Reviews of What The Constitution Means to Me
Local Reviews
"The play is highly engaging, funny, thoughtful, entertaining – all of the things we go to the theatre for – and also very informative." —BroadwayWorld
"She {Heidi Schreck} treats the question of what the Constitution means to her ... as a matter of vital importance. She {Heidi Schreck} demonstrates reasons to care and to engage." —OregonArts Watch
"Lingafelter is a formidable local talent... Lingafelter is an absolute light in this performance.... You need a real dynamo in the role and PCS found one." —Portland Mercury
Critic Reviews
“Schreck’s autobiographical play cuts away at both the U.S. Constitution, examining the threads that make it up and hold it together, while carefully exposing the scar tissue the document has left on her and her family’s lives.” —The Seattle Times
“Deeply personal, Schreck transports the audience to her fifteen-year-old self who competed in Constitutional debates across the United States. In fact, she was so adept and victorious, Schreck was able to win enough prize money to pay for college.” —Forbes
“These moments of meeting her past self gives the show a lightness and potency that is not mere nostalgia, but a reclaiming of power.” —DC Theatre Scene
“Shattering, galvanizing and very funny, Heidi Schreck’s What the Constitution Means to Me close reads an old text in new and breathlessly exciting ways.” —the Guardian
“This unconventional Swiss Army knife of a play combines civics lessons, character study, personal history, stand-up, and nostalgia for high school forensics. In case you haven’t thought about the Constitution since high school, you’ll definitely think about it once you see it.” —Observer
“A personal window into the most profound questions about our nation.” —Oregon ArtsWatch
“ In viewing the U.S. Constitution through the lens of its impact on her family, Schreck shows in graphic terms that violent oppression, ignorance, and misogyny have been woven into the Constitution so finely and so thoroughly that they seem as natural as the air we breathe.” —Chicago Sun Times
“Note the last two words in the title of Heidi Schreck’s hit show, What the Constitution Means to Me — this is a highly personal take, not a historical or legal lecture. Yet Schreck succeeds in widening her autobiographical play into a paean for basic fairness: The American Constitution, admired as it is, fails to protect all of us from violence and discrimination.” —The New York Times
In The News
"Seeds for the career of the acclaimed playwright, whose "What the Constitution Means To Me," were planted and nurtured in Oregon." —Oregon ArtsWatch
"Star Rebecca Lingafelter and director Marissa Wolf discuss staging a play that wrestles with whether the vision of the Founding Fathers can be salvaged." —Willamette Week
Current & Upcoming
Improvisation Classes for Beginners
Whether you're looking to get more confident in social situations, think quicker on your feet, or get in touch with your imaginative side, these "one-off" improv classes will set you on the path to success!
Adult Class : TWELFTH NIGHT, Before & After
Join veteran actor Joe Costa for a unique opportunity to take a “deep dive” into both Shakespeare’s text of Twelfth Night, and the PCS Production. Participants will read the play out loud as a group, with “intermissions” provided for lively discussion of themes and content. Interested participants will have a chance to act in selected scenes, guided by the instructor.
Improv Comedy: Love, Shakespeare
Witness the Magic of unscripted Elizabethan comedy! Step into the offbeat world of Love, Shakespeare, where seasoned Portland comedians attempt something audacious: performing a fully improvised Elizabethan play based on your suggestions!
Albina Music Trust presents A Brown Branch Christmas
Celebrate this holiday season with A Brown Branch Christmas at Portland Center Stage. Now in its fourth season, this two-night big band celebration features directors Domo Branch and Charlie Brown III guiding a heavy 15-piece lineup of regional and national musicians.
BIPOC Affinity Night DJ Party with ALoSo
Join us for a double feature BIPOC Affinity Night, featuring a live DJ set by ALoSo, plus holiday craft market vendor tables, art exhibits by Albina Music Trust Wall to Wall Sound and Jason Hill's Favorite Things, with complimentary select drinks provided by Multnomah Whiskey Library and Deschutes Brewery while supplies last.
Winter Teen Academy: Scene Work
Calling all teens! Are you looking to expand your acting skills and be the best scene partner you can be for your fellow actors? In this class, we will dig deep into scene study, character motivation, and active listening, while learning the necessary questions to ask in every rehearsal situation. You'll develop fuller characters and deeper relationships on stage by partnering in scene work — and have lots of fun too!
Portland Center Stage is committed to identifying & interrupting instances of racism & all forms of oppression, through the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, & accessibility (IDEA).
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