing up Jenn Colella as Carrie Chapman Catt as we perform “Let Mother Vote” in these gorgeous purple outfits Paul Tazewell designed — and we realized on Easter Sunday that we were dressed *perfectly* for the occasion. So now, right before the curtain goes up, we all yell “happy Easter” (every day is Easter in our beautiful opening number getups)!

What’s your must-have backstage snack?

For me, it’s all about slipping into a particular pizza shop on 9th Ave before the show, getting one or two pepperoni slices to wolf down in my dressing room along with a Red Bull (often toasting energy drinks with Monica Tulia Ramirez, my dressing roommate) — and then I also grab this kinda tropical lemonade drink I’ve discovered called a Calypso that fits perfectly into my Vespa-style scooter’s cup holder for the ride back home to Brooklyn afterwards!

Do you have any pre-show rituals that others may think is weird?

I’m not much for rituals, but here’s a fun fact: I sweat. A lot. Like it has caused problems in shows before! So especially for 1913 clothes in this sweltering summer heat, I paint my face before every show with a special product that (mostly) curtails the sweat on my face! It’s not perfect, but it helps sooooo much!

What are five must-haves in your dressing room?

1. A pillow and blanket for two-show day naps between shows!
2. A Bluetooth speaker that straps to a shelf above our mirror for pre- and post-show jams!
3. Our mini-fridge that holds all of our energy drinks!
4. A little Instax instant camera for taking silly pics of the cast/crew that I tape to our dressing room door!
5. A very stylish “Great American Bitch” hat from our Suffs merch table — great for repping the show on breaks and covering up wig prep out in the world!

What’s your favorite moment from the show to watch from the wings?

As I’m getting ready to appear for the first time as Mrs. Herndon (my iconically grumpy prison matron), Tsilala Brock (as Dudley Malone) sings a beautiful and powerful solo (“Respectfully Yours, Dudley Malone”) in which Dudley finally pushes back against President Woodrow Wilson’s bigoted views and sexist political agenda. Tsilala’s performance is so personal, heartfelt, and so thoughtfully crafted and I just adore feeling the energy in the theater shift as she sings it. She’s such an incredible performer as well as a dear friend and I love reveling in her solo moment offstage — that is, before I break the mood right after by clanging an iron bell and yelling for my prison guards! 

What has been your favorite backstage moment in your time with this show so far?

Well, I think it really has to be backstage at this year’s Tony Awards. We got to crowd around Shaina and shower her with love after she won her second Tony of the night! I’ve known Shaina since we were in school together at NYU and I’ve spent the last 20ish years watching her work harder than maybe anybody I know to grow into the formidable artist she is today — and to get to be there for the moment all that work paid off in one of the highest forms of recognition our field offers was just SO meaningful and inspiring. Getting to be a part of her journey has been one of the great privileges of this quirky little trans girl’s life.

About Ada Westfall

Ada was in the cast of Suffs at The Public and is a musician, actor, and proud trans woman. Her work has included playing guitar on Broadway (Jagged Little Pill), composing music for Virgin Voyages and Big Apple Circus, and projects with artists like David Byrne, Thom Yorke, and Alan Menken. @adawestfall