The highly acclaimed ensemble comedy "POTUS (or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive)," by Selina Fillinger, will be produced by the School of Performing Arts at Squires Studio Theatre on Oct. 1-5.

A riotous look at gender, sex, and politics, the plot surrounds seven influential women — the first lady, the press secretary, the chief of staff, the presidental secretary, a journalist, the president’s sister, and his "dalliance” — on a day where the president inadvertently begins a PR nightmare. The women must band together, risking their careers and egos, to save the day in a manner that falls somewhere between the TV shows "Veep" and "The West Wing," with the comedic stylings of the Marx Brothers. Even in the midst of door-slamming, sight-gag chaos, the poignant message of the power of women in politics rings clear.

When Susanna Rinehart, director of the play and the newly appointed associate dean for academic and faculty affairs for the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design, chose the show, she “was keenly aware of its timeliness in relation to elections. The wild development since then is that we have a female presidential candidate.” She was initially drawn to the “wicked smart, over-the-top contemporary comedy by a female playwright, with a powerful diverse female cast, and wildly on point for our current election cycle.”

The ensemble cast in this production features seven undergraduate women actors who are, in the true form of a physical comedy, down to clown.

To deepen the conversation about women in politics and female empowerment, the School of Performing Arts will host a panel discussion prior to opening night of the production. Held at Theatre 101  at 200 College Ave. in Blacksburg from 6-7 p.m. Oct. 1, the nonpartisan panel discussion will feature local female leaders. Those slated for conversation are Leslie Hager-Smith, mayor of Blacksburg; Lauren Colliver, Blacksburg Town Council member; Tanya Hockett, Christiansburg Town Council member; and, Mary Biggs, chair of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors. Farida Jalalzai, associate dean for global initiatives and engagement for the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences and professor of political science, will serve as the moderator. This panel discussion is a free event and open to the public.

Before several of the performances, Virginia Tech student groups, including VT Engage and the Political Science Club, will have representatives with civic engagement information in front of the Squires Studio Theatre. Additionally, the League of Women Voters of Montgomery County has provided voter registration information that will be available to audiences. Check your voter registration status or register to vote at vote.gov.

Political cycles can be a challenging time, so Rinehart said “the amazing thing about this play is that it transcends partisanship. The beauty of satire is that it reflects us back to ourselves in all our human absurdity and gives us the permission and release of laughter. Comedy has been serving democracy this way since its inception.”

Tickets, parking, and other details

Performances are Oct. 1-4 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 5 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in Squires Studio Theatre.

Tickets are $15 for general admission and $12 for seniors and students, and may be purchased through the Moss Arts Center ticket office in person, online, or by calling 540-231-5300. Tickets will be available at the door in the Squires Student Center beginning one hour prior to the performance. For online purchase, find ticket links here.

All university community members and visitors will need to display a parking permit, use the ParkMobile app, pay a fee, or pay using an hourly meter to park on the Blacksburg campus unless otherwise noted by signage. Find additional parking information online.

If you are an individual with a disability and/or desire an accommodation, please contact Susan Sanders (susansan@vt.edu) prior to the event.

"POTUS" is presented by arrangement with Concort Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French Inc.

Other upcoming theatre productions presented as part of the theatre season of "Friends, Foes, and Family" include

Written by Liz Gray, a graduate student in arts leadership in the School of Performing Arts

Contact:

Tags

Share this story