The Caffeinated Book Club of Chestnut Street Performs the U.S. Constitution

The Caffeinated Book Club of Chestnut Street Performs the U.S. Constitutio

Get in on the action when a funny, opinionated bunch of book club members confronts the contradictions of American democracy in The Caffeinated Book Club of Chestnut Street Performs the U.S. Constitution.

This new play runs from November 6-15 at TNW Ensemble Theater, 1957 Winnebago Street, Madison. Performances are at 7:30 PM on Friday and Saturday nights and at 2:30 PM on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

When they’re asked to take part in a community center Open House, a book club tackles the U.S. Constitution. As they prepare their performance, book club members find themselves in conflicts echoing America’s painful past, but a deeper dive into what’s at stake brings them face-to-face with the dangers of America’s present. The group’s response points to a way forward for all.

Mixing friendly banter and pointed political commentary, this brisk comic play takes a whimsical approach to bringing history to life. A copy of the Constitution is created with kitchen parchment paper and a Sharpie. In a dream sequence, actors with bad wigs pull their pant legs up to look like knickers.

This production is part of World Premiere Wisconsin, a statewide festival celebrating new plays and musicals running throughout 2026. To learn more, visit www.worldpremierewisconsin.com.

Playwright Danielle Dresden was inspired to write the play after learning about community groups all around the country reading the Constitution together.

Actors Linda Myer, Kiki Em, and Hawa Bah are the book club members. Myer, recently returned to Madison from Massachusetts, spent several years touring solo performances about women in history, including Abigail Adams. Em has performed in several TNW productions. Bah first crossed paths with TNW when she was in middle school and took part in two of the Company’s long-term residencies.

The Caffeinated Book Club of Chestnut Street Performs the U.S. Constitution is co-directed by Donna Peckett and Dresden, TNW’s co-founders and co-producing artistic directors. Liz Light transformed TNW into the Chestnut Street Community Center. Jude Langhammer designed the lights and Meghan Randolph provided costume support.

TNW Ensemble Theater is a multi-disciplinary arts organization, contact TNW at info@tnwensembletheater.org.

This project is supported, in part by the Wisconsin Arts Board, with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts; the Madison Arts Commission, including funds from the Wisconsin Arts Board; Dane Arts with additional funds from Diane Ballweg and the Endres Mfg. Company Foundation; the Neil Allen Peckett Memorial Fund; RoseDot; and generous donors.