What the Constitution Means to Me

Reston Community Players (RCP) is proud to present What the Constitution Means to Me, the acclaimed, provocative, and deeply personal play by Heidi Schreck. This special limited engagement runs for six performances over four days, offering audiences a rare opportunity to experience one of the most talked-about American plays of the last decade.

Produced by Katie Pond and directed by Rikki Howie Lacewell, the production features Claire O’Brien Jeffrey as Heidi, Doug Marcks as Mike, and Victoria Mayfield-Brown as the Teenage Debater.

Part memoir, part civic inquiry, and part live debate, What the Constitution Means to Me traces Schreck’s own teenage years touring the country, earning college money by giving speeches about the U.S. Constitution. As an adult, she revisits those experiences to examine how this foundational document has shaped—and failed to protect—women and marginalized people, inviting the audience into an urgent, often funny, and deeply human conversation about law, history, and democracy.

The play was hailed by The New York Times as:

“It is a tragedy told as a comedy, a work of inspired protest, a slyly crafted piece of persuasion and a tangible contribution to the change it seeks. It is not just the best play to open on Broadway so far this season, but also the most important.”

Michael Barret Jones, President of the Reston Community Players Board of Directors, emphasized the relevance of the piece today:

“As artists, it’s important to use our powers for good, and with this show, we use dramatic tension, humor, and a lot of heart to ask questions about our democracy today. This piece was developed 10–15 years ago, but it’s never been more relevant than it is today.”

With its intimate staging, direct address, and electrifying final debate, What the Constitution Means to Me challenges audiences not just to watch, but to listen, reflect, and engage. The compressed run makes this production a truly special event—one that rewards urgency and conversation.