Doreen Oliver to Star in WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME at Vanguard Theater

Vanguard Theater Company will present the Tony Award-nominated and Pulitzer Prize finalist play What the Constitution Means to Me by Heidi Schreck. This powerful and deeply engaging production will star acclaimed storyteller Doreen Oliver, bringing one of the most talked-about plays of the past decade to Montclair audiences. Performances run March 26 - Apr 12, 2026.

Equal parts theater, history, and civic conversation, What the Constitution Means to Me blends personal storytelling, humor, and debate to explore how the United States Constitution has shaped the lives of generations of Americans - particularly women - while asking urgent questions about who the Constitution serves and how its promises continue to evolve.

At Vanguard, the role will be brought to life by Doreen Oliver, a magnetic performer and nationally recognized storyteller whose work blends emotional honesty, humor, and cultural insight. Oliver first gained national attention with her critically acclaimed solo show about parenting a child with autism, Everything Is Fine Until It's Not, which broke the record for the fastest sell-out run in the 20-year history of the New York International Fringe Festival before going on to a sold-out Off-Broadway run at the United Solo Festival. Her essays exploring race, motherhood, autism, and identity have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post Sunday Magazine, The Kenyon Review, and The Root.

Oliver grew up in Montclair, attending Nishuane, Hillside, and Glenfield schools before graduating from Montclair Kimberley Academy. She later studied at Yale University and earned her MBA from Stanford University.

"Doreen Oliver has a rare gift - she makes an audience feel like they are sitting in the room with a brilliant friend telling the most important story you've ever heard," said Janeece Freeman Clark, Producing Artistic Director of Vanguard Theater Company. "I had the privilege of directing her in her extraordinary solo show Everything Is Fine Until It's Not, and I knew immediately she would be breathtaking in this play. We are also thrilled to welcome director Dana Iannuzzi back to Vanguard after her beautiful work on Fade last season. With Dana at the helm and Doreen onstage, audiences are in for a really special night of theater."

Direction is by Dana Iannuzzi, whose thoughtful approach to intimate, character-driven storytelling brings clarity, humanity, and emotional depth to this powerful work.

The production will also feature Mychal Leverage as the Legionnaire, recently returning from the national tour of Little Women.

Originally premiering on Broadway to widespread acclaim, What the Constitution Means to Me, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, has been hailed as one of the most important and compelling works of contemporary American theater. Vanguard's production continues the company's commitment to presenting bold, socially relevant work that sparks conversation and brings communities together through the power of live performance.