As a gentleman seated next to me at a recent performance of What the Constitution Means to Me said, “Well, this should be interesting.”
Running on the Monroe Stage at Santa Rosa’s 6th Street Playhouse through Jan. 26, the production elicited further commentary. “I don’t really think we even have a Constitution anymore,” the man added grimly.
Despite this sentiment, it was apparent from the vocal and engaged audience that we do still have arts patrons who care about the state of our country and its landmark founding document.
This lean and efficient production, evocatively staged by set designer Andrew Patton and directed by longtime local theater veteran Bronwen Shears, leaves one with lots to discuss afterwards. This reviewer found herself wound into an existential tizzy, and not just at wondering how, in 2025, a phone can still go off during a production, despite the curtain speech aforehand.
What the Constitution Means to Me isn’t subtle. It demands we engage with the material, and our own individual experiences and responsibilities as citizens.
To this end, playwright and actress Heidi Schreck takes us through her life, both as a 15 year old competing in national rotary debates to win scholarship money (which she did—enough to put her through college), and as a middle-aged actress sharing deeply personal memories as she seamlessly, and often hilariously, ties these memories to particular amendments and clauses.
Aided by two solid supporting performances from Keith Baker and astonishing newcomer Nadia Hill, Sandra Ish delivers a heartfelt and raw performance as Schreck, the creator and star of the original play, which debuted off-Broadway in 2018 and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.
Ish is real, grounded and never pushes for emotion as she talks for nearly two hours about such topics as violence against women, the 14th Amendment and everyone’s favorite gang of nine, the Supreme Court.
The audience was transfixed, especially at the end, when a debate about whether or not to abolish the Constitution ensues between Ish and Hill. An interactive show, this is a hard one to ignore, even if the format might not be traditional. There’s even swag, as audience members get a pocket-sized Constitution to take home with them.
Wherever one falls on our political spectrum, they might consider heading to 6th Street and immersing themself in some powerful storytelling, a very appropriate brush-up on history and some thoughts on what our obligations to the country might be at present.
‘What the Constitution Means to Me’ runs through Jan. 26 on the Monroe Stage at 6th Street Playhouse, 52 W. 6th Street, Santa Rosa. Thurs-Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 2pm. $29–$48. 707.523.4185. 6thstreeetplayhouse.com.
