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Regional Reviews: Las Vegas What the Constitution Means to Me
What the Constitution Means to Me is receiving a bang-up production at A Public Fit Theatre Company. Two different casts perform on alternating nights, but both are helmed by A Public Fit's top directors: the unbeatable team of Ann-Marie Pereth and Joseph D. Kucan. Pereth and Kucan consistently find the beating heart of every play, and this production is no exception. Schreck frames her play as a reenactment of the speeches she gave as a 15-year-old, urged by her mother to enter competitions sponsored by the American Legion, where she eventually won enough prize money to pay her way through college. But she soon bursts through this framing device, addressing topics that probably would not have earned her any prizes from her elderly white male benefactors. The role of Heidi is a challenge for any actress–conveying a 15-year-old girl's nervous enthusiasm and eagerness to please, then quickly transforming into a 40-year-old woman who revisits the experiences of her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother in a legal system that did not protect them, and finally bringing that history forward to the criminalization of abortion in multiple states. But Betsy Norton was born for this role. Her performance is riveting. As the teenage Heidi, eager to please those with the power to decide her future, she sits up straight in her yellow polyester blazer, her face locked in a perpetual smile, and nervously twists and tosses her hair at the podium as she awaits the start of the timing clock. Later, as the adult Heidi, she rules the stage, engaging playfully with the audience as she breaks the fourth wall. It is easy to forget that Norton is an actress. It feels like we are visiting with Heidi herself. Norton is ably supported by Brian David Sloan as the presiding legionnaire. Dwarfed by a shapeless suit that has become too large for his bent and shrinking body, the aging veteran is a benevolent figure, offering kind encouragement to the competitors, but when Heidi departs from the anodyne platitudes expected of her, his discomfort becomes palpable, as betrayed by his ticks and squirming. Eventually, the adult Heidi unlocks the character's prison, telling the performer that he is now free to play himself–an actor named Danny, who explores his own experience of both toxic and healthy masculinity. Sloan makes this transformation seamlessly. Rounding out the opening night cast ("Cast 1") is Adonia Marion-Brathwaite as a young debater who goes toe-to-toe with Heidi. Although still in high school, Marion-Brathwaite has terrific stage presence and easily holds her own in the company of stage veterans. All of the action takes place against the backdrop of an American Legion Hall in Wenatchee, Washington, festooned (by set designer Eric A. Koger) with an eye-catching display of Americana, including a majestic bald eagle and many variations on the American flag. At alternate performances, Cast A takes over. With seasoned performers Tina Rice and Andrew Calvert in the leading roles, these performances should be of the highest caliber. Akasha Grant plays their young debater. In troubled times, it is tempting to seek out escapist entertainment. But good theatre can engage our minds as well as our hearts. What the Constitution Means to Me is a rousing evening of collective call-and-response where no one remains on the sidelines. What the Constitution Means to Me continues through November 23, 2025, at SST Studio Theater, 4340 S. Valley View Blvd., Unit 210 (Studio 3), Las Vegas NV. Performances Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays at 7 pm; Sundays at 2 pm. Parking is free. Tickets are $35-$45 general admission. For tickets and information, please visit www.apublicfit.org. Cast 1 Heidi: Betsy Norton Cast A Heidi: Tina Rice Additional Creative
Costume Designer: Kendra Faith |
