Dobama Theatre’s ‘POTUS’ is a naughty close to home romp of political reality

For those of you entertaining the thought of bringing your children to see the Dobama production of Selina Fillinger’s “POTUS”...a word of advice...DON”T. Unless of course you wish for them to become very familiar with the “A” word, the “B” word, the “C” word, the “D” word and the “F” word for which they will surely share with their friends at school the next day. Truth be told an entire dictionary of swear words is used in the course of this very funny and adult play. They even invent a new word taking the “C” word and rhyming it with “runty”. So, leave the kids at home for this one.

It is said that “Art Imitates Life” and boy does it ever in this farcical comedy of “POTUS: or behind every great dumbass are seven women trying to keep him alive”. The show is about a president who cannot be considered a nice man. Over time his speeches have grown darker, more threatening, angrier, profane, fixated on past non-existent glories as well as harsh.

He has a history of being a womanizer, a cheat, a liar and a prejudiced hater who lives in his own self perpetuated world of fantasy where life revolves around him. He fires people on a whim, attacks his enemies on public media platforms, is friendly with enemies while spurning our friends and takes part in an insurrection when he loses fair and square. I will pause here as we try to figure out who this character could represent in real life...cough...rumpo the clown...cough.

Originally, the show was supposed to premier on Broadway in 2020 but was held off until 2022 due to some pressing global situations. It became the third most produced play of 2023 and with an election year speaks with more relevancy than ever.

In the play POTUS we find seven strong willed and well meaning women trying to do damage control after each and every word, thought and action of the president. They are part of “The Enablers” whose job it is to make the bad look good (all it takes is the right spin). This tight army of “fixers” include press secretary Jean (Nina Domingue), chief of staff Harriet (Kristy Cruz), press secretary Stephanie (Natalie Green), and long suffering FLOTUS Margaret who has her own agenda to fulfill. Thrown into the mix is the president’s sister, Bernadette (Amiee Collier) who is serving prison time for being a drug mule (or as she puts it a “drug stallion”) and Chris (Chennelle Bryant-Harris) as the breast pump yielding postpartum reporter who will do anything to get a good story and save her job.

The show is done in a series of small vignettes that are loaded with wit, double entendre, just plain profanity and unbelievable believable situations as the ladies fight off bad press, bad situations, bad drugs and a bad boss who they may have killed by accident. Over the course of the evening “the ladies” are tasked with avoiding yet another global crisis when the president refers to his wife using the “C” word which in turn insults a top leader of a key Arab country, offends a group of feminists while forcing the rest of the world to bow down to his demands while sneaking in his latest pregnant bimbo into the White House for still more sex while suffering from a sexually transmitted abscess on his behind that forces him to stand rather than sit with the world leaders which humiliates them and just plain pisses them off. Whew!

To single out anyone as outstanding is simply impossible. The entire cast is locked and loaded and ready for bear. Their comedic timing is exquisite and the physical comedy comes off very well indeed. Director Carrie Williams keeps the pace fast and furious so that we do not even feel that two hours has passed (plus intermission). The stage design by Laura Carlson Tarantowski makes clever use of revolving walls/doors and the minimalist use of props gives the ladies plenty of room to cut loose. The lighting design by Marcus Dana keeps everything brightly lit so we do not miss any of the action and Angie Hayes sound design is top notch so as not to miss any of the delicious dialog. Costumes by Lady Jen Ryan mimic what one would find in a behind the scenes and before the scenes of an average White House day.

If you like to laugh and do not mind a barrage of naughty words and are paying attention to the current political climate (which is stormy at best) then you will love this show. It’s a fast moving romp of behind the scenes of the most powerful office in the world and what people have to deal with on a daily basis. Buy a ticket.

The Dobama Theatre production of “POTUS” will be on stage at 2340 Lee Road in Cleveland Heights, Ohio through October 27, 2024. For more information and purchase tickets go to www.dobama.org or call (216) 932-3396.