Tuesday, August 18 fundraiser to benefit the Women’s Suffrage Museum – Events & Cultural Center
~ from Suffrage Coalition
In recognition of Women’s History Month, the Women’s Suffrage Museum – Events & Cultural Center and the Suffrage Coalition are proud to announce Rachel Sussman, Tony Award–winning creative producer and lead producer of the acclaimed Broadway musical Suffs, will serve as the keynote speaker for the 2026 Febb Burn Dinner. The event will take place Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Bridgewater Place in Knoxville, Tenn., with tickets and sponsorship opportunities available through womenssuffragemuseum.org.
“The 2026 Febb Burn Dinner builds on the legacy of the women who fought to secure the right to vote, serving as a signature fundraiser supporting the continued development of the Women’s Suffrage Museum – Events & Cultural Center, which is slated to open in downtown Knoxville in 2028,” said Wanda Sobieski, Founder and President of the Suffrage Coalition.
Sussman will share her personal and inspiring journey as a Broadway producer, educator, and entrepreneur, along with insights into her work on Suffs, the Tony Award–winning musical that brings the American women’s suffrage movement to life on stage. Her remarks will connect the historic struggle for the vote to its modern-day resonance, underscoring the importance of storytelling in honoring women’s history and advancing civic understanding.
“American women fought for generations to secure the right to vote, and their persistence reshaped our democracy,” said Sussman. “Women’s History Month reminds us that the stories of the suffrage movement continue to resonate today and deserve to remain alive in our national imagination. It’s incredibly meaningful to celebrate our suffrage history in Tennessee, the state that cast the deciding vote for the 19th Amendment, and to support Knoxville as the future home of the Women’s Suffrage Museum – Events & Cultural Center. I’m honored to be part of an evening that not only reflects on how far we’ve come, but also recommits to sharing and preserving these inspiring stories for future generations.”
Sussman is a Tony Award–winning creative producer whose Broadway lead producing credits include the Drama Desk Award–winning play Liberation and the Tony and Outer Critics Circle Award–winning musical Suffs, as well as Alex Edelman’s Just for Us (Special Tony and Emmy Award winner, now streaming on HBO). Her Broadway co-producing credits include Parade, What the Constitution Means to Me, and Prima Facie. She is a co-founder of The Business of Broadway, an educational venture democratizing commercial producing knowledge, and The MITTEN Lab, an emerging artist residency program in Michigan. She serves as an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University’s School of the Arts and NYU Tisch School of the Arts and has been recognized nationally for her leadership in theater, education, and creative producing.
Mary Kellogg-Joslyn, Executive Creative Producer and Director of the Women’s Suffrage Museum – Events & Cultural Center, explains tickets and sponsorship opportunities for the 2026 Febb Burn Dinner are now available, with proceeds directly benefiting the Women’s Suffrage Museum – Events & Cultural Center. Individual tickets are $150. Full details, including sponsorship levels and purchasing information, can be found at womenssuffragemuseum.org.
“The Febb Burn Dinner is one of our most meaningful annual gatherings because it brings history, community, and forward momentum together,” said Kellogg-Joslyn. “Announcing this year’s keynote during Women’s History Month is especially fitting, as it invites the community to honor the past while actively investing in the museum’s future. Rachel Sussman’s work on Suffs has helped reintroduce this story to new audiences in a powerful way, and we are thrilled to welcome her to Knoxville in support of this mission.”
According to Kellogg-Joslyn, the announcement comes at a pivotal moment for the Women’s Suffrage Museum – Events & Cultural Center, which is entering a transformative new phase. The museum is currently navigating the complex engineering and design process of merging its 706 and 708 South Gay Street buildings to create a high-flow, modern 20,000-square-foot museum space in downtown Knoxville. As this work continues, the museum is also preparing for its next chapter of public storytelling.
“The Women’s Suffrage Museum – Events & Cultural Center project requires patience and care, with many moving parts both visible and unseen,” said Sobieski. “But each step brings us closer to opening a world-class Events & Cultural Center that honors the women who shaped our democracy. As Women’s History Month reminds us of the power of collective action, we invite the community to support this work as we finalize funding for the 708 building and move forward toward our planned Spring 2028 opening.”
“With Rachel Sussman’s keynote and the momentum surrounding the museum’s next chapter, the 2026 Febb Burn Dinner promises to be an evening that celebrates history, champions progress, and transforms reflection into action,” added Sobieski.
