Press Democrat: ‘What the Constitution Means to Me’ offers audiences plenty to think about
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
January 6, 2025, 10:14PM
“I’ve always known the U.S. Constitution was a document written by men, predominantly supporting men, and that that’s played into the whole history of birth control in this country,” admitted actor Sandra Ish, a Petaluma native now living in Santa Rosa. “I knew all that, somewhere in the back of my mind, but all all of it, and more, has been brought right to the surface through working on ‘What the Constitution Means to Me.’ This play is so incredibly interesting and relevant and meaningful, especially given the conversations people are having in our country right now.”
In other words, right now is the perfect time for this particular show to open up in Sonoma County.
“What the Constitution Means to Me,” by playwright /screenwriter Heidi Schreck, is a unusually structured play in which a woman takes the stage to share her memories of the time, as a 15-year-old girl, when she earned money for college by competing in American Legion public speaking contests around the country. In real life, Schreck (“Nurse Jackie,” “Billions”) was herself a formidable teenage “Constitutional debater.” In the play, which she developed and introduced in New York in 2017 – and originally starred in – the character of Heidi slips back and forth between her younger and older selves, sharing funny, sad, outrageous stories and a few heart-wrenching discoveries she’s made along the way.
After its off-Broadway debut, “Constitution” went onto a Tony-nominated Broadway run, and was shortlisted for a Pulitzer Prize in 2019. Since then, the show has become a staple of regional and community theater, but until now, it’s never been staged in Sonoma County. Santa Rosa’s 6th Street Playhouse is presenting the North Bay premiere, running Jan. 9 – 27.