Now onstage in Solana Beach is the most produced play in America for the last three years. It was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, it has two Tony Award nominations and it has sold out several runs at the Kennedy Center. Many attendees at North Coast Repertory wondered if it would make a return to that vaunted venue in DC.
Written by Heidi Schreck and ably directed by Shana Wride, What the Constitution Means to Me starts as mostly a one woman play, but evolves that two other characters enter the discussion. Jacque Wilke, no stranger to this stage, is in the lead role. She effectively is the voice of Schreck, retelling her story as a youth entering debate contests at American Legion halls, winning money for college tuition.
What could otherwise be a fairly dry discussion of the Constitution (and specifically several amendments thereof) eventually evolves into personal recollection of individual history, as a means by which to explore the growth of a document which originally only dealt with the rights of landed white men. The play becomes more interactive as it evolves over its brisk 90 minute running time. By the end of the evening, a parliamentary debate is undertaken, the proposition being that the constitution should be abolished and replaced once per generation.
This shift is somewhat welcome, as our main character’s personal story had reached an end. The American Legion host (Andrew Oswald) breaks the fourth wall and tells his story of coming out. Then 18-year-old Em Danque provides a superb debate foil to our lead character.
During the entertaining debate the audience is encouraged to render real time reactions to points made.
The play is a catalyst to provoke deeper reflection about a document that is centuries old, all of which supports the underlying premise that understanding the Constitution is not only a responsibility but a privilege.
Ticket information here.
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