Reviewer: Mark DeWolf-Ott
(If you don’t already know; POTUS is an acronym for President of the United States.)
It’s playing at Pit and Balcony Theatre, Saginaw November 1 and 2, this Friday and Saturday.
POTUS is an After Dark Production because it contains strong adult language and situations.
The play takes place in the Capital of course. It may not be a story of the current administration, but it could be a composite of several administrations since Ronald Reagan.
It’s also timely with the election coming up next week.
It all starts with a little four-letter word that the President blurts out during a diplomatic event – and what starts as a public relations nightmare, turns into a complete global crisis. There are seven exceptional and intense women that POTUS greatly relies on that risk life, liberty, and the pursuit of saneness to keep him “Presidential”.
The ensemble cast is quite diverse, and they are remarkable. There are several monologs and the dialog is lengthy. Quite a bit of memorization for the cast. Then there is the slapstick stuff that makes you laugh out loud.
The play is directed by Dominique Eisegruber. The director’s notes in the program state “This production will encourage you to step into the shoes of these women. It can be funny, infuriating, relatable, and eye-opening.” Her resume includes Director at Flint Youth Theatre and Theater Instructor at the Flint School of Performing Arts.
That’s just the thing about this play. Yes, it’s a farce and it’s very funny. It also deals with working mothers, how some people can get away with drug possession and others got to jail, and how career women are second rate to men holding the same positions. So, it’s amusing and thoughtful.
Besides being a playwright, Fillinger has also written Season Three of Apple TV+’s The Morning Show starring Jenifer Aston, Reese Witherspoon, and Billy Crudup.
This is the Regional Premier in Saginaw, and it opened on Broadway on April 27, 2022 at the Shubert Theatre and was nominated for three Tony Awards.
The curtain call ended with a standing ovation. POTUS is only playing for two nights but I hope you get to see it.
Featured at Saginaw Art Museum