Continuing their programming of plays in the black box theater at Bloomington Center for the Arts this season, Artistry is bringing us the never more relevant play
What the Constitution Means to Me. Until it becomes more relevant tomorrow, or next week, or whenever another one of our rights is stripped away by the current administration. Although it premiered nine years ago, this play feels like it was written specifically for this moment in our country, with the recent Supreme Court decision gutting the Voting Rights Act, discussions of overturning birthright citizenship (guaranteed by the 14th Amendment, which features heavily in this play), and the gross violations of due process (also the 14th Amendment) in Minnesota earlier this year, just to name a few. It also feels a great time to really examine our founding document as America is about to celebrate its 250th birthday. This is such a brilliantly written play, in the way that it discusses the very foundation upon which our nation is built, but not in a dry textbook kind of way (although there are lots of facts and dates), but in the most personal way that makes me see just how much the constitution shapes our daily lives, and the unfair way it treats many American citizens.* It's also funny and relatable, chock full of pop culture references (especially for us Gen Xers), and thoroughly engaging for the 95-minute or so runtime. I highly recommend that you check out this smart and relevant new(ish) play that's not been done much since the original Broadway production and tour (
continuing through June 7).
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| Stephanie Cousins as Heidi (photo by Alyssa Kristine Photography) |
Written by Heidi Schreck, who also played the role of herself on Broadway,
What the Constitution Means to Me is part civics lesson and part very personal story, as it very seriously (and humorously) explores the issues of domestic violence, abortion rights, and generational trauma. It is simultaneously depressing and hopeful about the state of our nation. Which is pretty on track for the world right now [even moreso than when I first wrote these words in 2021]. The fun thing about it is that it doesn't pretend it's not a play; there are several fourth-wall breaking moments throughout the show. It's like a great solo Fringe show, in which the playwright/actor tells the story of her life in a funny, emotional, and relatable way. When Heidi was 15, she toured the country competing in debates about the constitution, which paid her way through college. She starts off being her 15-year old self, on a stage that looks very much like a small town American Legion hall in the '80s. She gives the speech as near as she can remember, full of all the teenage excitement and angst. But as things get tough, she drops the artifice and continues as her current self. Heidi's family tree includes violence and mental illness, and she skillfully connects those issues to the constitution and its amendments in clear and precise ways. Our constitution was not set up to protect women or people of color, in fact it barely considered them, and amendments have only come so far in remedying that.*
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Mackynzie Ganbaatar and Stephanie Cousins debate
(photo by Alyssa Kristine Photography) |
Amanda White directs this piece that is essentially one long scene, much of it just one person talking, and makes it feel dynamic and vital. Although it's not, at times this feels like a one-person show, and Stephanie Cousins really owns it from the moment she walks into the room and introduces herself as Heidi. She's so natural and vulnerable, it feels like she really lived Heidi's life, or at least feels it deeply, which makes the audience feel it deeply too. She's joined on stage by a legionnaire, played by Dan Hopman, who's amusingly strict as he reads us the rules, but later gives Stephanie a break with a moving monologue. At the end of the show, Stephanie drops the character and tells us her name and a bit about herself, and introduces the legionnaire as Danny, so it's difficult to know where the characters end and the actors begin. The final scene is a debate with a local student, Mackynzie Ganbaatar, playing herself (or a version of herself), and along with the whole play, it feels so organic and extemporaneous (to borrow a great word from the show). But of course it must be scripted, or mostly in any case. It's a testament to the director and the actors that it feels so real and immediate.
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Stephanie Cousins and Dan Hopman
(photo by Alyssa Kristine Photography) |
The set is dominated by a huge wall showcasing photos of legionnaires, mostly if not all white men (i.e., the people who wrote the constitution and still are largely in control of its applications). The dark wood of the floor and wall, podium with microphone (occasionally utilized for comic or dramatic effect), and flags in the corner really set the scene. The simple costume design references Heidi's yellow blazer in the original production, with an authentic-looking legionnaire's uniform and plaid school girl dress for the other characters. We occasionally hear recordings of actual Supreme Court proceedings (and the late, great RBG), which adds a level of reality and gravity to the play. (Scenic design by Eli Sherlock, props design by Katie Phillips, lighting design by Shannon Elliot, sound design by Nick Mrozek, costume design by Meghan Kent.)
This is definitely not the escapist kind of theater, that helps you forget all the pain and darkness in the world for a little while. Rather, it's the kind of theater that holds up a mirror to the darkness in the world, and doesn't offer a solution, but starts a conversation and inspires us to hopefully work for change. The constitution is supposed to protect us, and it's up to all of us to make sure that it protects everyone, not just those in charge. A great companion piece to this play (that I'm seeing later this week) is Lee Blessing's play Courting Harry, currently being remounted at History Theatre. It's about Minnesota-raised Justice Harry Blackmun, who wrote the majority opinion for Roe v. Wade, and is referenced in this play. Two relevant constitutional plays in #TCTheater at the same time?! What better time than now.
*Some text borrowed from my reviews of previous productions.
