Runs September 30 â October 23
After a stint on Broadway, the provocative political play What the Constitution Means to Me is on the road and Seattle is its newest home.
The play glides from window to mirror as Washington-grown playwright Heidi Schreck weaves together stories and observations about the personal impacts of issues such as sexual assault, immigration, and abortion. I watched Amazon Primeâs filmed version of the Broadway production in 2021 and was in awe of the thoughtful structure and energetic tone. It reminded me of Hannah Gadsbyâs Nanette, which also utilizes humor and clever sequencing to address systemic social injustice from a human-centered perspective. I imagine that being able to laugh and hurt IRL collectively is even more thrilling.
As a teenager, Schreck participated in debates about the U.S. Constitution to pay for college, so the play incorporates a live debate in the style of Schreckâs high school competitions. Cassie Beck, who has taken over Schreckâs role for the national tour, will share the stage with local youth debaters Leah Scott and Mara Gonzalez Moral, who alternate for each performance. Scott studies political science and law at the University of Washington, while Moral is a sophomore at Issaquah High School. As a teenager, itâs inspiring to see theaters give people my age the opportunity to share their ideas in front of a paying audience. I canât wait to watch the show twice and see the differences between the youth debaters.
This article was written on special assignment for The Ticket through the TeenTix Press Corps, a teen arts journalism program run by TeenTix, a youth empowerment and arts access nonprofit organization.
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