Review: POTUS at Circuit Playhouse

When playwright Selina Fillinger was an undergrad at Northwestern University in 2106 she first heard the quote made famous by the man who would go on to lead this great nation of ours: “I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the p****.” As disturbing as this quote might have been for the young, promising playwright, what baffled her even more were the number of women in this future president’s sphere who were spinning unabashedly to defend, minimize or deflect his actions. Of course, there are innumerable examples of powerful men promulgating deplorable sexist and/or misogynistic behaviors onto women with abandon, and yet, there are still countless women standing by to clean up their messes. Why would women do this? Why? Well, that’s for another play. Instead, in POTUS (OR BEHIND EVERY GREAT DUMBASS ARE SEVEN WOMEN TRYING TO KEEP HIM ALIVE), Fillinger chooses instead to highlight the absurd lengths women can sometimes go to help protect men from themselves.

Movies like “Bridesmaids” and “Girls Trip” demonstrated that women can be just as hilariously crass and vulgar as men while still being commercially successful. But with POTUS, Fillinger ups the ante and figuratively hocks a loogie, passes some gas and says, “Hold my beer.” The very first utterance of this play is the C-word and then proceeds to discuss every sexual act you can think of (including bestiality) with a healthy peppering of profanities galore. This show is sharing the stage in rep with YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN. Heaven help any confused audience member who accidentally stumbles into this building with their children mixing up the scheduled performances. Yes, it’s possible “You’re a good man, Charlie Brown” could be uttered by an actor in POTUS, but it would mean something wildly different. In this production directed by Ann Marie Hall, POTUS aims to not only underscore the insane lengths women can sometimes go to shield powerful men, but to also present it in the most outlandish of ways. Similarly to Hall’s production of THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG at Theatre Memphis, there’s a lot going on here and the ridiculousness somehow finds a way to keep topping itself. It’s a rowdy show looking for a rowdy audience and this Circuit Playhouse production holds nothing back. For an audience looking for a raunchy night of fun, this is the place to be.

Not that the “plot” is necessarily the most interesting part of the play, but it’s about a male president (who is never seen) and the seven women in his life (Chief of Staff, Press Secretary, wife, sister, secretary, a journalist, and his “side piece”) all working together to keep the President’s poor behavior out of the public eye. The madness takes place all in just one terrible, terrible day. As in most farces, there is a lot of running around, physical comedy and bizarre situations. Where this show stands out though is that it’s an all-woman cast who can deliver laughs one blow after devastating blow (innuendos intended). While the show is mainly built for laughs, the playwright seems to also be trying to make a statement about “female empowerment” and the “savior fatigue” that comes from doing all the work without any of the credit. The message seemed to really resonate with the ladies in the audience on opening night often eliciting cheers and applause.

As with any comedy, and farce particularly, timing is everything and it takes about half of Act I before the cast finds their rhythm and ensures the audience is keeping up with them. It’s a lot all at once. Rather than “easing” the crowd into the style and spirit of the show, the c-word, followed by the f-word, followed by every other four-letter word you can think of comes screaming out at breakneck speed. Brace yourself for a wild ride.

Amy Rush as the President’s chief of staff (Harriet) starts the show having a meltdown over her boss’ obscene reference to his wife in front of foreign dignitaries. She spends the rest of the show in constant damage control even as the damage just continues to escalate. She’s a natural problem solver, but these problems just keep getting exponentially worse. She’s exasperated at every turn and Rush is quite convincing as a “fixer” running out of tools.

The President’s Press Secretary (Jean) is played by Madeline Gambon. She does her best (and succeeds most of the time) at staying calm while everyone else is running around with their hair on fire. Yes, she’s become a bit jaded and exhausted by the constant need to spin her boss’ behavior to the press, but she’s the coolest under pressure. On a stage full of extreme personalities, Gambon can get sometime lost in the mayhem, but her role is basically the “straight woman”, and she holds her own.

As the member of the press always looking for a big scoop, Facia Lee (Chris) can’t resist getting pulled into the whirlwind. She goes from trying to cover the story to becoming deeply involved in it and even trying to help cover it up. Lee brings a sly, inquisitive flair to the role and brings a believability to the role of a reporter who must cover the people she practically lives with.

Courtney Oliver stalks dangerously onto the stage as the President’s younger sister (Bernadette) hoping to get a Presidential pardon. She’s loud, in-your-face and has a rap sheet a mile long. She sees no reason to change who she is and is more than ready to cut the next person offering a side-eyed glance. Oliver, ironically, seems to offer the best example of “female empowerment” even if it’s for all the wrong reasons.

Jessica Jai Johnson portrays First Lady, Margaret. Does she know her husband is an adulterer? Yes. Does she know he’s a buffoon? Yes. Are these things more important to her than how the public sees her? No. Johnson’s character is perhaps the most realistic example in this current political climate of a smart, successful woman willing to look the other way for her own personal gain. While staying above the fray most of the time, Johnson occasionally lets a zinger fly that will shock and delight you.

As the president’s personal secretary (Stephanie), Brooke Papritz starts out as a caricature of an employee trying to follow all the rules. She’s overly obedient, submissive, and awkward. It almost feels out of place in comparison to the others onstage until that glorious moment when Stephanie takes more “Tums” than she should have. The rest of the show is filled with this theatre season’s most bizarre, chaotic performance you're sure to ever see. She manages to elevate the “crazy” to awe-inspiring and hilarious ways. The thing is, once she starts, she never stops. Regardless of who else is talking or what they’re doing, Papritz is somewhere on that stage acting the fool. The theatrical dictum that a performer should never pull focus or upstage another actor has never been more violated than here and you're destined to love it.

Finally, though, in a performance that sneaks up and snatches away your funny bone, Haley Wilson (Dusty) nails it as the President’s secretive (not so secretive) mistress carrying his baby. She delivers the night’s biggest laughs playing it straight. She offers a wide-eyed innocence and simplicity that cuts through the BS circling around her with side-splitting accuracy. Her musical performance in Act II will compel you to stand up and cheer.

POTUS may not be for everyone. It’s loud, fast, and profane. Although there’s a deeper message here that is almost certain to get lost on some, the laughs come fast and often. Ironically, it’s a show about “sticking it to the man” why still trying to protect him. Perhaps in this age of social media and 24-hour news, men of power have never been more exposed or vulnerable and women today get to choose what they want to do about it. For the strong females in POTUS, it’s a choice between having bigger balls or kicking men in them. Either way, you’ll have a ball.

Photos by Sean Moore

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