The GhostLight Theatre & The University of Notre Dame Collaboration
The GhostLight Theatre & The University of Notre Dame collaborate to present the Award-Winning play “WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME” - September 18th –27th – directed by Matt Hawkins and
sponsored by The League of Women Voters of Berrien and Cass County
The GhostLight Theatre’s 2026 season continues with Heidi Schreck’s boundary-breaking play What the Constitution Means to Me opening Friday, September 18th and continuing through Sunday, September 27th at the theatre’s black box home in the Arts District of Benton Harbor, in collaboration with The University of Notre Dame.
THE CONSTITUTION. BUT MAKE IT PERSONAL.
What the Constitution Means to Me is what happens when a 15-year-old decides the Constitution is worth talking about—and then refuses to stop.
Part comedy, part family mystery, part full-on constitutional crisis, Heidi Schreck’s hilarious play brings her teenage self back to life as she revisits the speech she gave about the Constitution when she was 15 years old. Along the way, she uncovers a much more personal story—one that reaches all the way back to her great-great-grandmother, a mail-order bride who died under mysterious circumstances.
The result? History gets weird and the constitution gets personal.
Funny, fierce, and unexpectedly heartfelt, What the Constitution Means to Me asks whether America’s founding document can—and should—evolve with the people it governs.
Come for the Constitution. Stay for the chaos.
“When we first produced the play at Notre Dame in 2023, the Pulitzer nominated playwright, Heidi Schreck, came out to support us. It was wild and wonderful to meet her and get her blessing to continue to tour our production. What The Constitution Means To Me was the most produced play in our country for the 2024 2025 season. And we believe so strongly in the power of this play to bring people together and ignite hopeful conversation, that we’ve been sharing it with enthusiastic audiences for years. We’re so thrilled to resurrect the play for GhostLight Theatre and the community in Benton Harbor.
What The Constitution Means to Me was nominated for Tony awards and the Pulitzer Prize and it had a sold-out run on Broadway in 2019. It is even more timely and important today. As one critic put it, "endearingly funny and deeply affecting, it is hard to identify...theater with its finger more on the pulse of America right now" (Washington Post.) This production features not just nationally recognized, award winning director and actors, but also a student from the Benton Harbor/Ghostlight Theatre community. The play is funny and surprising and it ignites a spark of hope for the future. It’s a delightful history lesson and a highlight is a rousing, live debate with a young person from the Benton Harbor/Ghostlight Theatre community.”
What the Constitution Means to Me is stage directed by Matt Hawkins, set designed by Marcus Stephens, with light design by Collin Wagner, and Stage Management by Kyle McAndrew and Vel Gearhart. The cast of What the Constitution Means to Me includes Stacy Stoltz in the tour-de-force role of Heidi, Sofia Pate as the Debater, and Matt Hawkins as The Legionnaire.
General Manager/Artistic Director, Paul Mow also adds: “GhostLight’s seventh season has continued to provide a great amount of story-telling entertainment and didactic experiences for our audiences and performers alike. We are experiencing another great year as we share these stories with our SW Michigan audiences, as real-life connection and shared fellowship becomes more and more important in our every day world.”
Doors will open at 7:00 on weeknights and 2:30 pm on Sundays. What the Constitution Means to Me is rated PG-13 for mature thematic material and language. The run time is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. On each of the Sunday matinees, there will be post-show talkback panels with the following guests:
Moderator: Sarah Warner, LWVBCC President
Sept 20th – (post show – approximately 4:30 start time)
Beverly Woodson, President of the Niles-Buchanan NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)
Amanda Villa, Michigan State Director for the UFW Foundation (United Farmworkers Foundation)
Sept 27 - – (post show – approximately 4:30 start time)
Gerik Maverick, Interim Executive Director of the OutCenter
Mark Brewer, Partner at Goodman Acker
General admission theatre tickets range from $20-$32 and 2-person VIP tables are also available in limited quantity for $85 total.
Tickets can be purchased at https://www.ghostlightbh.com/currentseason
Our show sponsor for What the Constitution Means to Me is the League of Women Voters of Cass and Berrien County. Season Sponsors additionally include Timothy’s Restaurant, Allen and Lynn Turner, Chicago Records Management, On Base Productions, Forte Coffee & Bread+Bar.
In addition to What the Constitution Means to Me, The GhostLight Theatre mainstage season consists of two (2) additional 2026 mainstage productions:
• One Party Consent – a **2026 Jeff Award winning play by Omer Abbas Salem – directed by Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble member Caroline Neff - October 15-25
• Avenue Q – the musical by Jeff Marx & Bobby Lopez– directed by Paige Mulick- December 3-13
Show Sponsorship information is available at: https://www.ghostlightbh.com/support
For more information, visit: www.ghostlightbh.com or email info@ghostlightbh.com
The GhostLight Theatre, an innovative playhouse with a mission to enlighten, inspire,
and illuminate Benton Harbor and the surrounding region,
is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
101 Hinkley Street, Benton Harbor, MI 49022
GhostLightBH.com 269-252-5222
