Don't Miss WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME at Paramount Theatre's BOLD Series

What the Constitution Means to Me by Heidi Schreck is a hilarious, heartbreaking and insightful look at the U.S. Constitution and its impact, for better or worse, on four generations of women.

Schreck’s Tony-nominated sensation has never been more timely, and it’s ready to spark debate October 4-November 12 as part of Paramount’s 2023-24 BOLD Series, for those who crave theater that is intimate, honest, fervent and emotionally intoxicating. 

Subscribe to Paramount’s 2023-24 BOLD Series to save on tickets and get the best seats to What the Constitution Means to Me. Three-play packages include Next to Normal (now through September 3) and Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire (March 13-April 21, 2024), and start at just $75. Single tickets are $40-$55. 

All BOLD Series productions are presented in Paramount’s Copley Theatre, a sleek, state-of-the-art, 165-seat theater, lobby bar and lounge at 8 E. Galena Blvd., in downtown Aurora.

Visit paramountaurora.com for subscriptions, tickets and information, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until show time on show days.

What the Constitution Means to Me : Discovery Phase

Roe vs. Wade was still the law of the land when What the Constitution Means to Me premiered in New York 2018. The New York Times called it a “slyly crafted piece of persuasion and a tangible contribution to the change it seeks.” The play went on to a five-month Broadway run with Schreck in the lead role, earned Tony nominations for Best Play and Best Performance by an Actress, was named a Pulitzer finalist, went on national tours, was filmed for TV, and is still available to stream on Amazon Prime.

The play starts with Heidi at age 15, winning Constitutional debate competitions in American Legion halls across the country, which is how she funded her college tuition. She traces how our founding document shaped the lives of four generations of women in her family, for better or worse.

The play is a declaration that the fight for freedom and equality is never done, but passed on from generation to generation. But Heidi’s most incendiary question sparks perhaps the most debate: should we abolish the Constitution altogether and start all over?

Here in Aurora, now in post-Roe America, Paramount has tapped Lauren Berman to direct What the Constitution Means to Me, marking her Paramount debut.

Chicago actor Cory Goodrich will be in the spotlight as Heidi. The cast also features Kevin McKillip as Legionnaire, with two young actors, Lilly Fujioka and Vivian Webb, alternating performances as the Debater. 

Paramount’s production team for What the Constitution Means to Me includes Lauren Berman, director; Angela Weber Miller, scenic designer; Caitlin McLeod, costume designer; Jessica Neill, lighting designer; Forrest Gregor, sound designer; Aimee Plant, properties designer; Devon Hayakawa, dramaturg; and Lina Benich, stage manager.

Performance schedule

What the Constitution Means to Me starts previews on October 4, with two Pay-What-You-Can Previews, Thursday, October 5 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, October 7 at 2 p.m. Press openings are Wednesday and Thursday, October 11 and 12 at 7 p.m. Performances run through November 12: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Thursdays at 7 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at
2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. The performance runs 1 hour 40 minutes, no intermission. Note: What the Constitution Means to Me includes mature language, and discussions of human trafficking and sexual assault.

Access Services

If you require wheelchair or special seating or other assistance, please contact the box office at (630) 896-6666 or boxoffice@paramountarts.com in advance.

Paramount offers assistive listening devices free of charge at all performances. Check in at the box office before the show to borrow a listening device.

Paramount will offer an American Sign Language interpreted performance on Friday, November 10 at 8 p.m. 


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