Liberation review – fiery and funny show brings 70s feminism to Broadway

Bess Wohl's "Liberation" examines the personal and political through the lens of her mother's activism. The play, subtitled "A Memory Play About Things I Don’t Remember," explores second-wave feminism in 1970s Ohio. It delves into the experiences of a women's liberation group, touching on issues like workplace inequality and consciousness raising. The play acknowledges that modern audiences, like Wohl herself, have only inherited memories of this era. The main character Lizzie, played by Susannah Flood, acts as both a chronicler of the group and portrays her late mother. Lizzie grapples with the apparent contradiction of her mother being both a traditional homemaker and a radical feminist. The play aims to engage a contemporary audience by gradually drawing them into the world of the past. It explores the complexities and limitations of second-wave feminism while highlighting its noble goals. Ultimately, "Liberation" seeks to understand who our parents were before we knew them.