When I first saw the title What the Constitution Means to Me, I admit it didn’t spark much interest. I blamed this on a personal malaise brought on by the fraught nature of the current political climate. But this morning, as I waited in a long line for the first day of early voting, I couldn’t get it off my mind. In a good way. I was recharged. I had cast away the doom and gloom and stepped through those library doors with a zeal I haven’t felt in a while. I am uncommonly grateful that my political ennui lifted and that reviewing this Pulitzer-Prize finalist play and my well-placed faith in Stage West led me to that seat Sunday afternoon, without which today could have looked much different.
Directed by Stage West Executive Producer Dana Schultes and starring Megan Noble, Heidi Schreck’s poignant piece is a moving, informative, and interactive look at how the limitations and possibilities of our founding document ripple throughout our contemporary society. It’s almost a one-woman show. Heidi spends a lot of time reenacting — and, in some ways, exorcising — the love she once had for our founding fathers’ words. The self in question is her as a teenage super-fan of the Constitution. This young Heidi paid her way through college with the money she made from her performances in Constitutional debates in various American Legion halls throughout the country. Now, she’s an adult. She spends the course of 90 minutes trying to unearth how she could have loved a Constitution that doesn’t seem to recognize her humanity, and, in the process, she not only unpacks the politics surrounding this hallowed four pieces of parchment but also processes some generational trauma that she carries with her to this day.
Noble is electric. From portraying the high energy and sheer excitement of her teenage self on the debate stage in front of an audience of legionnaires to becoming the wiser and almost mournful woman she is now, she is relentless. The way she can harness the various sides of herself while seeing the Constitution with a set of experienced eyes that have known the damage that can come from her status as woman is quite compelling.
Set designer Leah Mazur creates the perfect space for Heidi to rediscover herself, centered on what looks like an old VFW with wood-paneled walls and military photos. It succinctly captures the hyper-masculine and stale veneer of the old American Legion Halls young Heidi would have performed in as a youth.
The only other character on set during the main portion of the show is Legionnaire Danny (David Wilson-Brown), who is both a militaristic and self-serious debate moderator and, separately, a lifelong friend of the adult Heidi. There is a turn later in the play that Wilson-Brown nails with a level of sincerity and pathos that could have felt gimmicky or forced in the hand of other directors, but it’s clear that Schultes’ understanding of the work really allows him to shine here.
The play culminates in a real-life debate with the audience. The third actor is the Debater, played here by teenager and local debater Solaris Khalid but on other nights by another local debater, Ellen Reid. Khalid is a natural, and her gravitas allows her to counter Heidi perfectly as the two, with the help of theatergoers, explore further what the Constitution means to them. The debate between the two is lively and is the perfect way to end a pretty miraculous slice of political science.
Thanks to Schreck’s excellent writing, Schultes’ superb directing, and the stellar work of the cast and crew, the material feels alive and relevant. In a time when politics is performance, it is cathartic to peel back the layers of our society to see what’s at stake, and revisiting the Constitution never hurts.
What the Constitution Means to Me
Thru Sun, Nov 3, at Stage West Theater, 821/832 W Vickery Blvd, Fort Worth. $42.50-52.50. 817-784-9378.
