Last updated on September 12, 2025
If the title of the play is any indication, POTUS, or Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, the Footlight Club’s season-opening play is going to be hilarious.
The Footlight Club’s 149th season (?!?!) opens on Sept. 13 with the political comedy by Selina Fillinger.
The play is described as “a bawdy and irreverent look at another day at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.” The story is about “when a White House PR nightmare spins into something worse. