The Broadway premiere of Heidi Schreck’s What the Constitution Means to Me, which officially opens at The Hayes Theater March 31, has extended its limited run through July 21. The hit new play, directed by Obie Award winner Oliver Butler, began previews March 14.
Inspired by her own life as well as the history of the American constitution, What the Constitution Means to Me is written and performed by Schreck. As a fifteen-year-old, the two-time Obie-winning actor and playwright put herself through college by giving speeches about the U.S. Constitution. In What the Constitution Means to Me, she resurrects her teenage self in order to trace the effects of the founding document on generations of women, including many in her own family.
Mike Iveson and New York City high school students Rosdely Ciprian and Thursday Williams complete the cast on Broadway.
What the Constitution Means to Me was first seen at the Wild Project in 2017 as part of Clubbed Thumb’s Summerworks Festival, followed by an extended Off-Broadway premiere at New York Theatre Workshop in 2018 and a subsequent encore run at the Greenwich House Theater.
The Broadway premiere was initially announced for a 12-week engagement through June 9.
The production features scenic design by Rachel Hauck (Hadestown), costume design by Michael Krass (Hadestown), lighting design by Jen Schriever (Eclipsed), and sound design by Sinan Refik Zafar (Hamlet). Ben Beckley (Small Mouth Sounds first national tour) understudies Iveson.
What the Constitution Means to Me was commissioned by True Love Productions, which co-produced the first production at Clubbed Thumb. The play was nominated for the 2019 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.
