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The West Virginia University School of Theatre and Dance presents "POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive," running Sept. 24-27 and Sept. 30-Oct. 4 in the Gladys G. Davis Theatre at the WVU Canady Creative Arts Center.
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" was written by Selina Fillinger and debuted on Broadway in 2022, earning three Tony® Award nominations.
Cathy O'Dell, a teaching professor in the WVU School of Theatre and Dance, will direct WVU's production of this riotous comedy that looks at a day in the lives of the women in the president's inner circle who work to create calm out of chaos.
"It's not just a comedy--it's a farce," said O'Dell. "There's a lot of physical comedy and crazy antics, and it's a great show for people to come have a good laugh."
Fillinger's play looks at what it means to be a woman supporting a man--any man--in the highest office in the United States, and what it takes to be a woman in politics. While the character of the president is central to the story, he never appears on stage. The all-female cast fills the roles of the president's wife, sister, and mistress, as well as his press secretary, personal secretary, chief of staff, and a journalist.
"'POTUS' deals with femininity and the role of women, but it also takes a wider look at what goes on in the world politically and socially--in the past, the present, and even in the future--all while delivering big-belly laughs," said O'Dell.
"It's a chaotic, messy, funny, collaborative, uplifting, relevant show," said Dwedee Kobbah, a third-year MFA Acting student who plays the journalist, Chris. "We're hitting some important topics, but we're doing it in an interesting and playful way."
Like all ensemble pieces, each character is important to the story, and "POTUS" highlights the way women work together to solve problems.
"All these women in the play have different talents and abilities, and they find a way to work together to resolve everything, because that's what women do," said Laura K. McKenzie, a third-year MFA Acting student who plays Stephanie, the president's secretary.
While "POTUS" focuses on a cast of female characters, the play doesn't shy away from the realities of women operating in a man's world.
"The White House has always been run by a man and any woman who has taken a run at it has been shut down," said Echo Anderson, a junior Acting major who plays Bernadette, the president's sister. "Even when we're not talking about the president explicitly, there are still issues related to men, like marriage issues and problems with past partners."
"The play not only critiques the office of the president," said O'Dell, "but also what women often feel they need to do to get to where they want to be."
"POTUS" also tackles issues of race and sexuality, exploring deeper themes with a mix of grace and humor.
Fillinger, the playwright, wrote the script with specific casting parameters: There had to be three people of color, specifically Margaret, the First Lady, and Chris, the journalist, plus one more role of the director's choosing. And, the president's sister had to be played by a white actor.
"Chris' story really shows what it's like to be a Black woman in professional spaces," said Kobbah. "It really explores how the way you show up in a space with one person is not the way you can show up in a similar space with someone who doesn't look like you."
Lizzy Rutt, a senior Musical Theatre major, plays Jean, the Press Secretary, who has an intimate relationship with Bernadette.
"I've only ever performed as a heterosexual woman, so I feel like it's my duty during these intimate moments with Bernadette that I do them justice and not as a caricature of how lesbians would act," said Rutt. "I try to find the balance between making it comedic, but also true to the character and to the story."
"What I find really beautiful about this show is that the diversity is treated so matter-of-factly," said Anderson. "It's just another day in the White House where, yeah, some people around the president are queer. It’s not the most interesting thing about them. It’s just a thing about them."
Delivering the punchline
O'Dell is glad that her cast is getting an opportunity to do a farcical comedy.
"We rarely do all-out farces because they're so physical," she said.
There's fun and freedom in slapstick comedy, and the "POTUS" cast hasn't been shy about leaning into the chaos.
"I love getting to explore the physical aspects of this show and getting to try new things every day," said Anderson. "Bernadette is such a loose cannon, and I love getting to explore what that means for this hardcore, iconic woman who unapologetically takes up space. She is loud. And she moves people around--literally. She doesn’t apologize for anything she does. Getting to explore all of that in this farce is so unique."
"People think comedy is easy, especially physical comedy," said Shelby Garrett, visiting assistant professor of Acting and the production's intimacy and violence coordinator.
"Being able to come in here and collaboratively work together with everybody to figure out what’s going to work and what’s not going to work, has really been so joyful. And also difficult, because we're problem solving how to get around furniture and slam doors and get hit in the face by doors without actually getting hurt."
Physical contact in theatre is much like a magic trick--giving the illusion of a slap or a punch--and it's been a little tricky for Garret to choreograph for a theatre where the audience surrounds the stage on three sides.
"There are a few moments in the script where it says to do one thing, and we have to do something different," she said. "Our actors are different, our set is different, our stage is different, so things have had to morph a little in order to fully tell the story to the audience while still keeping our actors safe."
In a physical comedy--especially one that includes elements of intimacy as well as violence--it's important that the actors feel safe, and this cast has felt comfortable with one another since the first table read.
"We have great chemistry," said Anderson. "Even from the first read-through, we've been able to bounce off each other, and that synergy from the first day has only grown."
"This show was cast pretty dang perfectly," said Rutt. "I can’t see anyone else playing these roles and doing the work that these people have done. I have never felt anything like this in a rehearsal space before, and I feel like that is reflected in our performances and our work.
"We’re a bunch of bad-asses, and I think people deserve to see the work we do."
"POTUS" runs Sept. 24-26 and Sept. 30-Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. and at 2 p.m. on Sept. 27 and Oct. 4. Tickets are $24 and can be purchased online at go.wvu.edu/potus, by phone at 304-293-SHOW or in person at the box office located in the main lobby of the WVU Canady Creative Arts Center, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Find the WVU School of Theatre and Dance on social media for behind-the-scenes footage and extra content from POTUS and all of this year's productions.