We the people should see this production

Attending a tech rehearsal of the compelling play, What the Constitution Means To Me by Heidi Schreck, I, and a handful of other invited guests entered the penumbra of a dimmed theater space, in the midst of final tech week adjustments, and emerged profoundly impacted. I didn’t know exactly what to expect, not being familiar with the play, but I was floored. The approximately 92 minute one-act play features a marathon performance and deeply personal, even heartbreaking storytelling.

It is not, as director Meredith Vogel-Thomas puts it, “a TED talk on the Constitution. It is unconventional, interactive theater that we hope will inspire dialog and discussion long after the show is over.”  I think she can rest easy on that one.

“I don’t even know where to begin except to say that the Constitution has profoundly shaped my life. I feel like it’s a document that has protected me and completely failed me and so many other people in this country,” playwright Heidi Schreck said during a 2020 NPR interview.

Fittingly scheduled to open on Constitution Day and running for four performances, What the Constitution Means To Me is a compelling kick-off for the newly renovated Studio Theatre at University of Illinois Springfield. Bolstered by a superbly talented cast, staff and crew, the intimate production stands as an important reminder of the bold, but also flawed “boiling pot” of our country’s founding document. It is also a reminder that civil discourse is an important skill that should still be valued and taught.

The show is semi-autobiographical, recalling the main character’s experiences participating in a debate club about the Constitution when she was a teenager to raise college money. For most of the play, Heidi (exceptionally performed by Carly Shank) is on stage by herself, telling her story – seamlessly alternating between her current-day self, a 51-year old professional woman, and the energetic 15-year-old version of herself in 1989. Shank performs mostly alone on stage, speaking directly to the audience with an oversized Constitution, literally and metaphorically serving as the show’s backdrop. Recreating the scenes from Schreck’s memory, there are hints of an American Legion Hall where she would debate – complete with lectern, booster box and framed images of war veterans on the periphery.

She is joined by American Legionnaire Mel (a subtle and supportive performance by Mark Wheeler), who runs the debate session. He, too, has an opportunity, as the actor playing Mel, to add another layer to the production’s complex, personal and political commentary.  

Eventually the play shifts and we meet the smart and savvy Ursula Phillips-Eccles, a local high school student, who engages in a live debate with Shank about keeping or abandoning the Constitution. In a rare departure for live plays, the audience is encouraged to engage with the action by clapping, cheering or even booing during the debate. I’ll admit, that part was a bit cathartic. But the debate is truly thought-provoking, and an audience member is chosen to decide the winner of the debate. Regardless of who comes out on top, the play will leave you talking and thinking about what you witnessed.

For Shank, who’s had her eye on the play since the pandemic, the character feels a lot like herself.

“I also grew up interested in theater and, at 15, was learning about the Constitution,” she said.

Like many of us, she was able memorize the Preamble thanks to “Schoolhouse Rock” and can still sing it today. She looks forward to sharing this unique communal theater experience with audiences. 

First-time director Vogel-Thomas hopes the play “inspires people to remember those involved in the founding of the nation and their stories.”

“Human connections are the best seeds planted to effect change,” she said.   

Fifteen-year-old Schreck was a self-professed zealot when it came to the Constitution – believing it was the greatest document ever written. But along the way, she began learning about her own family’s history and her worldview changed. The play examines her evolving thought process and feelings about the Constitution, though the lens of her own inherited trauma. It’s clever, well-staged, expertly performed and very timely. 

Produced through a partnership of the University of Illinois Springfield Center for State Policy and Leadership and the UIS Performing Arts Center, What the Constitution Means To Me will run Sept. 17-20 in the UIS Studio Theater. Tickets can be purchased online here.

Mary Young was born and raised in Springfield and has been performing in, producing and directing live theater for decades. She’s done film and voice-over work, performs occasionally with local bands and takes part in improv troupe The Portuguese Rodeo Clown Company.