CVRep’s POTUS is a Hilarious Fast-paced Farce
by Laura Bloom Farber
POTUS: OR BEHIND EVERY GREAT DUMBASS ARE SEVEN WOMEN TRYING TO KEEP HIM ALIVE, now playing at Coachella Valley Repertory (CVRep), is a clever, hilarious, fast-paced farce written by Selina Fillinger. I very much enjoyed CVRep’s take on the show.
Although we never get to see the president himself, we do learn a great deal about him, all of it negative, from watching the women around him attempt, against long odds, to keep his Administration on an even keel. The nuttiness gets started with the President’s devastating verbal faux pas that could blow up into an international incident. Harriet (Julie Cardia), the president’s harried chief of staff, and press secretary Jean (Michelle Liu Coughlin) attempt to head the incident off by trying to spin his words. Margaret (Marlo Denise Stroud), the highly-accomplished First Lady; Stephanie (Emily Nash), the President’s well-educated, multi-lingual secretary who suffers from outrageously low self-esteem; Chris (Tamika Katon Donegal), a White House reporter who is attempting to obtain an interview with the president while using breast pumps; Bernadette (Cas Koenig), the president’s drug-dealing, ex-con sister; and Dusty (Shannon Mary Dixon), the president’s mistress with some unusual talents, also get involved in the act.
The play contains all the classic elements of farce: rapid pacing, exaggerated characterizations and situations, and physical comedy. Director Courtney Young gets her excellent ensemble cast actors to sustain the pace. The technical design also deserves kudos: The set by Jimmy Cuomo captures the look of the non-presidential areas of the White House, the lighting design by Moira Wilkie keeps the audience’s focus in the right place, and Emma Bibo’s costumes successfully define the characters.
Although the Broadway production received mixed reviews, I very much enjoyed this play. Especially in the middle of a presidential campaign, I suspect that other theatregoers will also have a great time.
POTUS: OR BEHIND EVERY GREAT DUMBASS ARE SEVEN WOMEN TRYING TO KEEP HIM ALIVE runs through March 17, 2024, with performances on Wednesdays & Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Thursdays & Fridays at 7 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Single tickets are $50-$88 and are on sale now and available online at www.cvrep.org, by calling (760) 296-2966, ext. 115, or in person at the CVRep box office from Tuesday-Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and two hours prior to performances. The theater is located at 68510 East Palm Canyon Dr., Cathedral City. To better serve audiences, patrons requesting accessibility assistance are encouraged to contact the box office at least 24 hours prior to their ticketed performance.
CVRep’s 2023-2024 Season will conclude with George and Ira Gershwin’s beloved, timeless and wonderful musical, NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT, April 10-21.