It took 15 years for “Liberation” to reach Broadway, but playwright Bess Wohl believes the timing is now perfect. Wohl spent over a decade developing her play—which examines the Second Wave feminist movement through a woman’s relationship with her late mother—but only found the right structure when she centered it around consciousness-raising group meetings. After interviewing former activists who had participated in such groups, she completed her first draft in just 10 days.
“Those women—I pictured them sitting in a room, waiting for me to listen,” Wohl shared during a rehearsal break at the James Earl Jones Theatre. “It might sound strange, but it felt like they were saying, ‘Whenever you’re ready…’ I went on a writer’s retreat, and there they were, still waiting. They seemed to say, ‘Okay, let’s begin.'”
“Liberation,” subtitled “A Memory Play About Things I Don’t Remember,” follows Lizzie, a modern woman grappling with the recent death of her mother. Overwhelmed by unanswered questions, Lizzie tries to reconcile the image of her mother as a suburban lawyer’s wife with her earlier life as a radical feminist journalist who organized consciousness-raising groups.
Susannah Flood portrays Lizzie, who narrates from the present and also steps into her mother’s shoes in flashbacks. “The year was 1970,” she tells the audience. “And my mom… my devoted, dutiful mom who sewed costumes for school plays, cooked every meal, did all the dishes, and sat through my piano lessons even though I had no talent—she was actually… a radical?”
Inspired by Wohl’s own mother, who worked at Ms. magazine during the playwright’s childhood, “Liberation” blends political history with personal narrative. Wohl, who made her Broadway debut in 2020 with the comedy “Grand Horizons,” didn’t anticipate how relevant her new work would become.
When “Liberation” premiered off-Broadway in February 2025 under the direction of Tony nominee Whitney White, it received glowing reviews. The play’s depiction of women challenging the patriarchy struck a chord with audiences facing the erosion of reproductive rights and a surge of “tradwife” content online.
“I knew we had something special, but you never know for sure,” White remarked about the play’s reception. “A message has to arrive at the right moment. I wondered, ‘Is this the right time? Will people connect with this story?’ And it turned out, it was.”
Audiences identified with various aspects of the story—anger over workplace inequality, fears about losing bodily autonomy, frustration with slow progress, and the weariness of continuous struggle. In one scene, a character exclaims, “I am so hopeful, but I am burned the fuck out,” a line Wohl borrowed from an interview.
“She said, ‘By the 1970s I was burnt out on women’s liberation,’ and I realized the arc of history is much longer than we think,” Wohl explained. “Even back then, women were frustrated, asking, ‘When will things change?’ That sense of urgency drives the play.” Today’s activists can relate: while the first Women’s March after Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration drew over half a million people in Washington D.C.—the largest single-day protest in U.S. history—the 2025 People’s March following his reelection saw attendance peak at around 5,000.Less than eight months after “Liberation” opened off-Broadway, it made its Broadway debut. According to White, the play’s relevance has only grown since then.
“The timing feels even more fitting now,” she says. “The world is changing rapidly, highlighting many aspects of the play. As the world evolves, certain parts of the play resonate more strongly with me. Last spring, I was just thankful that audiences were prepared to engage in the dialogue we aimed to foster.”
This dialogue unfolds in an Ohio recreation center gym, where Lizzie’s mother has started a consciousness-raising group. The members, portrayed by Betsy Aidem, Adina Verson, Irene Sofia Lucio, Kristolyn Lloyd, and Audrey Corsa, are passionate activists. They vary in marital status, sexual orientation, and age, ranging from their twenties to sixties. Together, they discuss topics from workplace discrimination to sexual satisfaction and even fantasies about harming their spouses. Their conversations are so intimate that an intimacy coordinator, originally hired for a nude scene, also helped shape the dialogue.
Although the characters in “Liberation” are Wohl’s inventions, they draw inspiration from interviews she conducted with Second Wave feminists, some of whom have attended the play. Wohl aimed to portray both the strengths and flaws of the movement, rather than romanticizing the past.
