New York Theatre Workshop celebrates the official opening of the first show of its season: What the Constitution Means to Me, written and performed by two-time Obie Award-winning playwright and actor Heidi Schreck. The production began previews September 12 and opens September 30.
What the Constitution Means to Me is inspired by Schreck's own life, family history, and the U.S. Constitution. Oliver Butler, who helmed the acclaimed world premiere last summer at Clubbed Thumb’s Summerworks Festival, once again directs the play Off-Broadway.
Schreck is joined onstage by Mike Iveson and New York City high school students Rosdely Ciprian and Thursday Williams.
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Fifteen-year-old Schreck put herself through college by giving speeches about the U.S. Constitution. In What the Constitution Means to Me, she traces the effects of this founding document on generations of women in her family—starting with her great-great-grandmother, a mail-order bride from Germany who died of melancholia—and imagines its continued impact on the next generation of American women.
The production features scenic design by Rachel Hauck (Hadestown), costume design by Michael Krass (Hadestown), lighting design by Jen Schriever (Eclipsed), and sound design by Sinan Zafar (Hamlet). Dramaturgy is by Sarah Lunnie, the literary director of Playwrights Horizons; Terri K. Kohler (The House that Will Not Stand) serves as stage manager.
What the Constitution Means to Me was commissioned by True Love Productions. For more information visit NYTW.org.
