Broadway favorite, singer and actress Kate Baldwin stars in the George Street Playhouse production of What the Constitution Means to Me through October 13.
The thought-provoking play, written by Tony Award Nominee Heidi Schreck (Uncle Vanya) and directed by Laiona Michelle (Little Girl Blue), 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.
Kate Baldwin spoke to WBGO's Doug Doyle about the play and her award-winning career. What does the Constitution mean to her personally?
"I think like so many of us who grew up learning about civics and government in elementary school and later in middle and high school, I had the point of view that the Constitution was a document to be revered, to never be questioned and learned and sort of to be put away. I think through studying this play, this is the second time doing it, now what the Constitution means to me is that it's a living document. It is capable of transformation and evolution. I hope that people who come to see the show feel the same way that I do in that they feel more engaged with our government and how things work and their participation in it. Hopefully, the performance that we have going on at George Street right now asks people to think more deeply about how they can get involved in their local government and national election as we move forward as a nation."
Baldwin plays the lead role of Heidi in What The Constitution Means to Me.
"Heidi Schreck is a fabulous actress and playwright. We have a lot of similar roots and ideas. We both came to New York to be actresses. She wrote this play. In it, I tell the story of when Heidi was 15 years old and her mother invented a scheme to help her pay for college. That scheme involved going around to different cities and participating in contests about the United States Constitution at American Legion Halls for prize money. Heidi was really good at this debate.. She knew so much about the Constitution. She loved it and studied it. The contest asked each participant to connect the document to their own life in a personal way. This is where Heidi was not so good. She connected it to her fantasy life. Hopefully, the audience will find that part funny. So, in examining her 15-year-old self, adult Heidi, a woman in her late 40's, comes back to this contest and we find out what the Constitution means to her now."
The other members of the cast include Nicholas 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.
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.
Baldwin starred as "Irene Molloy" opposite Bette Midler, David Hyde Pierce and Gavin Creel in the hit Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly!, for which she was nominated for the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critic’s Circle awards. She originated the role of Sandra Bloom in Big Fish on Broadway and earned accolades and a Drama Desk Award nomination for her work in Michael John LaChiusa’s Giant at The Public Theatre.
She also had a starring role in the 2009 revival of Yip Harburg’s and Burton Lane’s hit classic musical Finian’s Rainbow, which drew Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critic’s Circle Award nominations and critics say that performance put her on the map as “a real musical theatre star."
You can SEE Doug Doyle's entire interview with Kate Baldwin here.
