'What the Constitution Means to Me': A herstory

‘WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME’: Heidi Schreck. Photo: Joan Marcus

WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME
Written by Heidi Schreck
Directed by Oliver Butler
Through August 24, 2019
Helen Hayes Theater
240 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200), www.constitutionbroadway.com

By Scott Harrah

What the Constitution Means to Me is not traditional theater in any sense. It is a combination of a deeply personal monologue, a political lecture, a symposium for constitutional reform and an interactive civics lesson. The show originated Off Broadway in various forms, and was last produced at New York Theater Workshop in 2018. Now creator and performer Heidi Schreck has brought the show to Broadway. The play’s progressive slant and feminist theme make it timely in the “Me Too” era.

Ms. Schreck, now in her late 40s, recalls how as a 15-year-old in Wenatchee, Washington, she earned money for college by entering contests about the Constitution in American Legion halls throughout the U.S. with other high school students. In these predominantly white, heterosexual male institutions for war veterans, Ms. Schreck would debate other high schoolers about how the Constitution related to their everyday lives and families.

The first portion of the show is often riveting as Ms. Schreck recalls the conservative town she grew up in, an “abortion-free zone,” and the strong, long-suffering women in her family. Best of all, she recreates some of the speeches she gave about the Constitution as a teenager, looking back on them as an adult and making witty observations about them. Ms. Schreck, who calls the Constitution “a living, warm-blooded, steamy document,” is a gifted storyteller and her enthusiasm for the Constitution and her own progressive politics and feminism shines through her ebullient delivery. She educates the audience on how the Constitution was written by and for white male land owners. The founding fathers of America wrote it to protect the rights of white men. Women, African Americans and Native Americans were not included originally. In essence, the original Constitution was written to protect what we now call “white male privilege.”

The set by Rachel Hauck helps the audience understand just what a “boys’ club” American Legions were in 1987 when Ms. Schreck was a teen. The walls are covered with photos of war veterans, and one senses the isolation Ms. Schreck must have felt at age 15 speaking about how the Constitution related to her. In the first hour of this 100-minute work, Ms. Schreck packs in a lot of heady information about abortion, feminism, racism, discrimination against Native Americans, and more. She also talks about her harrowing experience when she became pregnant while working as an actress in Seattle and decided to have an abortion. With her wry humor and endless passion for the downtrodden, she delivers a scathing polemic on how white men have dominated others and usurped power in America since the country was born. She is such an entertaining speaker that it is easy to overlook the way she sometimes repeats her points as the evening winds down. However, we soon realize repetition is not the show’s only flaw.

What the Constitution Means to Me would have worked great as a one-woman monologue, but unfortunately the remainder of the show becomes jumbled with unnecessary filler. Mike Iveson, in a full military veteran’s uniform, initially plays a moderator for Ms. Schreck’s debates when she reenacts scenes from her teenage tours of American Legions. Yet for some reason, in the latter part of the show Mr. Iveson takes off his uniform and starts talking about his personal life, including his sexuality. It’s a pointless segue and we are left wondering why Ms. Schreck and director Oliver Butler decided to go in this direction.

The show’s final 20 minutes become a debate in which the audience is invited to participate as real copies of the U.S. Constitution are passed out. At the performance I attended, teenager Rosdely Ciprian, a New York City high school freshman, came out to talk about what modern-day teens think about the Constitution. (Ms. Ciprian alternates the role with another actor, Thursday Williams, at different performances). Ms. Schreck decided to debate whether the Constitution should be abolished and what might be the benefits of writing a brand-new Constitution. She picked an audience member to act as a judge. While this is certainly innovative and creates a dialogue about the Constitution, it will come across as gimmicky to some. If nothing else, the first hour is a compelling “herstory” lesson on American politics and feminism by Heidi Schreck.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 3, 2019
Reviewed at April 2, 2019 press performance.