What the Constitution Means to Me (Broadway) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (408)
See it if You like intelligent comedy told unconventionally & care about the unique experiences of girls/women in our culture and saving our democracy
Don't see it if You need a traditional narrative, are disturbed by sexual abuse tales or get impatient with monologues or (minor) audience participation
See it if really, there is no "if" - everyone should see this and then put what thoughts it brings up into actions toward governmental change
Don't see it if again, this isn't an option. No matter your political standing, there is something to be considered, discussed, and acted upon from this
See it if you are at all interested in politics & history with a human face applied to it.
Don't see it if you prefer to keep politics out of your theatre. Read more
See it if You want to see a stunning, thoughtful, invigorating performance that speaks to the political past, present, and future.
Don't see it if You’re totally against a challenging look at women’s rights in relation to U.S. politics and law.
See it if You want to learn about our constitution, and how it fails in the protection of women, in a thought provoking, hilarious, truthful play
Don't see it if You want a traditional, lighthearted play that doesn’t break the 4th wall.
See it if you enjoy a very funny and passionate (nearly) one woman show about the politics of womanhood in the regards to the law. Powerful
Don't see it if you do not like politics and women's issues in your theatre. You are closed minded to examination of "equal" rights in a comedic fashion. Read more
See it if you care about this country, the women in your life, the people of color in your life, people in the LGBTQ community in your life
Don't see it if you don't want to have liberal views sent into a liberal echo chamber because besides being a brilliant and thoughtful and emotional show... Read more
See it if If you appreciate the historical and contemporary meanings of the U.S. Constitution.
Don't see it if If you think our country is working perfectly. Read more
Critic Reviews (46)
"Heidi demonstrates how she slayed opponents with a combination of knowledge, charm, humor and an ability to cater to the debate audiences...The teenagers are up to the level of Schreck; so is Iveson, who eventually steps out of his VFW uniform and contributes his own experience. Director Oliver Butler keeps things both moving and interesting...While Schreck’s performance is excellent, she has written a role that can stand very well on its own."
Read more
"Schreck has a visible, and contagious, passion for the subject—and a gift for conveying it to the crowd...While it’s certainly not a lecture, the show is undoubtedly an education...It would be enough if Schreck had made this simply her show—her memoir, her coming-of-age story, her take on the Constitution. But she dedicates the last section to debate with a high school student...It feels energizing and hopeful—and exactly what our country needs."
Read more
"Schreck’s self-deprecating comedy and acute delivery is so spot-on that you find yourself laughing for much of the evening...Schreck’s ability to mix evocative childhood memories with disquieting statistics is impressive...This play is truly a hybrid form, with elements of performance art, documentary theater, and contemporary stand-up...A performance redolent with wit, absorbing storytelling and infectious energy."
Read more
"The new go-round, I'm pleased to report, is just as potent as its Off-Broadway outing. No substantive changes have been made to the play, except for a bit of trimming to the text and a few less Legionnaire's portraits lining the walls on stage. What does come across more on second viewing, however, is how the body politic is constantly changing in the United States, and how that political reality subtly informs Schreck's play."
Read more
"This final sequence calls on the debaters to argue the question of whether, in light of all its inadequacies, the Constitution should be abolished altogether…This moment is somehow a little anticlimactic in light of all the engaging and thoughtful content preceding it. Nonetheless, 'What the Constitution Means to Me' is a must-see, especially considering everything the Constitution means to all of us at this particular stage of the American experiment."
Read more
"A true original: educational and funny, superbly performed, and blazingly topical…Schreck delivers an awesome performance, filled with anger, vulnerability, astuteness, and pain, but also with welcome dollops of humor…'Constitution' is absorbing, and there's a lot to absorb. It's an event that makes its lessons that much more pertinent by their connection to Schreck's experiences. When it's over, however, you may consider turning your attention to what the Constitution means to you."
Read more
"If this show, told mostly in monologue, is an overt tutorial on one of America’s founding documents, it is equally a master class in contemporary feminism...Her writing is filled with smart, comic pivots and, as sharply directed by Oliver Butler, she underplays the cruel absurdity of old dudes in robes making decisions about her body to full, devastating effect."
Read more
"As directed with a free-flowing and creative hand by Oliver Butler, it hits us deep and sharp, almost as complicated as the ripples of distrust and pain that strike through Schreck, shaking and overwhelming her composure that feels, most definitely, out of the box...It lightens my load, seeing the smart and funny 'What the Constitution Means to Me,' although my broken heart stays confused and perplexed in these trying times."
Read more