CUBA, N.Y. — Although last year’s pandemic delayed the celebration of the 100th anniversary of 1920’s passage of the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote, it didn’t stop local organizers from staging the event this year.

As a result, a special commemorative event titled “The Suffragist Journey – Voices of the Movement” will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Sept. 12 at the Palmer Opera House at 12 W. Main St. in Cuba, N.Y.

The centennial commemorative event will be sponsored by the Olean Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and the Cattaraugus-Allegany League of Women Voters (LWV) and is open to the public. The two groups decided to co-sponsor the event after viewing the

“Iron Jawed Angels” movie in January of 2019 at the JCC Olean campus, depicting several suffragists and their determination and sacrifices to gain the right to vote through the U.S. Constitutional Amendment. The original plans were to conduct the commemorative celebration in August of 2020, but the event had to be delayed due to COVID-19.

The upcoming three-hour event will include a live performance, titled “Voices of the Movement” performed by local award-winning actress and choreographer Ardyth Van Scoy-Rupp. She describes her performance by saying, “A movement can never be summed up with the sound of a single voice. To grasp the magnitude, you cannot simply read the speeches given and understand. To hear the sound of the movement, you must look at the speeches, yes, but also the letters, the pleas, the songs, the voice of each and every woman. Women’s suffrage was not gained by a single woman with one story. The vote was won by the overwhelming struggle of thousands of women fighting for the right for their voices to be heard and counted. My hope is for this performance to bring forth just a few of those voices to honor the fierce women to have the right to be heard in our government as full and equal citizens.”

Van Scoy-Rupp is a native and resident of Limestone, N.Y. and holds a bachelor’s in art with a minor in Women’s Studies from St. Bonaventure University. She has performed and provided choreography and costuming in the Twin Tiers region for over 25 years. As a professional costume stitcher for theatre, she spent four years working with various companies across New York state including the Chautauqua Institute, Capital Repertory Theatre, the Martha Graham Dance Company and Tri-Cities Opera.

Van Scoy-Rupp has created several historical performances for local organizations, including shows about Belle Boyd, a famous confederate spy; American folk music; and a USO-style performance celebrating the end of World War II. She is a Theatre Association of WNY award-winning choreographer, and currently teaches Musical Theatre Dance at Dance Arts of Olean.

Marti Tillinger, chairperson of the six-women committee for the event, said the committee members are both with the DAR and LWV. She said they have been busy making plans that include providing the theatrical performance, refreshments, a trivia game with prizes, displays of historical significance, a souvenir program and mock voting. The other committee members include Betsy Matz, Charlene Sendlakowsk, Margie McIntosh, Vicki Cocca and Jeanne Walk.

Tillinger said she grew up down the street from where the Declaration of Sentiments was drawn up in Waterloo, N.Y. The declaration states that men and women should have equal standing and rights in the U.S. The declaration was presented at the famous neighboring Seneca Falls Convention in 1848.

Tillinger has done extensive research on the history of the 19 Amendment and beyond, and will have much information on the topic on display at the September event.

“This event has been in the planning stage for well over a year, and the committee members have each picked an area of strength to come together as a team to make this a very memorable, educational and historical event for adults and young adults to enjoy,” Tillinger said.

Seating will be limited at the event, therefore pre-registration and pre-payment of $12 per person is required by Sept. 1. Tickets can be obtained by visiting www.lwvdarsuffragistjourney.evenbrite.com; through emails sent to cattarauguslwv@gmail.com or by calling (716)904-1347. Handicap access will be available at the back of the Opera House, which has an elevator to the second floor. On-street parking and parking at local parking lots will be available.