POTUS Will Debut at the Arden Theatre in September
Performances run September 12 - October 6.
The three-time Tony Award-nominated Broadway play, POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, will make its highly anticipated Philadelphia premiere at Arden Theatre Company (40 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106) on September 12. POTUS is a riotous comedy that shines a light on seven women showcasing their wit, resilience, and determination as they navigate a PR nightmare. The hour and forty-five-minute production contains mature and strong language. Written by Selina Fillinger in 2022, the then 28-year-old became one of the youngest female playwrights ever to have a show produced on Broadway. Directed by Philadelphia-based comedic dynamo Jennifer Childs (she/her), the production unfolds on the F. Otto Haas Stage with previews beginning September 12, opening night September 18, with performances through October 6.
When the President unwittingly spins a PR nightmare into a global crisis, the seven brilliant and beleaguered women he relies upon must risk life, liberty, and the pursuit of sanity to keep the commander-in-chief out of trouble. With sharp humor and incisive commentary, the all-female farce is a hilarious homage to the women who keep things running and get the job done.
The dynamic cast features Harriet (Susan Riley Stevens) (she/her), the President’s chief of staff, Jean (Karen Peakes) (she/her), his press secretary, Stephanie (Suzanne O’Donnell) (she/her/hers), his secretary, Dusty (Alia Munsch) (she/her) his dalliance, Bernadette (Kimberly Gilbert) (she/her), his sister, Chris (Jessica Johnson) (she/they), a journalist, and Margaret (Rachel Leslie) (she/her), the President’s wife—the First Lady.
“There are no other theatrical farces that feature an all-female cast,” says director Jennifer Childs. “In traditional farces, women are always secondary characters and too often are stereotypical tropes next to the more nuanced male characters. POTUS offers a cast of ferocious women the opportunity to be outrageous and funny and flawed and fully themselves. It is a really smart piece of comedy that asks each cast member to play at the top of their physical, intellectual, and emotional intelligence. And it's ridiculously funny.”
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