What the Constitution Means to Me
A Play by Heidi Schreck
Review by Ernest Edwards
I really liked this play. The topics are current and insightful. It’s got an engaging story. The play is also about only 100 minutes long.
Heidi wrote and starred in the original 2017 Broadway production of What The Constitution Means to Me. The play went on to be Tony Nominated and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama.
The play follows Heidi today in her mid 40’s looking back at her 15 year old self who travelled the country doing debates at American Legions for scholarship money to pay for college. As a 15 year old she was really into the Constitution of the United States of America.
This play uses the Constitution to show it’s affect not only on women, people of color, and Native Americans, but how the Constitution personally affected the women in Heidi’s life going all the way back to her Great Grandmother in Washington State in the 1800’s. The recap of laws from various countries over the centuries about acceptable forms of domestic violence against women/wives, was unsettling. History is there for us to learn from it. History can be uncomfortable too.
Artistry’s production is directed by Amanda White. The cast has Stephanie Cousins as Heidi, Dan
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| The stage, before the play begins |
Hopman as the Legionnaire, and the high school debater is played by Mackenzie Ganbaatar.
This play is very thought provoking, moving, upsetting and educational. It’s a great piece of literature about one of founding documents of the United States of America.
With this play, I was reminded that the United States Constitution was written by white men for white men. Woman, people of color and Native Americans were not in consideration back in the late 1700’s.
Also with America in 2026, I found this play to be timely.
Check out this play at Artistry. It runs through June 7, 2026. Tickets are available at www.artistrymn.org
