Streaming Review: "What the Constitution Means to Me"
Friday, October 16, 2020 at 10:30AM
One of my favorite theater going experiences ever was seeing What the Constitution Means to Me off Broadway last fall. Writer/performer Heidi Schreck had such a knack for involving the audience in her exhilarating look at the role of the Constitution in our lives. By the end of the show, it felt like we were working with her in devising a new and more perfect solution. This level of intimacy and audience engagement seemed almost impossible to replicate with the remove of film. Luckily, director extraordinaire Marielle Heller was tasked with recording the production during its final week at the Helen Hayes Theater on Broadway. Heller continues her impressive streak, delivering another hit...
What the Constitution Means to Me comes across just as energetic, engaging and vital over streaming as it did while on the stage. That is no easy feat.
Throughout her teen years, Schreck would participate in speech and debate competitions around the Constitution. Held by the American Legion, Schreck would stand in front of a sea of old white men and answer the titular question. She would take the money she earned from these competitions and use it to pay for college.
Using the framework of this competition, Schreck reminisces on her more idealistic interpretations of the prompt decades ago. According to her winning speech, the Constitution is more of a crucible, rather than a patchwork quilt. However, her oratory on the Constitution takes a turn as she infuses it with more of her thoughts and life experiences. The Constitution may be many things, but it is not a document designed to protect the rights of anyone beyond white men who own properties.
On the surface, a (nearly) one-woman show on this topic could feel didactic or preaching to the choir. Schreck sidesteps any potential pitfalls by making her arguments both sweeping and personal. Her knowledge of the constitutional amendments is incredibly impressive. She expertly deconstructs the landmark Fourteenth Amendment, which granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in America. Additionally, she unravels the penumbra of the ninth amendment and how it was used to shape the landmark decision on contraception.
While her knowledge is impressive, the show comes most alive when she ties the amendments to her family life. She charts the cycle of abuse at the hands of men that started with her great grandmother, with the repercussions getting passed down through generations of women in her family. Schreck conveys so many emotions - anger, sadness, frustration, existential laughter - throughout the personal segments of her show that it becomes a masterclass in oration. As trite as it is to say, the layer of specificity in Schreck’s family stories lends itself to some universality. While so much of the show is built around her life experiences, Schreck also understands and voices her own privilege as a white woman. She frequently references how race, socioeconomic status, sexuality and gender identity are all factors that can lead to disenfranchisement in this country.
Other than the brilliant performance by Schreck and her strong writing, the play was so moving to see in person because of the level of audience participation demanded. Schreck would often call on the audience to raise their hands, play along as members of the American Legion and even vote in the final debate. Director Marielle Heller does a great job of filming the audience as well as the stage to simulate that same level of interaction. It’s hard to give a recording of a staged play new life as a film. Luckily, Heller varies the staging of the camera in ways that present the audience in dialogue with the play.
What the Constitution Means to Me feels especially made for this moment during an election year. Schreck’s work does a great job of making one feel angry, yet empowered. You feel anger and sadness over the generations of suffering women, POC, LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized groups have faced under a Constitution that does not protect them. Yet, the show reinforces that we can create change in our country. Voting, volunteering, running for office, becoming politically active all can create shifts in the world around us. The final debate doesn’t always offer the same results, as we see during an end card in the credits. Whichever way our country moves, one thing still remains. We need to change so we can see ourselves reflected in our government. A
What the Constitution Means to Me is now streaming on Amazon Prime
Reader Comments (1)
Watched this tonight and it was amazing. Such a strong piece. I found Schreck to be playing to the rafters a bit too much (especially at the beginning) but I think that was due to it being a filmed stage show.
Consistently surprising and insightful, it’s a real winner.