COME DISCOVER "WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME" AT THE BUSHNELL

In this day and age when our country is more divided than united, where the civil rights of citizens to vote are questioned, when a woman’s reproductive rights are under attack, and the necessity for climate control is debated, Americans need to reinforce their common heritage and traditional belief in democracy. Just like immigrants to our shores must study our history as a nation in order to become citizens, it is incumbent upon us to acknowledge our heritage and reinforce our basic principles, lest they be lost. What better time for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts to present “What the Constitution Means to Me” by Heidi Schreck, the true accounting of her experiences as a high school student participating in a series of debates on citizenship playing until Sunday, January 30. A finalist in the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Heidi Schreck uses her own particular lens and filter to tell her personal story as a teenager competing in Constitutional debates. She alternates between her fifteen year old self and the woman she is today. She focuses on such topics as immigration, women’s rights, domestic abuse and the history of our nation. Cassie Beck stars as Heidi, with Michael Iveson and high school students Jocelyn Shek and Emily Toffler. Come relearn what it means to be an American as the playwright relates tales of her own family and significant legal cases in our history. She does not hesitate to reveal the domestic abuse her own mother and grandmother suffered. She also raises the question of whether or not the Constitution protects all its citizens and whether it should be abolished and replaced. For tickets ($32-99), call the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at https://bushnell.org. Performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m and 6:30 p.m. Bring proof of your vaccination and wear your mask. Plan a visit to this fascinating analysis of our Constitution as written by our Founding Fathers and discover for yourself how well it is working in 2022.