COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio has returned to the stage for its new season with an outrageous farce filled with humor and heart.
"POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumba** Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive" is a riotous romp revolving around a crazy day in the White House and the women behind-the-scenes who are trying to keep the country together.
"You see one day - one truly chaotic day - at the White House," explained Leda Hoffmann, the artistic director of The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio as well as this play's director. "You never see the president in the play. The fictional president in this play is really... an amalgamation of a whole bunch of different presidents that you might think of."
Some of the women involved in the action include the president's chief of staff, assistant, press secretary, the first lady, his sister (who just broke out of prison), as well as his pregnant mistress.
"It's really a contemporary farce with a whole lot of heart," said Hoffmann, "and a beautiful message about how we come together as people when our bosses can really be a problem sometimes."
The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio is one of the first theaters around the country to put on the Selina Fillinger play which made its Broadway debut in April 2022.
"The first time I read this play, I could not stop laughing," Hoffman said of the ridiculous situations in the story. "I just really fell in love with the story. Then I really fell in love with the people in the story and that's what really fits our mission here at The Contemporary; we do plays that connect to the current moment, plays that build community of empathy, and we believe very strongly that one of the best ways to do that is through comedy."
The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio's production of "POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumba** Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive" runs now through Oct. 8 at the Riffe Center in Columbus. For showtimes and ticket information, you can check out their website: https://www.thecontemporaryohio.org/.