Review: WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME at Open Stage

Heidi Schreck’s 2017 play, What the Constitution Means to Me, premiered on Broadway in 2019. The play feature three characters—Schreck, the moderator, and a high school debater—and explores the intricacies of life in America, delving into topics such as domestic abuse, abortion, immigration, and more. This thought-provoking play looks at the Constitution through the lens of those who did not have a hand in writing it and those who, from the very beginning, were excluded from its language. In the final portion of the play, the audience is asked to judge a debate about whether the best course of action to right these wrongs is to abolish the constitution or to work tirelessly to amend the existing document. What the Constitution Means to Me brings difficult themes, questions, statistics, and realities into the spotlight. It takes an empathetic, compassionate, thoughtful cast and crew to bring a show like this to life, and the team at Open Stage, led by director Stuart Landon, is just the right team to bring it to the Central PA area.

The cast features Emma Sweigart as the high school debater, David Richwine as the moderator, and Karen Ruch as Heidi Schreck. Sweigart and Ruch make the debate engaging and fun, each presenting their position with passion and strength. Richwine’s performance as the moderator Schreck remembers from the American legion is fantastic. His upright posture, precise movements, and facial expressions convey the character’s desire to stick to and enforce the rules and his exasperation when the other characters overstep the bounds. Ruch and Richwine succeed beautifully in making the audience forget that they are actors. They become their characters, allowing their stories to become their own. Ruch gives a performance that audiences will not soon forget. Whether she’s portraying Schreck’s memory of her 15-year-old self, Schreck as an adult, or herself, Ruch invites the audience to think deeper, to see themselves in the stories she tells, and to see the stories from other points of view.

What the Constitution Means to Me is an important play. It reminds us that, while our country is far from perfect, the ideals of freedom and justice are worth thinking about, fighting for, and working hard to realize for all people. Questions revolving around these themes and their history deserve to be brought into the light. Indeed, they need to be brought into the light if there’s any hope of continuing to strive toward these ideals. Get your tickets for this remarkable play on stage through June 1st at Open Stage. Visit openstagehbg.com for more information.