Thursday, November 15, 2018
We treat the Constitution like a religious text, with women’s bodies on the line
Salon.com: Actress and playwright Heidi Schreck couldn't have had better timing. Her play that recently finished its run at the New York Theater Workshop, "What The Constitution Means To Me," isn't about Donald Trump and the daily threat he represents to the world's oldest representative democracy, to be clear. But the current context gives the play a sense of urgency and emotional resonance that has been drawing audiences in, leading to an extended run at the Greenwich House Theater starting in late November.
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2 comments:
This is a truly amazing piece of work being done during a time when it’s needed. The fact that this show fell into production during this moment only enhances it’s impact. The treatment of the constitution in this country and the ideas many citizens have about it can be a bit absurd to say the least. It isn’t some sort of sacred text and the founders of this country weren’t people held to the highest standards of morality. They were looking to create legal documents that allowed themselves to function in this country as effectively as possible, mostly out of selfish endeavors. This did not take into account the progression that America would go through and isn’t suitable to our current culture. It isn’t providing the “basic rights” granted in the constitution to all the citizens of this country. Representation in our governments to initiate these sorts of changes is not good. So plays like this with the ability to inspire are so important to making these changes.
This is definitely the time to be creating art like this. In the middle of so much political scandal and turbulence, it seems right that we make sense and raise questions through art. I think this show seems like a good exploration because it is not trying to tell you something but rather asks questions and provides comparisons for thought. The constitution, as she said in the article, is something that we learn so young, but it is dry and fixed form. The older I get, the more I realize that it is the opposite. There is so much to be explored and decided from the text written there. Religion in politics, as well, is something I have a great deal of frustration with. We seem to contextualize so much of our history with contemporary amendments, but when it comes to the interaction between church and state, it seem like we take the words of the past as set in stone. I think this show will provoke a lot of great conversations.
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