No matter who you prefer to be President of the United States, be prepared to laugh heartily at the over the top performances of seven actresses in Selina Fillinger’s comedy “POTUS”, a Zoetic Stage production running now through January 26 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Miami.
The capitalized “POTUS” is referring to “President(s) of the United States”, but the play’s subtitle “Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying To Keep Him Alive” covers the essence of the play. Seven women are teaming to mitigate every disaster in the making facing every President. There is deliberately no male cast in the play, giving the spotlight and the humor to the women on stage.
Filinger’s two act play revolves around the dilemmas of an unseen President of the United States, who misunderstand policies, is sex-driven, used a sexually phrase about his wife, and wishes to skip important issues of the day, such as a nuclear summit meeting, a Veterans War Awards ceremony, a speech to a prominent women’s group. Behind the scenes, he is also the target of a bomb threat.
To cover up for all the inadequate features of the President, seven women team up to create solutions, but instead create more chaos that results in laughter.
In center is Stephanie with float (Elena Maria Garcia) and the cast reacting to her are from left to right: Autumn Kioti Horne (Bernadette), Dusty (Amber Joy Layne), Chris (Renata Eastlik), Harriett (Elizabeth Price) and Margaret (Karen Stephens) in the Zoetic Stage production of “POTUS”, running now through January 26 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Miami.
The seven actresses are Elizabeth Price as Harriet, the President’s Chief of Staff, Elena Maria Garcia as Stephanie, the President’s secretary, Gaby Tortoledo as Jean, the Press Secretary, Karen Stephens as Margaret, the President’s wife, Renalta Eastlick as Chris, the White House reporter, Autumn Kioti Horne as Bernadette, the President’s sister, and Amber Joy Layne as Dusty, the President’s mistress.
The comedy comes from the many zany attributes of each character in attempting to solve problems. Stepanie is a screwball Lucille Ball character who acts irrationally (and funny) as she meanders around the White House with blood on her face and a swimming pool float after taking illegal drugs.
Jean is overwhelmed by all she has to do, especially hiding her lesbian relationship. Chris is trying to land an important story about the President.. Bernadette is a drug dealer who wants her brother to pardon her as she walks around the White House with an ankle monitor. Dusty is a bubbly cheerleader, who performs cartwheels around the White House as she is carrying the President’s baby.
Margaret tries to put on a face of joy and smiles (and resembles Kamala Harris) to give a political reference to the many zany antics that are simultaneously happening around the White House to bolster the President and to reduce any potential political problems.
The play is written as a farce but still has biting political satire. Dusty (Layne) seems to be the focal point as all the women want to conceal to the world that the President has a mistress, let alone a child out of wedlock.
At far right is Stephanie with float (Elena Maria Garcia) and the cast reacting to her and are in a counterclockwise direction: Margaret (Karen Stephens), Bernadette (Autumn Kioti Horne), Jean (Gaby Tortoledo), Chris (Renata Eastlick), Harriett (Elizabeth Price) and Dusty (Amer Joy Layne) in the Zoetic Stage production of “POTUS”, running now through January 26 at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Miami.
In Dusty, one can see elements of Monica Lewinsky, or Marilyn Monroe or any other mistress that has led to scandals in the White House in the twentieth century.
The charm of Margaret, the enthusiasm of Dusty, the cautious Jean, the ambitious Chris, the nutty Stephanie, and Jean’s overt frustration with trying to keep things calm led to much more chaos with the women chasing each other by entering and exiting through slammed doors.
There is an abundant mixture of political satire and physical slapstick comedy , especially in the scenes in which Stphanie is prancing around the White House and Dusty is simultaneously performing cartwheels while helping the other women try to make the President look presidential.
Along with the seven actresses, director Stuart Meltzer and the many behind the scenes crew of Zoetic Stage are to be congratulated for keeping the pace quick and making the ladies shine with all the mischief surrounding the unseen President.
Zoetic Stage presents playwright Selina Fillinger’s “POTUS”, a two act comedy running now through January 26 starring seven local actresses, at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in downtown Miami. Tickets range from $61-66. For tickets and more information, go to arshtcenter.org or call 305-949-6722.
