Dobama delivers big laughs this election season

Dobama Theatre will present the Cleveland premiere of Selina Fillinger’s Broadway hit and three-time Tony Award-nominated farce, “POTUS: or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive.” Performances are Oct. 4–27.

When a presidential PR nightmare triggers a domino effect, unraveling layers of personal and political catastrophe with escalating worldwide implications, seven women scramble to save a White House in shambles. In “POTUS,” outrageous antics and irreverent conversations abound. The show provides contemporary commentary on the timeless concerns of gendered power structures and dynamics—while also delivering an endless stream of laughs. 

Director Carrie Williams said that while “POTUS” is hilarious, there’s way more to the play than just comedy: “I think that folks from marginalized genders will find it cathartic. It doesn’t shy away from the truly mind-boggling ways that women and nonbinary people are expected to ‘prove’ ourselves while remaining ‘likable’ and consistently cleaning up other people’s messes.”

Playwright Selina Fillinger is an internationally produced, award-winning writer and performer whose plays include “Something Clean,” which Dobama produced during its 23/24 season. Fillinger has said she hopes that “POTUS” audiences “have a wonderful night of laughter and joy. Then I hope they wake up the next day and put their money, time, and votes toward equity and freedom for all.” She also hopes that the play will create solidarity and “intergenerational dialogue between women.”

The cast includes Dobama veterans Kristy Cruz, Nina Domingue, Natalie Green, Chennelle Bryant-Harris, Nicole Sumlin, Katherine Nash, and Amiee Collier, with Erin E. Dolan, Tamara French, and Eliana Taub as swings.

Tickets are $35 to $42, with senior, student, and military discounts available, and pay-what-you-can tickets available an hour before each performance. On Oct. 6 and 10, all tickets are pay-what-you-can, continuing Dobama’s dedication to equal opportunity and access.

Dobama is a member theater with the Actors’ Equity Association. 

For more information about Dobama Theatre’s production of “POTUS,” contact the Dobama Box Office at 216-932-3396 or visit www.dobama.org/potus.