BWW Stage Mag What the Constitution Means to Me - The Hard Bargain Players Stage Mag

What the Constitution Means to Me
 
at The Hard Bargain Players
 
 
 
by
Heidi Schreck
 
 
Starring
 
Kaitelyn Bauer Dieguez
Michael Beyrle Jr.
Grace Hankinson
 

What the Constitution Means to Me runs approximately 105 minutes with one 15 minute intermission.

Setting

Part 1: American Legion Hall, Wenatchee, WA - 1980 to Present Day Part 2: Black Box Theatre, Indian Head, MD - Present Day

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Director's Note

Good evening, all, and welcome to the Hard Bargain Player’s inaugural production for our 2026 season, What the Constitution Means to Me by Heidi Schreck! We could not have selected a better show to kick off our 30th year of bringing diverse and compelling art to the community. Thank you for electing to join us, while continuing to support local art!

When thinking about a show to direct with Hard Bargain, this one jumped out at me, especially since the United States turns 250 this year. 250 years old! Wow, that is a long time.

Over the last 250 years, the nation has grown thanks to the citizens that continue fighting, whether by exercising their First Amendment rights, serving in the armed forces to uphold and protect the U.S. Constitution, or by contributing to our great nation every day. Despite 250 years of growth and change, it doesn’t really feel like we should be celebrating a 250th birthday party though, does it?  Things are pretty bleak right now for so many people across the nation - a nation built around the U.S. Constitution.

The U.S. Constitution is the oldest constitution in the world and has ensured the protection of Americans for 238 years, or has it? Heidi Schreck addresses this question in the play you are about to see. She encourages the audience to think about whether the U.S. Constitution protects our basic human rights, communities of color, LGBTQ folks, people with disabilities, immigrants, indigenous peoples, and women.

What the Constitution Means to Me encourages you to ask questions about our democratic republic and how you can get involved to ensure our rights are protected for the next 250 years! The play is split in two parts. The first part focuses on Heidi’s life, where she shares moments from her personal life and connects them back to the Constitution and Supreme Court Decisions. In doing so, Heidi allows for us to think about the Constitution’s impact on our own lives. The second part of the show is an actual debate between the actors playing Heidi and the Debater, Kaitelyn and Grace. One of you will get to decide to keep or abolish the Constitution by the end of the show!

I’ll leave you with one question to ponder as you enjoy tonight’s performance: What does the U.S. Constitution mean to you?

Enjoy the show!

Bill

Cast and Crew

Meet the Company

Kaitelyn Bauer Dieguez

Heidi
Kaitelyn is an English teacher at St. Charles High School and mom of three living in Waldorf. She graduated from St. Mary's College of Maryland with a BA in English and Theatre in 2015 and then completed the MPS program in Publishing at The George Washington University in 2018. She would like to thank her husband, Anthony, and Mom for their constant support. Past roles include: Susy in Wait Until Dark, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, and Heidi in The Heidi Chronicles.

Michael Beyrle Jr.

Legionnaire/Mike
This is Michael’s first show with Hard Bargain Players and first show at Indian Head Black Box theater. You may have last seen Michael in the awesome air guitar show of Airness at Port Tobacco Players. When not on stage, you can catch Michael jogging outside, working out or on his grill cooking for his family. He wants to thank his wife and kiddos for allowing him to do what he loves! “Good show, jolly good show!!”

Grace Hankinson

Debater
Grace is honored to do her first show with the Hard Bargain Players. Recently she performed in the ensemble in Young Frankenstein at the Port Tobacco Players and Ellen in The Bookstore. She is so excited for everyone to see the show and hopes everyone enjoys it!

Bill Smolter

Director/Costumes/Set/Properties
Bill is thrilled to direct his first production with the Hard Bargain Players. Community Theater: 9 to 5 the Musical - Port Tobacco Players. Educational Theater: Of Those More Vulnerable Minds, The Dinosaur Musical, and Sweet Storm - Seton Hill University. Other professional work includes costuming, lighting, and production and company management for the Weston Theater Company in Weston, VT and costuming for City Theater Company in Pittsburgh, PA.

