POTUS

 POTUS
Shubert Theatre
May 26, 2022 

Photo courtesy of Potus

POTUS is a raucous and sidesplitting look at the behind the scenes happening at the White House.  Playwright Selina Fillinger has written an over the top script filled with funny lines, physical comedy, truthful characters, and a hilarious premise.  Director Susan Stroman works this cast of brilliant performers into a frenzy.  The action rises as the stress builds and the laughter culminates to a one line ending that says it all.

During an international meeting, the President of the United States makes a sexist and derogatory remark about his wife, Margaret (played by Vanessa Williams).  Harriet, the President’s Chief of Staff (played by Julie White), and his Press Secretary, Jean (played by Suzy Nakamura), are frantically figuring out how to spin it.  Stephanie, the President’s secretary (played by Rachel Dratch), is trying to prevent Margaret from seeing the president and making the situation worse.  Meanwhile, it is discovered that the president had an affair with a young, blond woman, Dusty (played by Julianne Hough), who is now pregnant with his child.  Harriet invited her to the White House to quiet the incident.  In addition, the President pardoned his sister, Bernadette (played by Lea Delaria), who was serving a prison sentence for international drug dealing.  When a reporter (played by Lilli Cooper), is interviewing the First Lady, she overhears and records the conversations where all this dirty laundry is aired.  Mayhem ensues, as Jean takes Margaret’s phone containing the recordings, and an accident takes place that could put all their necks on the chopping block. 

Julie White & Suzy Nakamura
Photo courtesy of Potus

The fast pace and high energy of the show is set in the opening scene between Julie White and Suzy
Nakamura.  These two skilled actors successfully light the fuse, and everything accelerates from there.  The set, designed by Beowolf Boritt, is on a turn table that quickly spins to reveal various rooms in the White House.  This allows for immediate changes, seamless transitions, and a continual build in the pace and comic timing. 

The Full Cast
Photo courtesy of Potus

The cast is phenomenal.  Julie White is full of vim and vigor.  She is a powerhouse.  Suzy Nakamura is enthralling.  Her character is constantly throwing obstacles, forcing the action to rise.  Vanessa Williams is aggressive and domineering.  Her portrayal of the First Lady is multi-layered and frighteningly truthful.  Rachel Dratch creates a character full of insecurity and very different from the others.  She makes the most out of every moment she is on stage.  Julianne Hough is perky and innocent as the President’s mistress.  She jumps right into the mix of powerful women, and rises to the challenge.  Lea Delaria is a grounding force.  Her character is full of surprises, carrying a bag of tricks on her shoulder from which she pulls out every imaginable prop needed for each sticky situation. 

As funny as this play is, it packs a thoughtful and provocative wallop at the end.  Go see it!  It is everything you could imagine from this magnificent cast. 

Domenick Danza

Ripcord

Ripcord

Manhattan Theatre Club

New York City Center Stage I

October 3, 2015

Photo courtesy of
Manhattan Theatre Club

Ripcord, a new comedy written by David Lindsay-Abaire, is now playing at Manhattan Theatre Club’s New York City Center Stage I.  The production is witty and charming.  The script is lighthearted, touching, frivolous, and sincere.  The cast is crisp and the directing is clean. 

Abby (played by Holland Taylor) has a new roommate at the Bristol Place Assisted Living Facility.  She is energetic, cheery, and optimistic, and Abby wants her out.  Marilyn (played by Marylouise Burke), the new roommate, is comfortable with Abby’s company and happy with the bright sunlight in her new room.  She has no intention of leaving.  They make a bet.  If Abby can make Marilyn angry, she gets the room to herself.  If Marilyn can break Abby’s hard outer shell and scare her, she gets the bed closer to the window.  Both women are stubbornly determined and ruthlessly pull out all stops to win. 

David Hyde Pierce, Holland Taylor, Marylouise Burke,
and David Lindsay-Abaire
Photo courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Club

Holland Taylor and Marylouise Burke are well matched.  Their chemistry and timing are perfect.  This is not a surprise since the play is directed by David Hyde Pierce.  Amid the comedic antics, both characters experience sincere moments of emotion that offer glimpses into the deeper truths of their characters.  David Lindsay-Abaire skillfully develops these details in the later part of the play.  This is what makes this lighthearted comedy a rarity.  The kookiness, absurdity, and bitchiness in the writing are superseded by the warmth and emotional healing that only comes from true human contact.

Cast members Rachel Dratch, Glenn Fitzgerald, Daoud Heidami, and Nate Miller are honest and funny.  Their performances heighten the impact of the play’s themes and comic timing.  The set, designed by Alexander Dodge, is full of surprises with quick changes that open the space in ways you do not expect.  The lighting, by Peter Kaczorowsky, effectively shifts the focus and mood of each scene.

Ripcord is a truly enjoyable evening at the theatre.  David Lindsay-Abaire succeeds at making us laugh at the challenging behavior of the two main characters and see ourselves in their fear, frailty, and humanity.

Domenick Danza