Redstone Goes (Behind the Curtain of SUFFS)

Redstone COO Geoff Gehring’s children know her as Aunt Shaina, but theater buffs celebrate her as actress, singer, songwriter and Tony Award winner for Suffs, the Broadway show she wrote to call attention to the suffragist movement that resulted in women securing the right to vote in 1920 when the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified.

The first Broadway show ever to perform in the United Nations General Assembly Hall, Suffs’ North America tour comes through Pittsburgh this month, where Redstone Goes participants have orchestra seats for the July 24 performance that is part of the CLO series. For those unable to travel with Redstone, a Broadway production also was taped for broadcast on PBS’s Great Performances, and is available to stream through July 31.

Aunt Shaina Taub is married to Geoff’s brother, Matt, and been part of the family for nearly a dozen years. The pair met at New York University and make their home in New York’s Upper West Side, where they are a powerhouse duo for their respective contributions in the world of theater and comedy.

Geoff grins as he admits, “I knew she was talented, but I really had no idea to what extent.”

At 37, Shaina’s credits are impressive: With the 2024 Broadway opening of Suffs, she became the first woman in history to win Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score by herself. An Obie Award winner and Grammy and Emmy Award nominee, she is artist-in-residence at New York City’s Public Theater. She has adapted two Shakespearian plays as musicals for the free community performances of Shakespeare in the Park, and starred in various on and off Broadway productions. A solo artist signed to Atlantic Records with three albums in her growing catalog, she has collaborated with such notables as Elton John, Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban, and is an accomplished pianist and accordion player to boot!

But it is Suffs that holds a starring role on her resume and in her heart.  The show explores the victories and failures of a struggle for equality, with Shaina playing the part of Alice Paul, a leader in the creation of the Equal Rights Amendment.  Geoff recalls being in the New York audience with his family for the show’s initial run. Although his daughter, now 14, is years away from casting her first vote, Geoff noted she was doubly impressed by her aunt’s talents as well as the show’s significance in the area of women’s rights. “The show’s historical accuracy delivers an inspiring lesson in the power of the vote, and the audience feels that energy in the momen,” he said.  As his daughter matures, the teen also may understand better her aunt’s commitment to various social causes.

Recognized for her activism, Shaina has been honored for her advocacy efforts by organizations including the Workers Circle, the League of Women Voters, Girls Inc, and Project Kesher. Winner of the NYCLU’s Michael Friedman Freedom Award, Shaina also co-chairs the NYCLU Artist Ambassadors program, sits on the Working Families Party’s Artist Council, and sings with the Resistance Revival Chorus. She was named to Time100’s Next List of rising leaders shaping the future.

Geoff is looking forward to seeing the show once more before the tour closes, and learning what’s next for his star-studded relatives.