It often seems that once people attain positions of power, they lose all sense of rational thought. The entire concept of a PR team centres around the expectation that they will conduct themselves poorly. Thanks to the skills of such organizations, the public does not get to experience the unfiltered incompetence so often exhibited by these individuals; for example, when the President of the United States (POTUS) publicly declares that his wife is having “a cunty morning.” If you have ever felt personally victimized by the dumbassery that surrounds you, then POTUS: Or Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive is for you.
In a delicious twist of irony, POTUS centres around seven women in the White House—the President never appears on stage (except briefly as two legs hanging out of a box). Despite the President being incapacitated, and half the Secret Service higher than a kite, they somehow are still efficient in their work, in a way that would mystify reality. The satire is a chaotic flurry of witty dialogue and caffeine addiction as the women rush to circumvent the POTUS’ most recent ineptitude. Each woman is distinct in her role and personality, embodying a different comedic archetype. It features characters like Harriet (Ava Maika, U3 Arts), POTUS’s right-hand woman (otherwise known as the superior presidential choice); Jean (Gabrielle Germain, U3 Arts), his press secretary who is constantly de-escalating PR nightmares; and Chris (Dana Prather, U4 ArtSci), a has-been reporter struggling with a breast pump. The seven distinctive women are united by their exasperation with the POTUS’ inadequacy and sheer disregard for common sense.
POTUS by Selina Fillinger is originally a Broadway production that was adapted by Director Maddy Mackintosh (U3 Arts) and her crew at Tuesday Night Café Theatre (TNC). The team made adjustments in set design and blocking to cater to the space and resources available with skillful ingenuity. The original performance features a revolving stage, with multiple sets for different offices of cabinet members. Unfortunately, McGill’s budget does not cover climate control—let alone a mechanical stage—so TNC created an innovative solution for set changes. Each set change featured a fade to black with an influx of party lights blasting pop songs; the audience was so busy jamming out to Chappell Roan that they barely noticed the set being refurbished. The crew continued thinking outside the box—literally—with the blocking to emphasize a moment where the chaos erupted to levels that could not be contained. Cast members scrambled through the audience, continuing the scene outside of the stage, extracting fits of laughter from the crowd. The visual appeal of the production extended seamlessly from the set to the costumes. Each character wore a bright and indicative costume that skirted the line of professionalism and absolute “cuntiness,” with Margaret’s bedazzled platform Crocs as one example.
The acting is not to be overshadowed by the masterful set composition. The core of the dialogue was a back-and-forth flurry of quips, moving at a blistering pace. Every member of the cast executed their witticisms with practiced ease. The audience barely had time to get out a laugh before the next sardonic comment.
Actors walked the tightrope of satire and mockery like accomplished gymnasts. Maika and Germain were particularly complementary to one another, having some of the most auditorily satisfying repartees. A special mention to Maya Kanitkar, U3 Science, as Bernadette—the POTUS’s slightly unhinged sister, who not only gave every character bi-panic, but likely everyone in the audience as well.
Although POTUS may appear to be a guilty pleasure piece, it is anything but frivolous. Mackintosh deliberately scheduled the piece’s performance for November, following the recent U.S. election. In an interview with The Tribune, she expressed that she wanted, most of all, for the play to discourage apathy. It takes incredible skill to turn something sardonic into a positive motivator; satire can be harsh and gritty, but the sense of positivity and community displayed by the cast resonates both on and off the stage. When reality itself becomes a comedy, one might as well profit from it as entertainment.
Arts & Entertainment Editor Dana Prather performed the role of Chris in ‘POTUS’ and was not involved in the editing or publication of this article.
