A Soulpepper Theatre & Nightwood Theatre Co-Production, in association with Necessary Angel Theatre Company & Talk is Free Theatre / What the Constitution Means to Me, written by Heidi Schreck, directed by Weyni Mengesha, Young Centre, Distillery, closes Nov. 10. Tickets here.
Sometimes you need a good polemic to remind yourself of the state of the nation you live in, or to be more precise, what’s at stake in the nation you live in. Such is the effect of actor/playwright Heidi Schreck’s award-winning play, What the Constitution Means to Me.
Clearly, Schreck touched a nerve. The overwhelming positive reaction to the play from her fellow Americans resulted in an extended run on Broadway in 2019, a Tony nomination for Best Play, and a finalist position for the Pulitzer Prize.
In an inspired moment, Soulpepper’s artistic director, Weyni Mengesha, asked Schreck if she would help adapt the ending to reflect the concerns of a Canadian audience. Happily, the playwright agreed, and the sterling production now at the Michael Young Theatre is the first time the play is being presented outside the United States. What a coup for Mengesha and the four companies it took to pull this off.
The Play
The play is partly autobiographical and partly political. Both are crucial to the playwright’s agenda.
When Schreck was a teenager, she travelled around the country to American Legion Halls to participate in debates about the American constitution, the prize money going towards a college education. That is how the play begins. Actor Amy Rutherford plays both the adult Heidi Schreck and her 15-year-old self. Actor Damian Atkins is at hand as a World War ll veteran referee.
The contest is in two parts. In the first, the debaters (and we only see Heidi and not her competitor) give a fixed speech on what the constitution means to them. In the second, they are given a random amendment to discuss in detail. Amendments Nine and Fourteen are given particular prominence in the play.
The core of What the Constitution Means to Me is how the adult Schreck uses the flaws in the constitution to point out the many ways Americans are not protected by this hallowed document, particularly women, BPoC people, and immigrants. It is an absolutely dismal and disheartening parade of Supreme Court decisions that Schreck presents.
The autobiographical ties are to the women in Schreck’s family who endured generations of domestic violence, which correspond to the real life cases she cites. She also discusses sexual harassment and sexual assault issues as they pertain to herself, as well as a personal abortion trauma.
At a certain point, Schreck makes room for the male voice. Atkins strips off his legionnaire uniform to be himself and talk about his own experiences with family relationships and sexual identity. Is the male actor in this role always gay? This monologue does provide a male perspective, again, from the margins.
The play, however, is not all gloom and doom. Schreck has cleverly ensured that the dry facts are cushioned by lots of self-deprecating, ironic and satiric humour. There are many laugh-out-loud moments.
A Real Life Debate
The final part of the play is where Heidi/Amy gets to debate a real teenager who turns out to be Gabriella King, an utterly charming and intelligent 17-year-old from Unionville High School, (with the ever present Atkins as referee).
This is where the new ending comes in as the debate topic concerns The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, our very own constitution. Should we abolish the charter, or should we keep it? The audience gets to choose the winner.
Rutherford gives another outstanding performance with just enough overt cheeky smugness to cover Schreck’s subdued rage, managing to be both vulnerable and a warrior at the same time.
Atkins is almost unrecognizable as the stern martinet of a veteran in the beginning, but gives a moving monologue when talking about himself. It’s another fine Atkins’ performance in both extremes.
As for the almost terrifyingly accomplished young Ms. King, what a career she has waiting for her no matter where life takes her.
Director Mengesha proves once again how she understands the nuance of detailing character. The play is virtually a one-woman show and every action and reaction that Rutherford makes is telling. Even in terms of physicality, Mengesha never lets her actor make a wrong move.
Oddly, no one is listed as set designer, but audiences are greeted by a vintage legion hall with a wooden back wall festooned with pictures of soldiers, solidly flanked by a large American flag (joined by the Canadian flag at the end).
The hour and a half flew by for me, but then, Schreck presents causes I care passionately about — the rights of women and the marginalized, for example, and my worries about the state of our democracy, particularly in this present time, with the seeping into Canada of American populism.
Yes, Schreck is preaching to the choir, but as I said in the beginning, sometimes we need a good jolt to our systems to remind ourselves to re-engage. What the Constitution Means to Me is that wake-up call.
Are you looking to promote an event? Have a news tip? Need to know the best events happening this weekend? Send us a note.
#LUDWIGVAN
Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.
Sign up for the Ludwig Van Toronto e-Blast! — local classical music and opera news straight to your inbox HERE.
- SCRUTINY | Mirvish’s Moulin Rouge Deserves All The Hype - November 26, 2024
- SCRUTINY |Svetlana Lunkina Is Radiant In The National Ballet’s Magnificent Giselle - November 22, 2024
- SCRUTINY | You’ll Laugh, You’ll Cry At Crow’s Theatre’s Engaging Big Stuff - November 21, 2024
