Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati Opens 2023-2024 Season With WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC) opens its 38th year with the Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony Award nominee What the Constitution Means to Me by Heidi Schreck. Called “endearingly funny” and “deeply affecting” by The Washington Post, this boundary-breaking dramedy breathes new life into our Constitution and imagines how it will shape the next generation of Americans. Playing September 9 – October 1, 2023. Directed by Brian Robertson. Premiere Sponsor is Schueler Group.

She's got some amendments. Fifteen-year-old Heidi earned her college tuition by winning constitutional debate competitions across the United States. In this hilarious, hopeful, and achingly human new play, she embodies her teenage self in order to trace the founding document's profound impact on not just her own life, but the past four generations of women in her family, starting with the first to set foot in America: a mail-order bride.

“I've been looking at this show for five years,” says Producing Artistic Director D. Lynn Meyers. “The Constitution was a document that was meant to unify our new nation when it was written. When I heard about this play, I thought it was such a great idea to dive into how this document has morphed, changed, and amended over the years the same way our country has. This show is a love letter to what our nation has aspired to be, what it has failed to be in some ways, and what it possibly can become. Since this season is all about unity, What the Constitution Means to Me seems the perfect way to kick us off.”

About the Cast 

Connan Morrissey (Heidi) returns to Ensemble Theatre having last appeared as Nora in A Doll's House, Part 2 and Laurie in Pipeline (2020 production). Connan has worked at other theatres around the country including Round House Theatre (Bethesda, MD), Arena Stage, Folger Theatre, Olney Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, PlayMakers Repertory, North Carolina Stage Company, and the Asolo Theatre Center. She is a professional coach who helps individuals express their ideas with authenticity and impact, as well as a registered nurse.

Phil Fiorini (Legionnaire/Mike) was last seen at the Ensemble Theatre in Fly By Night, as well as Violet, Sleeping Beauty, and Hands on a Hardbody. He performed in Taylor Mac's Hir at Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City this summer where he then donned some large heels in La Cage Aux Folles and The Legend of Georgia McBride at Kansas Repertory Theatre. Phil was seen in The Realistic Joneses at the Clifton Performance Theatre and spent three years on the Broadway tour of The Lion King as Pumbaa the Warthog.

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Sydni Charity Solomon (Debater) makes her Ensemble Theatre debut with this production. Her Cincinnati credits include To Spite One's Face, Cincinnati Fringe Festival; Dickless, Know Theatre of Cincinnati; and A Dream Play and The Burials, Cohen Family Studio Theater. Sydni is a senior at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music where she is pursuing a BFA in acting.

Production team: Brian c. Mehring (Resident Scenic and Lighting Designer), Chad Phillips (Costume Designer), Matthew Tibbs (Sound Designer), Kaitlin Barnett (Assistant Sound Designer), Shannon Rae Lutz (Properties Curator & Design Assistant), Jacob Dowell (Technical Director), and Chris Lipstreu (Associate Production Manager). Production Stage Manager is Margot Whitney. Assistant Stage Manager is Lexi Muller.

Performances Tuesday-Saturday at 7:30 pm; Saturday & Sunday at 2:00 pm. Performances vary. A complete calendar of performances is available at www.ensemblecincinnati.org.

Tickets start at $35 for adults; student tickets are $28; and children are $24. Half-Price Rush Tickets: All remaining tickets for the current day's performance(s) are available two hours prior to each show time for half-price (discount only applies to adult tickets) when purchasing by phone or in person. $15 Student Rush Tickets: Students may purchase up to two $15 student rush tickets two hours prior to show time with valid student I.D. Available in person only.

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