POTUS
Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive
POTUS
Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive
By Selina Fillinger
Directed by Summer Bohnenkamp
Sep 4-29, 2024
Shimberg Playhouse, Straz Center
What It's About
Prepare to pop with laughs at this delicious adult farce! One four-letter word is about to rock 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. When the President unwittingly spins a PR nightmare into a global crisis, the seven brilliant and beleaguered women he relies upon most risk life, liberty, and the pursuit of sanity to keep the commander-in-chief out of trouble.
POTUS enjoyed a Broadway run a little over two years ago starring the likes of Rachel Dratch (SNL), Lea DeLaria (Orange is the New Black) and Vanessa Williams in a production nominated for 3 Tony Awards and 3 Drama League Awards.
Bawdy, brazen, and hilariously vulgar, POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive is sure to be a highlight of [the] theatre season, and should not be missed. – Theatrely
the next best thing to ‘Veep’... a profane West Wing comic strip of a play in which a septet of hyper-caffeinated actresses let their funny flags fly. – The Washington Post
About The Playwright
Selina Fillinger is an award-winning, internationally produced writer and performer. Her feminist farce, POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, garnered three Tony nominations and made Fillinger, at 28, one of the youngest female playwrights ever produced on Broadway. Other plays include Baby, Under the Sill, The Collapse, Something Clean, Faceless, and The Armor Plays: Cinched/Strapped. Her work has been developed at Roundabout Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, Williamstown Theatre, Old Globe Theatre, and Alley Theatre, among others. She is currently commissioned at Roundabout and South Coast Repertory. She has developed TV with AMC, Freeform, Hunting Lane, and Hulu, and a feature with Chernin/Netflix. She wrote for the third season of Apple TV’s The Morning Show. Fillinger was named to the 2024 Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Hollywood/Entertainment.
Critic Reviews
[Jobsite] opens their 26th Season with a bang. Director Summer Bohnenkamp assembled a top-tier group of performers who are in it to win it from the get-go ... Laughter is the best medicine, and [POTUS] is just what the doctor ordered – BroadwayWorld
News
Cast & Crew
- Summer Bohnenkamp – Director
Cast
- Carla Corvo – Jean
- Noa Friedman – Dusty
- Robin Gordon – Bernadette
- Caroline Huerta – Stephanie
- Andresia Moseley – Margaret
- Katrina Stevenson – Harriet
- Kandyce Walker – Chris
Crew
- Danielle Sellick – Stage Manager
- Jo Averill-Snell – Lighting Design
- Teah Banks – Props
- Jeremy Douglass – Sound Design
- Tom Hansen, Chris Giuffre – Technical Direction
- Skylar Jay – Scenic Artist
- Newt Rametta – Costume Design
- David M. Jenkins – Scenic Design and Chaos Choreographer
Production
- David M. Jenkins – Producing Artistic Director
- Greg Newcomb – Key Art
- Shawn Paonessa – Online Producer
- Jena Rashid – Producing Associate
- Nicole Jeannine Smith – Producing Associate
Patron Reviews
Tampa and St Pete people! You need to go see this. Seriously some of the funniest and best produced stuff I have ever witnessed. Go! Now! – @thrivingfornow
My friends and I had a really fun time! We literally couldn’t stop laughing, and everyone really shone on that stage. Thank you again!! – Shawna Hopper
The show is so damn good! Definitely needed that! I’ll be back again and again! – Clay Christopher
It was sooooo gooood!!! We had an amazing time watching the show and it was totally worth the drive 🥴 – Kasondra Rose
Hilarious! A laugh barrage, definitely worth driving through the deluge! – Kenny Walker
Absolutely hysterical!!! We had an amazing time, nonstop laughter. Thank you! – @theresa.m787
What a wonderful and timely confection! Highly recommend it. – Donne Petito
Great show. Didn’t realize it was based on a true story. – Chris Hart
this is hilarious! – Lorinda Gamson
Such a good time and tons of laughs!! – Pamela Knab Surovich
Just saw the show this past weekend and it was GREAT! ✨ – @jordynlindahl
Definitely worth seeing! – Peggy Huey
Run, don’t walk! Absolutely hilarious – Danielle Smith
Saw your amazing show Saturday night! Well done, Everyone. – C David Peacock
POTUS the best comedy we’ve seen all year!!!!! – lulumonster2012
I know. I know. You’re sick of politics. But if you’re sick of politics then you will love POTUS. Think of every absurdity you could possibly think of for a modern day president and then imagine all the people behind him trying to contain his dumpster fire of a presidency. That’s pretty much the premise of POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive. While the title alone will make you chuckle, my fellow Americans, I promise POTUS will have you laughing out loud the entire show! It’s ridiculously funny and a much needed gut-busting comic relief during another nauseating election cycle. Grab your friends on both sides of the aisles and find some common ground in comedy. – Denise Mestanza-Taylor
Goo see it now! Sooo incredibly funny! Amazing work by director and actors – lovelyley91
No dramaturg?
This is one of the funniest shows I’ve ever seen. I don’t remember when I laughed so hard. The cast was absolutely brilliant. Great job guys.