“I felt deeply gratified when one of the women who influenced the story told me, ‘You put my life on stage,'” Wohl shares. “She said it tearfully. We’ve heard from many women who lived through that era, asking both of us, ‘How did you know what it was like?'”
A fictional conversation between Lizzie and her deceased mother addresses painful questions, such as whether her mother regrets her life choices. Wohl explains that these questions aren’t clearly answered on purpose.
“At that stage in their relationship, they’re reaching a deeper level of honesty,” she says. “When you’re a child, your mother might shield you from life’s harsh truths to protect you. But by this point in the play, Susannah Flood’s character has earned that raw honesty.”
Wohl’s own life mirrored Lizzie’s journey, as she found herself having similar talks with her mother.
“Even though Lizzie’s mother has passed away in the play, my own mother is still alive, which is wonderful because we’ve been able to share this theatrical journey together,” Wohl notes. “I’ve had the same kind of conversation with my mom that Lizzie has, and she’s given me plenty of feedback on the play.”
Despite its timely themes, moving to Broadway carries risks. Production costs have risen post-pandemic, even with New York’s theater tax credit extended to 2027. The 2024–25 Broadway season saw high ticket prices, such as $921 for premium seats to “Othello” starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, and $825 for George Clooney’s “Good Night, and Good Luck.”
“Liberation” features an ensemble of seasoned stage actors, all of whom were in the off-Broadway production, and is directed by a woman—making Wohl and White the only female writer-director duo on Broadway this season.
“It feels like a bit of a miracle,” Wohl admits. “It’s not your typical Broadway show.”
Wohl and White hope that the play’s exploration of history, which seems to be repeating itself, will inspire audiences. White remembers the powerful response from viewers.On the day of Trump’s second inauguration, we were rehearsing for the off-Broadway run. Whenever we felt overwhelmed, we found strength in looking back at a group of women who declared, “We’re not going to stand for this. We’re going to take action.” If they could do it—the protesters, activists, and ordinary people of that era—why can’t we? We need to find our courage.
She goes on to say, “We aren’t the first in Western society to face times of oppression, censorship, cuts to arts funding, and reductions in public support. The play has given us a chance to reflect on another period when people confronted these challenges. What will we do about it, and how will we make it happen?”
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about Bess Wohl and Whitney Whites discussion on the relevance of their play Liberation with clear and concise answers
General Beginner Questions
1 What is the play Liberation about
Liberation is a play that explores themes of freedom identity and societal constraints often through the lens of personal stories that reflect larger cultural and political issues
2 Who are Bess Wohl and Whitney White
Bess Wohl is the playwright who wrote Liberation and Whitney White is the director who brought the play to life on stage They collaborated closely on the production
3 Why are they discussing the plays relevance
They are discussing it to highlight how the story and its themes connect directly to current events and ongoing social conversations making it more than just entertainment but a commentary on our times
4 What makes Liberation powerful
Its power comes from its ability to make audiences see their own struggles for freedom and selfdefinition reflected in the characters creating a strong emotional and intellectual impact
Thematic Deeper Questions
5 What are the main themes in Liberation
Key themes include personal vs societal freedom the search for identity the weight of expectations and the different forms that liberation can take
6 How does the play connect to todays world
The play tackles issues like systemic inequality gender roles and the pressure to conform which are all highly relevant topics in modern discourse
7 What did the director Whitney White bring to the production
White focused on emphasizing the visceral emotional core of the play using staging pacing and performance to ensure the themes felt immediate and urgent to the audience
8 How does the play define liberation
It suggests that liberation isnt a single event but an ongoing personal process that can be internal as well as external
Practical AudienceFocused Questions
9 Who would benefit from seeing or reading this play
Anyone interested in thoughtprovoking drama contemporary social issues or stories about complex human relationships would find it compelling
10 Is the play based on a true story
While it may be inspired by reallife issues and experiences Liberation is a work of fiction crafted to