Who is Free and Who has to be Brave? Heidi Schreck’s fierce and unflinching autobiographical play measures these scales of justice through thought-provoking narrative in intimate settings this fall.
The Declaration of Independence famously states,“We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.” But what does this mean for women? This is the core question in the evergreen play What the Constitution Means to Me by Heidi Schreck, hailed by The New York Times in 2019 as “not just the best play to open on Broadway so far this season, but also the most important.” Maude Adams Theater Hub (MATH) and Catskill Mountain Foundation (CMF) are proud to produce this play, in partnership with many vibrant venues dotted across the Hudson Valley and Great Northern Catskills.
Director Caitlin McColl returns after her wildly successful sell-out and lavish production of A Streetcar Named Desire for MATH at the Hotel Lilien to a stripped down and mobile pop-up rendition of Schreck’s work. McColl, who studied Shakespeare at George Washington University, brings that wealth of pathos mixed with humor to the core of her direction. “What the Constitution Means to Me hit me hard the first time I read it,” McColl said. “Heidi Schreck writes with such precision, weaving the deeply personal into the political and carries both threads throughout the play. I’m thrilled to dig into the text with a local cast who offer both wit and raw honesty in their work. I can’t wait to bring this to intimate local venues where the piece can live in the immediacy of the room. It yearns to be a communal experience.”
Constitution explores the intricacy of being a woman and the contradictions of gender-based discrimination within the United States judicial system. All through the lens of a speech competition and the reflection thereafter. The New York Times also called it “a tragedy told as a comedy, a work of inspired protest, a slyly crafted piece of persuasion and a tangible contribution to the change it seeks.”
Told from dual perspectives, we hear from Schreck as an adult and as a 15-year-old. The play opens with Schreck describing her involvement in a series of speech and debate competitions. She traveled the country speaking about the contents of the Constitution to win scholarship money for college. The part of the contest she struggled with most, however, was drawing a personal connection with the Constitution and her own life. Ironically at age 21 as a newly-graduated college student she found out she was pregnant. Suddenly she had quite a strong connection to her constitutional rights as she weighed her options.
Exploring themes that are all too familiar for many women, actress and Upright Citizen’s Brigade alum Molly Gaebe (taking the role from Schreck’s hands) has found many similarities to her own experiences. “I couldn’t believe how much I related to every single thing she was saying,” Gaebe said. “She was brought up this people pleaser, and how that impacted her life. And her family history and the generational trauma she’s inherited. Her anger and her curiosity…it is eerily familiar to me.”
While reviewing her childhood naivety, Schreck is reminded of her familial ties to the Constitution as she vividly recalls stories told about her grandmother who suffered from domestic violence. This brought to light the glaring lack of legislation to protect women from such crimes. “A person can’t possibly be considered equal if they are subject to epidemic levels of gender-based violence.” Schreck voices the nuanced confusion of growing up as a young girl and feeling attraction to boys while being told that they have the means and often desire to hurt you.
Though heavy at times, Schreck manages to thread the needle of her story through witty and engaging dialogue: “I wanted to make out with boys all the time! I did not want to think that they could be violent.” Schreck describes having sex with a man because she felt that it was the polite thing to do. “I was ninety-nine percent sure he wouldn’t hurt me. So why did I feel like my life was in danger?” This complicated dichotomy is beautifully captured in her humorous and honest writing.
Completing the small but sturdy cast are John Remington, local to Saugerties and known across the region for his dynamic directing, acting, producing and helming of Troupe Enigma. In casting the third role of a teenage debater who has to hold her own against Schreck’s life-long analysis, McColl auditioned three young women from the area and decided to work with all of them: Avery Kashman and Laila Monsen both hail from Tannersville, and have appeared in many MATH productions, including Matilda in July. Isadora Konnoff joins the team from Athens in her stage and MATH debut.
Confirmed dates and locations are Loomies Luncheonette in Catskill on October 22nd at 7:00pm, The Pull in Stamford on October 23rd at 7:00pm, Van Dusen’s in Lexington on October 25th at 7:00pm, Mary O’s Pub in New York City on October 27th at 7:00pm, The Open Eye Theater in Margaretville on October 30th at 7:00pm, and the Athens Cultural Center in Athens on November 1st at 1:00pm. Please check catskillmtn.org to confirm details, find more locations as they are scheduled, and buy tickets.