Find a Way

Lyrics

[ALICE, spoken] Oh [LUCY, spoken] Alice? [ALICE, spoken] Lucy, thank God [LUCY] I got your telegram and came as soon as I could [LUCY, spoken] What's the emergency? [ALICE] The first protest march ever held in our nation's capital [LUCY, spoken] Today? [ALICE] Two months from today So there's no time to waste Welcome to our new office [LUCY] Ah [ALICE] You're a member of the Suffrage March Planning Committee [LUCY, spoken] Holy cow! How many in it? [ALICE, spoken] Counting you? [LUCY, spoken] Don't say two [ALICE, spoken] Two [LUCY] But Alice, we're not in college anymore We've never planned a national action before [ALICE, spoken] Nope [ALICE] How will we do it when it's never been done? How will we find a way where there isn't one? [ALICE & LUCY] How will we find a way Find a way We've got to find a way Find a way [ALICE] First pursuit is to recruit Inez Milholland [LUCY] The Inez Milholland? [ALICE] The papers call her glamorous [ALICE & LUCY] Dazzling [ALICE] All the things I'm not We need a public face [ALICE & LUCY] It's gotta be Inez Milholland [ALICE, spoken] I'm Alice Paul and this is my best friend Lucy Burns [LUCY, spoken] We were field hockey teammates at Swarthmore [ALICE, spoken] Offense! [LUCY, spoken] Defense! [INEZ, spoken] Wow, okay, sporty Why don't we have a smoke? [ALICE, spoken] Oh yes, we adore cigarettes [LUCY, spoken] *Cough* It's really nice [ALICE] We want you to be the grand marshal of our suffrage march [INEZ] Miss Paul, I'm far too busy with the bar [ALICE] She'd rather get liquored than fight our liberty? [INEZ, spoken] I'm studying for the bar exam [ALICE, spoken] Oh, that's marvelous We could use your legal skills to procure our permit This march is unprecedented [INEZ] How so? [ALICE, spoken] It's on Pennsylvania Avenue [INEZ, spoken] Oh [ALICE] The day before the inauguration [INEZ, spoken] Ooh [ALICE] We'll make every front page with a picture of you leading the pack [INEZ] On horseback [ALICE & LUCY] What? [INEZ] I should be riding My steed should be white A feminine reclaiming of the armored knight [ALICE] Of course [LUCY, spoken] Where the hell are we getting a horse? [ALICE & LUCY] How will we do it when it's never been done? How will we find a way where there isn't one? [ALICE, LUCY & INEZ] How will we find a way? Find a way We've got to find a way Find a way [INEZ] I want you to meet someone [LUCY] A socialite? [INEZ] A socialist Ruza Wenclawska [ALICE & LUCY] Ruza Wenclawska [RUZA] My fellow workers We must strike! [INEZ] Came from Poland when she was seven [RUZA] We must strike for safe conditions [INEZ] Worked in a mill since she was eleven This is her fight, too Not just us fortunate few They'll listen to her [RUZA] Strike! [INEZ] Not to you [RUZA] Strike! Strike! Strike! [ALICE, spoken] That was a great speech [INEZ, spoken] Ruza, this is Alice Paul from the suffrage movement [LUCY, spoken] Suffrage is votes for women [RUZA, spoken] I'm Polish, not stupid Look, I want no part of your polite little suffragette parlor games [ALICE, spoken] Well, that's perfect Because when we take on a tyrant We burn him down [RUZA, spoken] So how do we afford a march? [ALICE, INEZ, LUCY & RUZA] How will we do it when it's never been done? How will we find a way where there isn't one? How will we find a way? Find a way We've got to find a way Find a way [ALICE, spoken] Get up on this soapbox [INEZ, spoken] Ooh [ALICE, spoken] Stand there [RUZA, spoken] But no one's here [ALICE] Gotta start somewhere [INEZ] Women of the country How long must women wait for liberty? How long— [WOMEN PASSERSBY] How long [ALICE, LUCY, RUZA & WOMEN PASSERSBY] Must we wait? [INEZ] —Must we wait? [ALICE, LUCY, RUZA & WOMEN PASSERSBY] Must we wait? [RUZA] Must we wait? [ALICE, LUCY, RUZA & WOMEN PASSERSBY] Must we wait? [INEZ, spoken] Join us in a march On March 3rd [RUZA, spoken] Give some money [ALICE, spoken] Spread the word [RUZA, spoken] Give more money! [INEZ] Make your voice heard [ALICE, INEZ, LUCY, RUZA & WOMEN PASSERSBY] How will we do it when it's never been done? (How will we do it when it's never been done?) How will we find a way where there isn't one? How will we find a way, find a way? (How will we find a way?) We've got to find a way Find a way [DORIS, spoken] March for our liberty! [ALICE, spoken] Lucy, who is she? [LUCY, spoken] Doris Stevens [DORIS, spoken] A student from Nebraska [LUCY, spoken] She just showed up [DORIS] When I heard about your march I hopped on the next train I want to help! Whatever I can do [DORIS, spoken] I wrote up these leaflets, too [ALICE, spoken] So you're a writer [DORIS, spoken] Yes sir—ma'am! [DORIS] Yes, I am [ALICE] Congratulations on your new job [DORIS, spoken] What? [ALICE, spoken] You're our secretary now Keep a record [DORIS, spoken] February 1st Doris Stevens named Secretary! [ALICE, INEZ, LUCY, RUZA & DORIS] How will we do it when it's never been done? How will we find a way where there isn't one? [DORIS, spoken] February 2nd A meeting with Officer Sylvester [MAJOR SYLVESTER, spoken] It's Major Sylvester [ALICE, spoken] Major, we need a permit for a protest on the third of March [MAJOR SYLVESTER, spoken] I don't have cops to spare for a ladies' parade [INEZ] I would just hate for my father to hear you Deny me my constitutional right [MAJOR SYLVESTER, spoken] Father? [INEZ] Senator Dwight Chair of the Law Enforcement Treasury You know? The man who signs your paycheck [MAJOR SYLVESTER, spoken] You can have your doggone permit Now get the heck out of my sight [INEZ, spoken] Thank you, Officer [MAJOR SYLVESTER, spoken] Major! [ALICE, spoken] Is he really your father? [INEZ] I used to date his son [ALICE, INEZ, LUCY, RUZA & DORIS] How will we do it when it's never been done? How will we find a way where there isn't one? [DORIS, spoken] One week to go [ALICE, spoken] Numbers? [DORIS, spoken] Twenty-six floats Nine brigades [DORIS] A delegation from all forty-eight states [ALICE] Two hundred marshals [RUZA] Ten marching bands [DORIS] Representatives from? [ALICE] Thirty [DORIS] Thirty universities [INEZ] Contingents from fifteen professions [ALICE, spoken] Oh, and the dancers for the pageant [DORIS] So we're at one [DORIS, spoken] Wait, no, two [DORIS] With the crowd depending [DORIS, spoken] Two hundred thousand people attending [INEZ, spoken] We're gonna need more pinwheels [All simultaneously] [LUCY] Should we all spread out or stick together? If Inez is up in front, should I be in the middle? Alice, are you marching with your college? I don't have a cap and gown [INEZ] Did someone remember to get carrots for the horses? Am I starting off the singing or do I wait for the bugles? [DORIS] Where will we be able to go to the bathroom? What happens if it starts to rain? [RUZA] What if it's too crowded on the street To even move an inch or let alone to march? [ALICE] We can do it! [ALICE, INEZ, LUCY, RUZA & DORIS] How will we do it when it's never been done? How will find a way where there isn't one? [DORIS, spoken] Miss Paul [DORIS] Ida B. Wells wrote to say she plans to march [LUCY, spoken] Ida B. who? [ALICE, DORIS & RUZA] Ida B. Wells? [INEZ] She's a famous journalist [DORIS, spoken] But— [ALICE, spoken] What? [DORIS, spoken] Well, we've received letters from several Southern donors Threatening to pull out if colored women participate [ALICE, spoken] But we've already said they're welcome to participate [DORIS, spoken] One proposes we tactfully ask colored women to withdraw [INEZ, spoken] Tactfully [DORIS, spoken] Others say they must march in back [ALICE, spoken] Let's make a special colored delegation at the back of the line No one pulls out [ALICE] It'll all be fine [RUZA] I'm an immigrant so should I march in back, too? [ALICE, INEZ, LUCY, RUZA & DORIS] How will we find a way? (How will we find a way?) Find a way We've got to find a way, find a way [IDA] So you're this Alice Paul I've been hearing so much about [ALICE, spoken] Mrs. Wells [IDA, spoken] Well, you've got quite the team [ALICE, spoken] Yes! [INEZ] We haven't slept in weeks [IDA] Please, I have four children I haven't slept in years [ALICE, spoken] We're glad you're here for the march [IDA, spoken] I'm not only here for the march [IDA] My club has also come to agitate for laws against lynching My people cannot vote If they are hanging from trees [ALICE, INEZ, LUCY & DORIS, spoken] We support you [RUZA, spoken] Yes! [IDA, spoken] Why have I been told to march in back? [ALICE, spoken] All due respect, but we don't have a choice [ALICE] Without the Southern women's support There might be no march [LUCY] We refuse to be exclusive So we've made a place for you in back [INEZ] We're concerned for your safety should there be an attack [DORIS] Mary Church Terrell might agree to it, so— [IDA] Oh, the one other Black suffragist whose name you know? [ALICE] You are a brilliant agitator, Ida Thousand of Suffs are arriving in town right now Should we cancel the endeavor? [IDA] So I'm the one wrecking the endeavor? [LUCY, spoken] No [INEZ, spoken] Ida, how about— [ALICE] I think we all must do whatever it takes For the march to go on Even if that means waiting your turn