(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- George Street Playhouse has announced the complete cast and creative team for its production of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Drama, What the Constitution Means to Me, written by Tony Award nominee Heidi Schreck (Uncle Vanya), and directed by Laiona Michelle (Little Girl Blue). What the Constitution Means to Me will begin previews on September 24, 2024, and open on September 27 for a limited run through October 13, 2024.
How relevant is the United States Constitution in today's society? Does this document truly protect ALL Americans?
Playwright Heidi Schreck delves into multiple facets of this historic document, debating as to whether or not we should keep or abolish it. By blending together different American perspectives, What the Constitution Means to Me allows the audience to define the Constitution's true worth.
The cast includes two-time Tony Award nominee Kate Baldwin (Hello, Dolly!) as Heidi and Nick Rodriguez (Tarzan, Nat’l Tour of The Sound of Music) as the Legionnaire. Niara Beckwith and Wobirba Ekuba Sarpey will complete the cast as Debaters.
The creative team features scenic design by Shoko Kambara (Little Girl Blue), costume design by Niiamar Felder (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), lighting design by Christopher Bailey (The Immigrant), and sound design by Kwamina Biney (The Sabbath Girl: A New Musical). Samantha Flint (tick, tick...BOOM!) will serve as the Production Stage Manager. Casting is by McCorkle Casting.
The performance schedule for What the Constitution Means to Me is as follows: Wednesday – Saturday at 7:30pm; Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 2:00pm. Exceptions: there will be no evening performance on Friday October 11. There will be additional performances on Tuesday September 24 at 7:30pm and Friday October 11 at 2:00pm.
George Street Playhouse will offer an English open captioned matinee performance and a Spanish open captioned evening performance on Saturday October 5.
Tickets begin at $25 and are available for purchase online. Performances take place in the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (11 Livingston Avenue) in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
What the Constitution Means to Me was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2019, and was nominated for two Tony Awards, including Best Play.
Under the leadership of Artistic Director David Saint since 1997, George Street Playhouse produces groundbreaking new works, inspiring productions of the classics, and hit Broadway plays and musicals that speak to the heart and mind, with an unwavering commitment to producing new work. As New Brunswick’s first producing theatre, George Street Playhouse became the cornerstone of the revitalization of the City’s arts and cultural landscape. Entering its 50th season, the organization has a rich history of producing nationally renowned theatre. The Playhouse continues to fill a unique theatre and arts education role in the city, state and greater metropolitan region. George Street Playhouse recently announced the appointment of Edgar Herrera as Managing Director, effective June 1, 2023.
Beginning with the 2019-20 Season, George Street Playhouse moved to the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in downtown New Brunswick. Featuring two state-of-the-art theatres—The Arthur Laurents Theater with 253 seats and The Elizabeth Ross Johnson Theater which seats 465—and myriad amenities, the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center marks a new era in the esteemed history of George Street Playhouse. Founded by Eric Krebs, George Street Playhouse, originally located in an abandoned supermarket on the corner of George and Albany Streets, was the first professional theatre in New Brunswick. In 1984, the Playhouse moved to a renovated YMCA on Livingston Avenue, and in 2017 took temporary residence in the former Agricultural Museum at Rutgers University during construction of its new home. The Playhouse has been well represented by numerous productions both on and off-Broadway. In 2018, George Street Playhouse was represented on Broadway with Gettin’ the Band Back Together which premiered on the Playhouse mainstage in 2013. American Son, produced by George Street Playhouse in 2017, opened on Broadway in 2018 starring Kerry Washington and Stephen Pasquale, and was seen on Netflix. Other productions include the Outer Critics’ Circle Best Musical Award-winner The Toxic Avenger. In 2015, It Shoulda Been You opened on Broadway and Joe DiPietro’s Clever Little Lies opened off-Broadway. Both shows received their premieres at the Playhouse. Other productions include the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Drama League Award-nominated production of The Spitfire Grill; and the Broadway hit and Tony® and Pulitzer Prize-winning play Proof by David Auburn, which was developed at the Playhouse during the 1999 Next Stage Series of new plays. George Street Playhouse programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund.
