If you’ve never heard of “What the Constitution Means to Me” until now, don’t feel alone.
I’m a fan of live theater but knew nothing about this show until it appeared in the Paramount’s BOLD Series lineup for 2023. That’s when I became intrigued, especially after hearing how controversial this Broadway play, written and performed by Heidi Schreck, is.
This show, a 2019 Pulitzer Prize finalist, is a deeply personal dive into how the U.S. Constitution has intersected with the life of this Washington state woman in her late 40s who, as a teenager, competed in so many American Legion debates about the Founding Fathers document that she won enough scholarship money to put herself through college.
I really discovered just how compelling – and unique – this play was when I watched Schreck’s three-person Broadway show on Amazon Prime, where “What the Constitution Means to Me” has been playing since 2020, after the pandemic halted its national tour.
Thankfully, it’s been resurrected on regional stages. And I have to say, experiencing it on Thursday’s Opening Night in our own intimate Copley Theatre in downtown Aurora was a whole different experience.
For one thing, the role of Schreck is performed to perfection by Jeff Award-winning Chicago actress Cory Goodrich, who captures, with pathos and humor, how this historical document, written by males and interpreted mostly by the same gender through the decades, impacted four generations of women in her family.
As pure entertainment, it’s not for the proverbial faint of heart. Nor will those who lean right – including older white men – chuckle their way through it, as it takes on such hot button topics as abortion, gay rights, immigration, racial equality, even gun control and climate change.
I sat next to one of those older white men when I attended Thursday’s opening night, which had a few others like him scattered through the audience that appeared to lean left and certainly more feminine.
“Embarrassing,” my husband mumbled, referring to the real-life audio that was played, capturing a cringe-worthy conversation between two stodgy Supreme Court justices who shamefully showed just how little regard these men in power had for the rights of women.
The subject of reproductive freedom is central to this play that also delves into domestic violence and sexual abuse, all of which were a painful part of playwright Schreck’s family history.
If you think all this takes the entertainment value of a stage production from personal to political, well, that’s what makes “What the Constitution Means to Me” so controversial.
And important.
That being said, the show does not come off as an angry feminist lecture: It’s simply too heartbreaking and way too humorous.
And toward the end, there is a robust pro/con battle between Schreck (Goodrich) as an adult and a real teen debater (on Thursday it was the very talented Lilly Fujioka, 17, masterfully representing Stevenson High School), arguing the question: Should we keep the Constitution or throw it out and start all over?
As a former teen debater myself, that finale was one of my favorite parts of the show, if for no other reason than these lightning rounds cleverly – and yes, with lots of laughs – presented both sides of the issue, with the conclusion that our Constitution, though flawed like the people who created it, also offers hope for the future as long as we remain engaged and civil.
And who can argue that?
Lots of people, it turns out. Which is a good thing.
In fact, the audience, which feels intimately connected to those on stage from the get-go, is encouraged to vocally agree or disagree with the debaters. One person is then picked to be the judge and determine the winner, which, on Thursday, turned out to be a high school debate coach from Naperville who (I respectfully disagreed) gave the thumbs up to a Constitutional overhaul.
There will be plenty more discussions about the Constitution as this show plays through Nov. 12. According to Paramount officials, already multiple chapters of the League of Women Voters have seen or have plans to attend, as do several chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution and a large group of students and faculty from North Central College.
Also, U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, representing the 11th Congressional District, will be in the audience Nov. 3 and take part in a post-show panel discussion.
Speaking of older white men again, I must note that the one sitting to my right did not laugh once during the show. But he did smile. A lot.
And so, immediately after the standing ovation given to Goodrich, Fujioka and Kevin McKillip, who masterfully plays Schreck’s Legionnaire sidekick, I asked for his thoughts.
“Not one of my favorites,” he replied after a long moment of reflection.
But we certainly had a lively discussion on the way home, where I listened to his complaints about stereotyping older white men and concerns about judging history through a contemporary lens.
He, in turn, listened to my rebuttals, including personal experiences that mirrored some of Schreck’s.
And, while no winner was called, by the time we pulled into the garage, my husband was describing “What the Constitution Means to Me” as “provocative,” and “intriguing.”
And, yes, he’d recommend it to his older white male friends … but perhaps enjoy a drink first.
Paramount Theatre Creative Director Jim Corti, who describes this show as “one of a kind,” also understands how it “can be hard for men to watch.” It’s why he admits it is among the boldest of the BOLD Series. “But it endures because of the conversations that come after it,” he added.
“It has this potential, this potency, to get people to think about things in a way never done before,” said Corti.
“That is all this show is asking.”
dcrosby@tribpub.com
