What the Constitution Means to Me
Regional Premiere
By Heidi Schreck
Fifteen year old Heidi earned her college tuition by winning Constitutional debate competitions at American Legion posts across the United States. In this hilarious, hopeful and achingly human new play, she resurrects her teenage self in order to trace the document’s profound impact on women’s bodies—starting with her great-great-grandmother, a mail-order bride who died under mysterious circumstances. This witty and searingly personal exploration breathes new life into our founding document and imagines how it will shape the next generation of American women. Shannon Emerick will play Heidi.
Schreck’s timely and galvanizing play became a sensation off-Broadway before transferring to Broadway where it received two Tony Award nominations among countless other accolades, including Finalist for a Pulitzer Prize.
Content warning: We want to be sensitive to our audience members. Please note that What the Constitution Means to Me contains strong language and discussions of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and abortion and its stigmatization. If you have questions regarding this content warning, please click here to email the theater.
LOCATION
Main Street Theater – Rice Village
2540 Times Blvd.
Houston, TX 77005
Directions
PERFORMANCES AND TICKETS
September 16 – October 15, 2023
Previews: September 10, 14 & 15, 2023
Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3:00pm
Tickets: $39 – $59
September 17 at 3:00pm
Open “in-sync” Captioned Performance
HELPFUL INFO
Seating Charts
Parking/Dining
Learn more about available discounts here.
Running Time: 90 minutes with no intermission.
Please note: no outside food/snacks are allowed at the theater. You may purchase concessions at the show.
Children under the age of 9 are not allowed in the theater.
Join us Sunday, October 1 following the matinee for a discussion with Maisha Colter, MSW, JD, Chief Executive Officer of AVDA. Even if you are seeing the play on another day, you are welcome to join us. Just plan to arrive at the theater about 5:00pm.
AVDA is a nonprofit organization that has served the Houston community for 40 years with the mission to end family violence by advocating for the safety and self-determination of victims, promoting accountability for abusers and fostering a community response to abuse. AVDA is dedicated to providing multilingual, transformational, life saving services to survivors of abuse and their families.
Join us Sunday, October 8 following the matinee for a discussion with consultant Tracie Jae, Lead Rebel of The Quiet Rebel. Her discussion will focus on a unique approach to the Constitution, exploring the founding document as a strategic plan created for our country in 1787. Even if you are seeing the play on another day, you are welcome to join us. Just plan to arrive at the theater about 5:00pm.
Jae’s work in the world is creating incremental and organic shifts to the status quo. Grace-filled and authentic conversations are essential to fostering greater understanding, building trust and peaceful coexistence. The expertise of her proprietary approach is based on evidence-based practices in clinical and cognitive psychology, communications research, and focusing on what makes us fully human, at both our best and worst.
Free Beer Fridays, sponsored by Saint Arnold’s! Have a beer on us after the show!
Thursday, October 5 at 6:45pm: Join us for Pride Night on Thurs, Oct. 5 at 6:45pm before the 7:30pm performance of WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME! Pre-show happy hour & special entertainment + post-show Karaoke Cabaret with fabulous actors Brock Hatton, Scott Lupton, and Chaney Moore!
Special thanks to our media sponsor OutSmart Magazine.
Production Angels
Jane Evans and Jack Blaylock
Production Partners
Jan-Claire Phillips and Jerome Kendall
Gwen E. Richard, Attorney at Law
Patricia VanAllan
The Women of Houston’s Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates
Additional Supporters
Mr. Robin C. Gibbs
Toombs Imel & Associates, PLLC – Divorce & Family Law
Mr. Herrick Sovany
Ms. Myra Wilson
Season Sponsor
Thomas Meloncon is an Associate Professor of Theatre in the Visual and Performing Art Dept. in the College of Liberal Arts and Behavioral Sciences at Texas Southern University. He is the author of plays that have been produced nationally and internationally. His poetry publications include Recollections and Poetry in E Minor. His list of plays includes, Johnnie B. Goode published in Acting Up and Getting Down: An Anthology of African American Playwrights of Texas, published by University of Texas Press, The Man Who Saved New Orleans published in Callaloo: A Journal of African Diaspora Arts and Letters by John Hopkins University Press. His popular stage plays include The Diary of Black Men, Whatever Happened to Black Love, If Beds Could talk, Jump the Broom, and Where Were You in ’65, to name a few. Mr. Meloncon is the Narrator on the recent Fade to Black “Thank You, Ten” documentary film, celebrating their 10 years of mentoring and producing new African American playwrights from across the U.S. He is the featured poet on several Jazz musical albums, and his folksong, “Ain’t Gonna Wait Too Long” can be heard in season 3 episode 6 of the TV series SNOWFALL. His many awards include The TSU IMPACT Award, TSU COLABS Best Faculty Mentor Award-Theatre, Induction into the Kashmere High School Alumni Hall of Fame, two certificates of Congressional Recognition, A Resolution from The State of Texas, A Bronze Medallion from the City of Houston, the Creative Writing Award from the Houston Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalist, Community Service Award from the Houston Area Women’s Center, and the Excellence in Community Health Education Award from The Duncan Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine.
Pride Night: Apr. 18 at 6:45pm Join us for our a pre-show Happy Hour & post-show entertainment! Featuring Tamara Siler, Trey Morgan Lewis, Chaney Moore with songs from The Color Purple, La Cage Aux Folles, A New Brain, Dream Girls, and more!
