POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive completed its limited engagement at Broadway's Sam S. Shubert Theatre August 14. Directed by Tony winner Susan Stroman, the production opened April 27 after beginning previews April 14. Twenty-eight year-old The Morning Show writer Selina Fillinger made her Broadway debut as a playwright.
The all-star cast included Tony winner Julie White, Tony nominees Lilli Cooper and Vanessa Williams, Lea DeLaria, Rachel Dratch, Julianne Hough, and Suzy Nakamura.
See inside the final performance below:
Lilli Cooper
Lilli Cooper
Lea DeLaria
Rachel Dratch
Rachel Dratch
Julianne Hough
Julianne Hough
Suzy Nakamura
Suzy Nakamura
Julie White
Julie White
Vanessa Williams
Vanessa Williams
Julie White, Lea DeLaria, Rachel Dratch, Julianne Hough, Lilli Cooper, Suzy Nakamura, and Vanessa Williams
Lea DeLaria and Lilli Cooper
Suzy Nakamura, Vanessa Williams, Julianne Hough, and Julie White
Julianne Hough
Suzy Nakamura, Vanessa Williams, Julianne Hough, and Julie White
Julie White
Julie White
Lilli Cooper
Suzy Nakamura, Vanessa Williams, Julianne Hough, Julie White, Lilli Cooper, Rachel Dratch, and Lea DeLaria
Vanessa Williams
Suzy Nakamura and Julianne Hough
Julianne Hough, Julie White, Lilli Cooper, Lea DeLaria, Vanessa Williams, and Rachel Dratch
Lilli Cooper and Vanessa Williams
Julie White, Lilli Cooper, Vanessa Williams, and Lea DeLaria
Rachel Dratch
Rachel Dratch
Suzy Nakamura, Julianne Hough, Julie White, Rachel Dratch, Lilli Cooper, Vanessa Williams, and Lea DeLaria
Susan Stroman
Julianne Hough and Julie White
Suzy Nakamura, Julianne Hough, Julie White, Rachel Dratch, Lilli Cooper, Vanessa Williams, Lea DeLaria, Susan Stroman, and Selina Fillinger
Jennifer Fouché, Anita Abdinezhad, Lisa Helmi Johanson, and Gisela Chípe
Selina Fillinger
Selina Fillinger and Susan Stroman
Julie White
Julie White
Julie White
Julie White
The work, a 2019 selection for the Killroys' List, is described as a "modern farce," centering on a PR nightmare that befalls the White House as seven female support staff risk everything to keep the commander-in-chief out of trouble. Cooper starred as Chris, DeLaria as Bernadette, Dratch as Stephanie, Hough as Dusty, Nakamura as Jean, White as Harriet, and Williams as Margaret.
Rounding out the company were understudies Anita Abdinezhad, Gisela Chípe, Jennifer Fouché, and Lisa Helmi Johnason. The production also featured voiceovers from E. Clayton Cornelius, Richard Gatta, Pat Kiernan, Kevin Ligon, JC Montgomery, and Ari Shapiro.
POTUS featured Tony Award-nominated scenic design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Linda Cho, lighting design by Sonoyo Nishikawa, sound design by Jessica Paz, hair and wig design by Cookie Jordan, fight and intimacy direction by Rocio Mendez, and make-up design by Kirk Cambridge-Del Pesche. Casting was by Taylor Williams, with Johnny Milani serving as production stage manager.
The play was produced on Broadway by Seaview, Lynette Howell Taylor's 51 Entertainment, Glass Half Full Productions, and Level Forward, along with Salman Al-Rashid, Runyonland Productions, Sony Music Masterworks, One Community, Jay Alix & Una Jackman, Jonathan DeMar, Imagine Equal Entertainment, Lucas Katler, David J. Lynch, Leonid Makaron, Liz Slager, Ted Snowdon, Natalie Gorman/Tisch Brennan Throop, and The Shubert Organization, with Mark Shacket serving as executive producer. Level Forward also served as impact producer, handling key partnerships with organizations supporting women running for office and voter registration.
