Equality Culture Club: Jennifer Nettles on Giulia, storytelling, and imagining a gender-equal future

Photo by Rebecca J Michelson

Jennifer Nettles is no stranger to using storytelling to connect with audiences. As a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, actor, and producer, she has spent her career bringing complex characters and human experiences to life through music and performance.

In this edition of Equality Culture Club, we speak with Jennifer about Giulia, a new musical inspired by the true story of Giulia Tofana, a 17th-century Italian woman who helped women escape abusive marriages. Jennifer reflects on why this story feels especially urgent today, the enduring links between power, violence, and survival in women’s lives, and the unique role that theatre and storytelling can play in advancing conversations about women’s rights.

From the transformative power of empathy to the importance of seeing women as heroes in their own stories, Jennifer shares her thoughts on culture, change, and the possibilities that emerge when women are free to live fully and safely.

Q: What was it about Giulia’s story that made you want to bring it to the stage now?

Making a musical takes years! I would have loved to have had this piece ready for the stage even earlier, but The Universe has perfect timing. I feel a tectonic rumbling beneath us all right now. The dark reach of gender-based violence and oppression is being further exposed, from the intimacies of our homes, all the way to the highest seats of power. I believe The Muse knew that now would be the perfect time for audiences to hear this message in a way that can amplify that rumbling toward an actual shift in culture. 

Q: Giulia explores violence, power, and survival in women’s lives. Why do you think those themes still resonate so strongly today?

“Tale as old as time,” as the saying goes. The intersection of power, violence and survival for women is a current and continued theme in the lives of women, all over the world. But, as I have said before, while sadly there has never been a bad time for this musical, I do feel like now is an unbelievably good time! 

Q: At Equality Now, we often talk about the power of culture to shape attitudes and drive change. What role do you think theatre and storytelling can play in conversations about women’s rights?

I think storytelling, particularly music and theatre, is the most direct way to touch the human heart and inspire change. No one likes to be lectured. But a story is an invitation. Rather than wagging a judgmental finger, storytelling sits in the corner and points a soft, subversive light toward a human experience, and invites the audience to see themselves within it. That’s called empathy. And once we’ve created empathy, the audience is already changed. The more of these invitations that we can make in telling stories about women’s lives, the better. 

Q: What do you hope audiences take away from Giulia after they leave the theatre?

I want them to feel inspired and on fire. I want them to feel the same way they feel when they experience the iconic stories of the great warriors we see all the time – my favourite film Gladiator as an example – I saw that movie and so related to Maximus. I wanted to be Maximus. Not the female lead. I wanted to be Russel Crowe! I want to play dynamic, strong, hero roles and see women in the roles that make me feel like that.  So, I hope the audiences leave feeling the same.

I also hope they have a good time and are swept away by an intriguing story and beautiful music told with the masterly touch of Mary Zimmerman’s direction.

Icons, inspiration and imagining equality

To close, we ask every Equality Culture Club guest about the people, stories, and ideas that shape their vision for a more equal world. From the future they hope to see, to the women who inspire them, to the books and films that have stayed with them, these reflections offer a glimpse into what fuels their work and optimism. 

Q: What excites you most about the prospect of a gender-equal future?

To me, gender equality would mean physical, emotional and financial safety and dignity for women. (And it would mean physical, emotional and financial safety for men as well. But that’s another story). Imagine what women could do if we were free to open up our hearts and brains and skills beyond The Struggle. How many cures, inventions, innovations and stories have we missed as a result of gender inequity? The world will only benefit from women living their power and brilliance.

Q: Who is your favourite feminist icon and why?

My favourite feminist icon is my mother. I watched her put herself through college in her 30’s, with three children in order to gain the financial autonomy to live safely and freely. That’s icon level to me. 

Q: Do you have feminist media (books, movies, podcasts, etc.) recommendations for people looking for similar material? Or, what’s one book, show, or movie that has shaped your life?

Books: I really enjoyed The Power by Naomi Alderman. As for movies, I’m gonna go back to Gladiator. Why limit ourselves in how we see ourselves?  If you are a woman, and you can see yourself in a character, then that character is a feminist character. I want to make our feminist lens as universal as the male lens. I can be my version of Russel Crowe if I want to. And so can you! 

Jennifer’s reflections remind us of the power of culture to challenge assumptions, build empathy, and inspire action. Through stories like Giulia, audiences are invited to imagine women not only as survivors, but as protagonists, leaders, and agents of change.

At Equality Now, we believe that culture plays a vital role in shaping attitudes and advancing women’s rights. By amplifying stories that spark conversation and expand our understanding of equality, we can help build a future where women and girls everywhere are able to live with safety, dignity, and freedom.

Guilia is showing at Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC) in New York from 28 June to 26 July.