Spoiler alert: POTUS does not physically appear in POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, which opens in previews at Berkeley Rep on Sept. 16, directed by Annie Tippe.
Selina Fillinger’s feminist comedy, which garnered several Tony Award nominations in 2022, instead follows seven women on a mission to keep the White House from spiraling into chaos after the President’s PR blunder about the First Lady (Stephanie Pope Lofgren) turns into a global crisis.
“POTUS” Sept. 16-Oct. 22. Berkeley Rep, 2025 Addison St. Information and tickets here or call 510-647-2949.
As his chief of staff (Deirdre Lovejoy) and press secretary (Kim Blanck) try to contain the fallout, his personal secretary (Susan Lynskey) attempts to placate the First Lady, while a journalist — and new mother (Dominique Toney) — is hoping to get the inside scoop. Things reach a tipping point when the President’s young girlfriend (Stephanie Styles) and his convicted sister (Allison Guinn) arrive unexpectedly. Watch interviews with the cast on Berkeley Rep’s Facebook page.
POTUS is a laugh-out-loud comedy. But where most satires push women to the margins, POTUS centers several generations of women in what might be the funniest interrogation of male power that appeals to everyone on the political spectrum. Fillinger has revealed that POTUS is not about the Trump administration, exactly, but “if we’re being honest,” she says, “an amalgamation of them all.”
“It’s hard to imagine in these factious times that a play could exist that would allow us to laugh at the follies of our system of government,” says Artistic Director Johanna Pfaelzer. “I have no doubt it will be just the tonic we all need.”
Live performances of POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive run Sept. 16 through Oct. 22. Masks are recommended for all performances but are required on Sundays and Tuesdays. For information and tickets, visit Berkeley Rep online or call 510-647-2949, Tue.-Sun., noon-7 p.m.