Tiffany Behning

Stage Manager/Properties
Tiffany is excited to be doing her first Hard Bargin show. She can usually be found at Port Tobacco Players doing just about anything backstage and front of house.

Jason Klonkowski

Sound and Projection Design
Jason is most often found in the sound booth designing for shows such as Deathtrap, Elf The Musical, Beauty and the Beast, and Macbeth, for which he won a WATCH award for design. Along with sound he is also involved with graphic design, program design, video design and photography. He has also taken on stage roles, appearing as Philip Markham in PTP’s Move over Mrs. Markham and Mr. Kirby in You Can’t Take It With You.

Aidan Carter

Light Design
This is Aidan's second show with the Hard Bargain Players. He recently graduated from McDonough High School where he designed lights for 13 shows. He is looking forward to getting into the world of professional theatre and lighting design and cannot wait to see what future shows have to offer.

Heidi Schreck

Playwright
Heidi is a writer and performer living in Brooklyn. Her critically-acclaimed play What the Constitution Means to Me played an extended, sold-out run on Broadway in 2019 and was nominated for two Tony Awards. A filmed version of the play premiered on Amazon Prime Video and was nominated for a Critics Choice Award, a PGA Award and DGA Award. What the Constitution Means to Me was named Best of the Year by the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, Time Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, The New Yorker and more. Schreck’s other plays Grand Concourse, Creature and There Are No More Big Secrets have also been produced in NYC and all over the country. Most recently, she created a new translation of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya for the Broadway production at Lincoln Center. Screenwriting credits include I Love Dick, Billions, Nurse Jackie and Dispatches from Elsewhere. She is the recipient of three Obie Awards, a Drama Desk Award and a Theatre World Award, as well as the Horton Foote Playwriting Award and the Hull-Warriner Award from the Dramatists Guild. Schreck was awarded Smithsonian Magazine’s 2019 American Ingenuity Award for her work in the Performing Arts.

About The Hard Bargain Players

Since 1996, Hard Bargain Players (HBP) has been Southern Maryland's vibrant, all-volunteer theater company dedicated to bringing diverse and compelling arts to our community. From Pulitzer Prize-winning dramas to contemporary comedies, from intimate one-acts to full-scale musicals, HBP embraces the full spectrum of theatrical storytelling.

Our passionate group of volunteer performers, directors, and crew members produce multiple full-length productions each year, while also fostering community engagement through play reading circles, reader's theater, and children's theater workshops. We take pride in presenting both timeless classics and bold contemporary works, and we're especially honored to serve as a platform for premiering original plays.

Whether you're a longtime theater lover or discovering live performance for the first time, Hard Bargain Players welcomes you to join us on this artistic journey. Come for the show, stay for the community!

 

www.hardbargainplayers.org • Follow us on Facebook & Instagram

 

🎭CALLING ALL THEATER LOVERS!🎭

Ready to create something incredible? We need volunteers for ALL aspects of production - no experience necessary, just enthusiasm! Join our creative family today.

Message us on Facebook or call/text 301-643-6129

The Hard Bargain Player's Upcoming Productions

Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl

Directed by Chris Fleming

April 3 - 18, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm

 

Tuesdays with Morrie by Jeffrey Hatcher

Directed by David M. Thomas

July 10 - 25, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm

Special Thanks

Evie Hungerford, Pam Frank & Black Box Theatre at Indian Head Center for the Arts, Alice Ferguson Foundation, the Wenatchee, WA American Legion Post 10, the La Plata American Legion Post 82, the Port Tobacco Players Properties and Costume Guilds, Jana Heyl & McDonough High School Theatre Deptartment, Erik Braun & CSM Theatre Deptartment, Chris Zabriskie, Alan & Heather Wetherald, Sandy Fehl & Bob Johnston, Mike Beyrle, Jason Klonkowski, Jayna Kovel, and to all friends & families of our cast, crew & volunteers—your support makes our show possible!

 

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