Has anyone actually sat down to read the entire U.S. Constitution to decipher the true meaning of the founding document ratified in 1789? Many Supreme Court judges engaged in heated debates trying to do just that—often landing on the wrong side of history.
These debates over the Constitution are presented beautifully in the funny, thought-provoking production by Dezart Performs, What the Constitution Means to Me, by Heidi Schreck. It comes to Dezart after a 2019 Broadway run; the play was an Obie Award winner, and a finalist for both the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
The play is part history lesson and part family drama, chronicling the playwright’s maternal line from her great-great-grandmother onward, and examining how the Constitution and its complexities helped shape—and sometimes devastate—these women’s lives.
Robyn Cohen’s lead performance is a 120-minute tour de force. She portrays Heidi Schreck with high energy and charm, keeping the audience riveted as she toggles back and forth between the present day and the past—all the way back to 1989, when Heidi was 15 years old and earned her college tuition as a constitutional debater, winning various competitions across the United States. The “psychotically polite” young woman with a crush on Patrick Swayze quickly transforms from hilarious to enlightening in an exploration of the “penumbra,” a term Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas once used to refer to the murkiness of the Ninth Amendment. As Heidi states throughout the play, the Constitution—a document made by and for cisgender white men—is a crucible in every way.
Cohen’s skill in comedic timing helps to lighten the heavier moments as she addresses themes of sexual assault, domestic abuse, abortion and immigration—as they relate to both the women in the Schreck family and women involved in significant legal cases in American history.
Craig Wroe enters as an assertive American Legionnaire monitoring the debate; he’s a stickler for the rules and the law. Wroe’s demeanor and appearance as the World War II veteran is right out of central casting; he makes the staunch character likable, providing many well-deserved laughs. Wroe later portrays Mike, Heidi’s reflective and genuine assistant.
The play effectively argues that the Constitution does not protect all Americans, because it was not created to protect all Americans. This is a serious subject, but it’s presented through humor and tears, as Cohen’s strong stage presence allows her to both entertain and educate.
Director Craig Wells keep things moving at a fast pace. The material delivered is nonstop and could have been overwhelming, but the lighter and playful staging gives the audience much-needed breaks.
Set designer Jimmy Cuomo brings to life Schreck’s memory of an American Legion hall in a rural town where one of her debate competitions took place. The hall is not entirely realistic; it’s more like a diorama a young girl might have made, with wonderful details added by Cuomo, such as the lightly faded, mildewed texture lining the walls and ceiling. An American flag, two rows of Legionnaire portraits lining both sides of the stage and a lectern add to the details.
The play ends with a strong debate between Schreck and a 19-year-old debater played by Tia Laulusa, with Wroe’s Mike as the moderator. Laulusa’s delivery is fast, natural and intelligent, and her large smile brightens the stage. As the young debater, Laulusa offers hope for the future in these troubling political times.
The final debate asks the question: Should the U.S. Constitution be replaced? The debate at each performance is unique, and the audience serves as the jury, with one audience member selected to deliver the final verdict.
No matter which side of the aisle you are on, make sure you get a seat at Dezart Performs to enjoy another powerful production from this highly respected theater company.
Dezart Performs’ production of What the Constitution Means to Me is performed at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday; 7 p.m., Sunday; and 2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, through Sunday, Jan. 28, at the Pearl McManus Theater at the Palm Springs Woman’s Club, 314 S. Cahuilla Road, in Palm Springs. Tickets are $48, and the show runs two hours, with no intermission. For more information, call 760-322-0179, or visit www.dezartperforms.com.