BWW Blog: “What The Constitution Means To Me” Should Mean Something to You

This past Monday night I walked downstairs intending to grab a snack and come back to my room to watch TikTok. I was stopped by one of my roommates who asked if wanted to like to watch a play. I asked what play, to which she couldn't remember, but that it was about women. Even with this ever so detailed description, I agreed to watch. One of our other roommates, the one who suggested it came down and clarified we'd be watching What The Constitution Means To Me. I knew that everyone who had seen this play, all of them being fellow theatre people, only had good things to say, but I had no idea what the plot was about. after watching it I can honestly say it exceeded my expectations.

I fell in love with Heidi Schreck within the first few minutes of watching and that feeling lasted for the duration of the play. That woman knows how to engage an audience. I also appreciated the shifts in structure the play took. From personal storytelling, to more scripted acting, to the debate. It not only broke things up but gave a variety of performance styles for a variety of audiences. This also made me wonder just how much of the show is scripted and what, if anything, varies from night to night.

I know political theatre isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I see it as a good thing. There were so many topics in what the constitution means to me that were incredibly relevant. In fact, some topics seemed more relevant now, then thy might have been when this play fist came out, like the electoral college being a mess or women still not having complete control over their own bodies. It's sad in a way, but I'm glad theatre can be a platform to address these issues. I sat there watching and thinking to myself "why didn't we learn this?" or "why don't we talk about this more?" which proves this is exactly the kind of theatre we need to be making. We need more shows that allow us to discuss topics that should be explored but are seen as too taboo for school or mainstream media.

If you have yet to watch this groundbreaking play, What The Constitution Means To Me is available to watch on Amazon Prime and if it wasn't clear from this post, I would highly recommend it. This is one of those plays that will make you laugh and cry, all while changing the way you view the world. Please note I have no affiliation to this show or Heidi Schreck, just a lot of love, admiration, passion, and respect.