Written by: Heidi Schreck
Directed by: Ann-Marie Pereth & Joseph Kucan
Location: Clark County Library – Friday, July 3rd at 7:00 PM
Location: Windmill Library – Saturday, July 11th at 2:00 PM
Celebrating Americana 250 – FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Filled with sharp wit and emotional honesty, Heidi Schreck’s What the Constitution Means to Me is a powerful, funny, deeply personal play examining the history, the myths, and the very real effects of the U.S. Constitution on the people of America. Through the lens of her own life – particularly her experiences as a semi-professional high-school debater – Schreck blends memoir, forensic debate, and historical reflection into a heart-wrenching civics lesson that may just change your view of America’s most important document.
A Word from the Dramaturg
Genghis Khan built the biggest Empire the world had ever seen. Building an empire during the lifetime of a single man is impressive enough, but that it had been the biggest, and is now still second biggest in history is extraordinary. Khan had many sexual conquests, yes, but he still championed women – defending his wife against slander, and appointing mothers, daughters, and granddaughters to positions of leadership. Then, during the few decades following his death, the Mongolian Empire completely collapsed, never to stand up again. Why? Scholar Jack Weatherford posits that the rapid fall of that nation was most likely due to women being ousted from positions of leadership. Even the royal court records had the words of women ripped out of them. Professor Valerie Hudson says, “The surest way to curse a nation is to subjugate its women.” With the current attack on women’s rights – particularly access to abortion care and no-fault divorce – we are seeing a rapid backsliding of safety, freedom, and social progress for all people in the US. One Texas A&M study found that the more sexist a country is, the more fragile it is. The US has never been perfect, and Schreck’s play will give you plenty of examples of dark spots in its history; but whether or not the US progresses toward peace and prosperity depends on you. Everyone – women, men, non-binary people, native-born citizens, immigrants – everyone needs to come together, or risk living through the fall of the Pax Americana.
Leah Flowers, October 2025
Basic Information About the Play
About the Playwright: Heidi Schreck
Production History Highlights
Play Summary
Amendments Discussed
Meet Your Supreme Court