Review: WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME at Portland Center Stage

Is our United States Constitution, written almost 250 years ago, a stodgy old document unable to deal with the issues of today or a living document that contains exactly the foundation we need to address them? Should we revise it through amendments or throw it out and start over? If we did decide to modernize it, what would be in the new one? And, perhaps most importantly, who would get to write it?

These questions are not just hypothetical. There is currently a movement to call a convention of states to amend the Constitution, and the words “constitutional crisis” have been applied to more than one of today’s hot button issues.

So, it’s a good time to brush up on our country’s founding document. And there is no better way to start that process than by going to see WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME, now running at Portland Center Stage. Especially in an election year, this excellent play isn’t just a must-see, but a civic duty.

WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME is an autobiographical play written in 2017 by Heidi Schreck. When Schreck was in high school, she traveled the country to participate in Constitutional debate competitions where she had to talk about the personal impact of the Constitution on her life (she put herself through college with her earnings). Now, in her 40s, she has a whole new perspective on the Constitution, informed by her lived experience, her family history, and the current state of our country. The play puts the Constitution squarely in the center of life today and asks us to consider whether it still serves us and, if not, how we might change it. The show ends with a live debate about the issue with a local high schooler (Divine Crane at my performance).

The play is highly engaging, funny, thoughtful, entertaining – all of the things we go to the theatre for – and also very informative. Rebecca Lingafelter does a fantastic job at taking on the role of Heidi and bringing the Constitution to life. You will leave with a renewed appreciation of the document, particularly the 9th and 14th Amendments, and a lot to think about in terms of our country’s past and what we want the future to look like.

WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME runs through February 18. Everyone should see it. Details and tickets here.

Photo credit: Jingzi Zhao/ courtesy of Portland Center Stage

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