WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME with The Milwaukee Rep

Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME in the Stiemke Studio through March 17, 2024. Pictured: Jessie Fisher. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

By Mary Boyle

Heidi Schreck’s mother, a debate coach, came up with an amazing scheme to help her daughter pay for college: traveling around the country, from one American Legion to another, giving speeches and taking part in debates on the Constitution for prize money.  The scheme worked and, while the scholarship money was the main goal, Schreck became a self-proclaimed "Constitution zealot" along the way.  Although she began college in pre-law, taking part in her school's theatre production changed her career trajectory.  Still, her passion for our country's most important document never really waned and, reflecting back on her teenage years, she combined both of her passions into one incredibly successful play called WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME, which is running at The Rep's Stiemke Studio through March 17th.

Schreck knew she wanted to write a play about her experience but didn’t know at the time what it would become.  “I ended up making a much more personal play than I thought I would,” Schreck said in an interview on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.  “The play became about the stories of the women in my family, the way their lives have been shaped by the Constitution, [and] the way the Constitution has failed them over generations.”

Schreck's play made an immediate splash when it hit the stage in 2019, and has gone on to  be named a Pulitzer Prize finalist for Drama, as well as receiving two Tony Award nominations for Best Play and Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play, along with winning several awards.  It was even filmed and premiered this past October on Amazon Prime Video, where it was also nominated for several awards.  After a sold-out Broadway run, the play is quickly making its way across the country.

Directed by Laura Braza, the play stars the talented Jessie Fisher as Schreck, who took a leave of absence from her Broadway role in A Beautiful Noise, the Neil Diamond Musical for the opportunity to do the show.  Fisher, who was last seen on The Rep’s stage in Grounded during their 2016/17 Season, is joined by Will Mobley, who was in last season’s Much Ado About Nothing at The Rep, as a Legionnaire and Schreck’s friend, Danny.  The cast is rounded out by three young performers, only one of whom appears in each show: Maria (Rose) Campbell, Hazel Dye, and Maya O’Day-Biddle.  Both Fisher and Mobley give emotional and believable performances that are a credit to the writing.

There is a reason this play has been so successful, and I think it is because there isn’t a single person in the country who isn’t affected by the Constitution: it binds us all.  No matter how good your Civics class was in school, you will learn both amazing and horrifying facts about this document, which is the oldest living constitution in the world.  For instance, you will hear about as the amendment that gave women the right to birth control and to vote, while also learning that the word “woman” is not mentioned in our Constitution. Don’t conclude that this is a show for women, though – this production has insights for literally everyone.  Funny, thought-provoking, and intensely moving, this is one play that makes it impossible not to engage in politics.  Tickets will sell quickly for this one – get yours now.

WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME runs through March 17th, 2024, in the Stiemke Studio, located within the Associated Bank Theater Center at 108 E. Wells Street in downtown Milwaukee.  Tickets may be purchased at www.MilwaukeeRep.com, by calling the Ticket Office at 414-224-9490 or visit the Ticket Office in person at 108 E Wells Street in Downtown Milwaukee.

Talks and Events
Early Bird Performance: Tuesday, February 13 at 6:30pm
TalkBacks: Thursdays Feb 15, Feb 22, Feb 29 after the 7:30pm performance

Post-Show Panels:
Friday, February 16 – What Does the Constitution Mean to You? Panelists include UWM Professor Jim Tasse and Milwaukee Rep Teen Council Member Silver Anderson.

Tuesday, February 20 – Why is it Important to have Women Represented in Government?  Panelists include Judge Kristy Yang and Representative Dora Drake.
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College Nights: Tuesday, February 20 - Learn more here
Dinner Dialogue: Monday, February 26, 5-8pm at Hilton Garden Inn and The Social American Tavern (611 N Broadway St). To learn more and to register visit click here.
 
Access Services
Audio-Described Performance: Thursday, February 22 at 7:30pm – the show will be described for patrons who are blind or have low vision.
ASL Performance: Thursday, February 29 at 7:30pm – the show will be signed for the deaf or hard of hearing. 
 
About Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Milwaukee Rep is the largest performing arts organization in Wisconsin with three unique performance venues in the Associated Bank Theater Center. For over seven decades, Milwaukee Rep has been a centerpiece of Milwaukee’s vibrant arts and cultural scene with productions ranging from Broadway musicals to Shakespeare to American Classics and New Works that are entertaining, inclusive, and impactful. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Mark Clements and Executive Director Chad Bauman, Milwaukee Repertory Theater ignites positive change in the cultural, social, and economic vitality of its community by creating world-class theater experiences that entertain, provoke, and inspire meaningful dialogue among an audience representative of Milwaukee’s rich diversity.