Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...Heidi Schreck's deeply personal Broadway show, "What the Constitution Means to Me," explored how the U.S. Constitution, seemingly abstract as it may be, had profoundly influenced the life of an American woman in her mid-40s, and not just because the teenaged Schreck had been obsessed with attending legions of debate contests probing its interpretation, helping her snag scholarships for college."
Daily Herald - Highly Recommended
"...A combination theater piece, civics lesson and memoir, this deftly constructed play essentially chronicles the oppression of women -- like Indigenous people, people of color and members of the LGBTQ community -- who were excluded from the foundational document crafted by white male landowners for white male landowners."
Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...But what also came through this time for me is that complexity and outright dissonance are how, for better or worse, we engage in the world on a day-to-day basis. The “penumbra” of rights envisioned by Justice William O. Douglas has led to shadow and light for U.S. citizens over the years. And there’s definitely a glimmer of hope in the closing debate over abolishing or keeping the Constitution, featuring Schreck and graduating Thornton Fractional South High School senior Makalah Simpson (alternating in the role with Sophie Ackerman)."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...In Heidi Schreck's "What The Constitution Means To Me", now being presented at Timeline Theatre, we are taken back to the playwright's youth when she fell in love with the Constitution and debated its sections. The play that we see, directed to perfection by Helen Young , takes us to the American Legion Hall in the state of Washington."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...As far as those among us who might agree with where our Supreme Court is headed, this play will give them plenty to think about, and if a young member of the Federalist Society wants to write and produce a rejoinder focused on What the Constitution Means to Her, she is welcome to do so. In fact, a genuine debate with a Federalist Society type would have been far more interesting and substantive than the gimmicky and scripted pseudo-debate that concludes What the Constitution Means to Me, where the question being stagily “debated” is whether we should “keep” or “abolish” the Constitution — an entirely absurd premise. This awkward final segment, which includes a bit of perfunctory audience participation, diminishes some of the evening’s momentum but fortunately doesn’t vitiate the power of this piece of theatre that is more timely, more necessary and more powerful than ever."
Chicago On Stage - Highly Recommended
"...Timeline's production of Heidi Schreck's What the Constitution Means to Me is the exact right play for America right now, and every American should see it."
Picture This Post - Highly Recommended
"...You might find that Schreck's script once again surprises as we see each actor in the space simply play themselves on stage - a choice that is not often seen in live theater. If you are like this writer, you might also find that this choice drives the underlying message home. The audience and actors find themselves brought into the same story, and we are invited to ask the same questions right alongside the characters and actors: How effective is the Constitution, and how do we move forward from here?"
Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended
"...What the Constitution Means To Me was part memoir, part debate, part history lesson – and broke the fourth wall so as to fully engage the audience. It is one of the most unique shows I’ve ever seen."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Time and time again TimeLine Theatre Company’s productions speak to a moment in time through the past in ways we may not see before the show begins. I suspected “What the Constitution Means to Me” would be much more impactful this time around than it was three years ago. What I could not have foreseen was the chorus of sobs, sniffles, and uncomfortable shuffles from the audience. Tears of a mutual understanding from folks who know firsthand what it means to be oppressed and preyed upon. Cycle breakers who have seen violence hold their loved ones (or themselves) back."
