Northampton Community College Theatre Department’s enjoyably sly and smart “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive” is a frenetic, energetic political satires that hits home more than not as it takes audiences on a wild ride behind closed doors at the White House.
“POTUS” is on stage through Jan. 26 in Lipkin Theater, Northampton Community College, 3835 Green Pond Road, Bethlehem Township.
The premise of play, written by Selina Fillinger in 2022, is that the (unseen) president of the United States (POTUS) is a self-absorbed man having illicit affairs, using inappropriate language in public and threatening the balance of power in the world by childishly pissing off other countries.
The women behind the scenes, who do all the real work, must pick up the pieces as the POTUS steps in one mess after another.
The all-female cast gives us some fascinating characters even as events in the play become more and more chaotic.
Trish Steele is harried but tough as nails as the uber-competent chief of staff Harriet. She is the brains behind the POTUS and in a constant state of exasperation as she tries to manage her boss’s self-inflicted disasters, as she juggles meetings and writes speeches.
Brooke Harrsch is deliciously high strung as Jean, the over-the-top press secretary who has to spin every disaster for the waiting press. Harrsch give the character an amazing tense energy as she careens around the stage trying to stay on top of every development.
As the president’s beleaguered wife Margaret, Azelia Dos Santos is a sharp and clear-eyed over-achiever who is nakedly ambitious. She is well aware of her husband’s pecadillos, but has her eye on advancing her own reputation.
Tiah Fontno is tenacious as Chris, a hard-nosed reporter and single mom just trying to get a story. She humorously is always trying to pump breast milk between interviews and the whir of the machine gives away her presence.
Bryanna Pye makes POTUS’ latest fling, Dusty, more than just a bimbo. Pye’s Dusty is surprisingly competent and clever, while still displaying a certain naivete.
Megan Wolfe brings a manic energy to POTUS’ jailbird lesbian sister Bernadette, who shows up angling for a pardon from her brother.
Kayla Rosado is the comic relief as meek presidential secretary Stephanie, a nervous introvert who practices power stances until she accidentally takes a handful of hallucinogenic pills she thought were Tums and goes berserk, wildly running around the theater wearing an inner-tube.
Director Darah Donaher keeps a hectic pace as the stakes get higher and things take a decidedly outrageous turn. Donaher well uses the entire theater with characters running up and down the steps and Dos Santos’ FLOTUS giving a speech from the top of the theater. A slip up with a key prop placement did cause a little confusion.
Brett Oliveira’s attractive set features an appropriately presidential-looking room with plenty of doors for which characters can run in and out, adding to the growing chaos.
Tickets are $5.
Performances are 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24 and 25; and 2 p.m. Jan. 26.
“POTUS” is intended for mature audiences and contains strong language and adult themes.
For information, call 484-484-3412, or go to www.ncctix.org/.