Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Theater-by-the-Grove will present Heidi Schreck’s New York Drama Critics Circle and Obio play What the Constitution Means to Me September 17-20 in Waller Hall.
Students, faculty, staff, and the community are welcome to come together to grapple with the timely issues of this grippingly relevant play, in which the playwright considers the importance of the US Constitution in her own life. Schreck introduces us to this foundational document through the eyes of her fifteen-year-old self—a passionate young debater who gave speeches about the Constitution to win scholarship money to pay for college. As she looks back at when it meant to her teenaged self, she looks particularly at how the Ninth and Fourteenth Amendments, so much a topic of discussion in the US today, have been interpreted and reshaped from generation to generation.
Carrie J. Cole, professor of theatre and assistant chair of the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance at IUP, is delighted to have another chance to produce this show in 2025. Cole first directed the show in January of this year at The Invisible Theatre of Tucson, Arizona, with that company’s managing artistic director, Betsy Kruse Craig, performing the role of Heidi. “When the opportunity to bring Betsy to IUP, to collaborate with our amazing students, faculty, and staff on such a powerfully relevant script, I jumped at the chance. It’s a great opportunity for our students to build their professional networks, and to work in a different rehearsal style and format,” Cole stated.
For her part, Betsy Kruse Craig sees it as a privilege to work with the incredible student cast: Luke Rodnicki, a sophomore cell and molecular biology major and theatre minor; and Ash Martin, a senior theatre major with a focus in musical theatre. Kruse recently shared with the ensemble that “every time I step on stage, I am reminded of how this document continues to shape our daily lives, our freedoms, and our struggles. Its relevance is urgent, and telling this story feels like both a responsibility and a privilege.”
The performance runs 80 minutes without intermission. Advance tickets can be purchased either online or by phone. Patrons who have questions or wish to purchase tickets by phone may call the Lively Arts office at 724-357-2787, Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for assistance. There are no advance in-person ticket sales before the show. However, any remaining tickets may be purchased in person one hour before the show at the door.
This performance is presented by the College of Arts, Humanities, Media and Public Affairs. It is funded, in part, by the IUP Student Cooperative Association. The Lively Arts, a program of the College of Arts, Humanities, Media, and Public Affairs presents nearly 200 performances, programs, and exhibits annually.