Are you an American? Do you like that you have rights? Can you list more than two amendments? Every person in the United States of America has a direct relationship with the constitution whether you know it or not. This is something that is directly explored in Heidi Schreck’s What the Constitution Means to Me. She grew up participating in constitutional knowledge competitions and doing so affected her development as a person and understanding who her family was and how they lived their lives all in the lens of their constitutional rights. She goes through an intro and then into a mock version of what she would do during the competitions, and it is during tis she expands past the prompts and gets into what and who are or aren’t protected by the constitution. After really getting into women’s and productive rights she brings out a young woman who is equally if not more so versed in these studies and they have a debate: whether to abolish or amend the constitution to address the problems she has brought up. As a bit of government and history nerd I really enjoyed the format and content of the play it at times feels almost like a ted talk and at other a very open and honest retelling of family’s history and how a young women grew in and around it. I think the best part is when she breaks from her representing her younger self and then goes into her current and actual self with her complete opinion on all of the current states of our nation, constitution, and rights for all, especially women. The set is a fascinating portrayal of the American Legion in Wenatchee Washington, her hometown and an awesome little city just East of Seattle, with all the pictures of former members, flags, and typical furniture for the place. Another charming element of the piece is the “Legionnaire” and Mike in the original production adds to the setting but also to the rights and way of people discussion in adding his experience a homosexual man growing up and his life which mirror Heidi’s age and journey. Overall “What the Constitution Means to Me” is a great and honest piece full of material and elements of life as Americans we need to be aware of especially in this day and age AND after the recent events of November 5, 2024. At the end of the show you are left thinking of the content of the debate, should the constitution be kept or is starting a new document actually worth it.
Shoemaker, Allison. “What the Constitution Means to Me Movie Review (2020) | Roger Ebert.” Https://Www.rogerebert.com/, www.rogerebert.com/reviews/what-the-constitution-means-to-me-movie-review-2020.
“What the Constitution Means to Me | Official Site.” Constitutionbroadway.com, constitutionbroadway.com.
Green, Jesse. “Review: Can a Play Make the Constitution Great Again?” The New York Times, 1 Apr. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/03/31/theater/what-the-constitution-means-to-me-review.html.
