Whoa, this is a play like no other, speedy and fascinating and exhausting all at once. And how can there be a play about the U.S. Constitution that does all that and keeps you utterly enthralled at the same time?
Don’t ask, just get a ticket and get up there to North Coast Repertory Theatre, where you’ll see Jacque Wilke* take on the role of Heidi, an American woman who took it upon herself to analyze the U.S. Constitution almost word by word.
David Ellenstein, NCRT’s artistic director, writes in his intro that writer Heidi Schreck took about ten years to write the play, performing it first on Broadway in New York in 2019, where he reports that it “took the city by storm” and became a Pulitzer Prize finalist.
It certainly fascinated the NCRT audience, especially this person who was lucky enough to get a second-row seat.
The most important word in the show is “shall,” which is used many times, and what comes after that word is what this show is all about.
If you’re a woman, you know that “not” is one of the many words that often follow “shall,” and this show will tell you many of them that later became part of the U.S. Constitution.
On the way, woman’s right to choose will be discussed, as will “equal protection under the law” and the “due process” clause. There will be talk about mandatory and discretionary requirements.
Wilke shares the stage with Andrew Oswald, who plays the Legionnaire and shares the stage with her (from the other side). But mostly he just sits there and watches her talk. And she does it brilliantly.
Later, we will meet two young debaters, played by Genevieve Tai and EM Dance, who will amuse us with their own debate.
“What The Constitution Means To Me” is a terrific play. Don’t miss it.
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