POTUS, or Behind Every Great Dumbass, There are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive

According to playwright Selina Fillinger, in order to explore the ways in which women can internalize misogyny in our culture, POTUS puts smart women at the center of a very silly narrative. It’s a delightful opportunity to laugh in the midst of the political cycle, which can be intense and heated. It is rude. I knew that if we did it right, a few people would walk out early in the first act each evening.

In her review for Buffalo Rising, Gail Golden, who didn’t much care for the language, wrote “Director Kate Powers keeps the proceedings energetically moving along. The actors give it 100% – although this must be an exhausting task. If you are concerned about Washington DC these days and want to relax and laugh about it, POTUS could be for you. I would not bring anyone under 12 to this show – it gets very raunchy.”

In her review for SpeakUp WNY, Augustine Warner wrote, “Potus” is a great show, with some strong direction from Kate Powers and strong work on stage from Lisa Ludwig, Camilla Maxwell, Arin Lee Dandes and VerNia Garvin. “Potus: or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive” is a well-done, well-acted and pointed look at those who keep the great man or the great woman smiling after some claimed success.

(Camilla Maxwell as *Jean*, Lisa Ludwig as *Harriet*, and Maria Pedro as *Dusty*.)

(Shonnell Dixon as *Chris*, Camilla Maxwell as *Jean*, and as Aleks Malejs as *Bernadette*.)

Melinda Miler wrote, “‘POTUS’ Puts the %#@ in Farce —

“There is not a weak link in the seven-woman cast. The performances are rock-solid, as is the uninhibited physical comedy. There are laugh-out-loud funny scenes as well as the cringy ones. The truth is, Lisa Ludwig and Camilla Maxwell are so effective as the president’s underappreciated subordinates that they could signal their authority in PG-13 language if they wanted and nobody would miss the NC-17s. Not surprisingly Arin Lee Dandes is a scene-stealer extraordinaire as the president’s insecure secretary, and Vernia Sharisse Garvin, who recently ruled as Queen Hermoine in “The Winter’s Tale” in Delaware Park, is once again a formidable first lady.”