What the Constitution Means to Me

This play is the a powerful anecdote to the powers, both positive and negative, of the constitution. If we really care about our women, we'll listen to them. Part is the beauty of this play is being able to disagree and being able to express why. For some this will be preaching to the choir and for others this will test your boundaries of belief. Dive in and start a discussion (not a build a bunker around your own idea)

It pains me to write this review, and I don't know what I expected. The content and stories told in this play are heart-wrenching, but the way it's shown and the decision to film this as a live taping with audience chiming in really made me stop halfway. I'd rather read an article about the ordeals that the protagonist faced (and I'll probably like them too), but watching this as a 1 hr 45 min drama is a chore, more so with audience laughing in between which gives the feeling that laugh track in a sitcom gives. Hamilton as a movie made sense, but not this monologue.

This is one of the best shows I have watched in quite a while. It is part play, part stand up comedy, and part debate. It is relevant, passionate and at times surprising look at our history and the current state of our country, as it relates to the U.S. Constitution. And despite this performance presenting as a debate, I believe it will help to bring people together by helping them see varying points of view. There may not be a right or wrong answer, to the questions posed, but one thing is for sure; conversation is the key to healing and forward movement. This is a must watch for everyone.

Wow, the few user reviews of this are a trip. Half 1-stars declaring it the enemy of decency, half 10-stars declaring it the second coming. Both of which are rather overstated.

This filmed one-woman-plus stage play begins as a nostalgic piece about a childhood spent debating the constitution, but makes a number of interesting turns as it thoughtfully explores America and its foundational document in great depth. It's a smart show for a smart, intellectual audience. The author is decidedly progressive, which is what all the user reviews are really responding to. And while I generally try and gauge how could a political movie is beyond its political points, you really can't separate the two.

In the end, there is a debate on whether to rewrite the constitution, with the author taking one side or another against a teen debater. I think that even though this looks like a genuine debate that it's in large part written by the author, since I watched some of a clip of her debating on the other side and both debaters said pretty similar things to what's in the film. This feels like a bit of a cheat - the play likes to suggest that it's free and loose and could be different every time but I suspect (as someone who hasn't watched the play and doesn't really know) that it's not that different from one night to the next - but it's still a fascinating debate topic argued wittily and well.

If you don't like intellectual discussions or your head is likely to explode if you hear the wealthy slaveowners who founded this country may actually have had imperfections then you probably won't enjoy this, but if you like something smart and funny and clever and original then you should check this out.

It has been about a year since I got to watch live theater, which is WAY too long. This movie actually captures the experience pretty darn well - the voices, the audience, the energy. Schreck's show somehow takes us all on a journey through her adolescence, our nation's history, and this difficult current moment all at once. it is not a perfect film, or even really a film at all. But it is a pretty darn good play, especially if you have kids who love Hamilton and are ready for the next conversation.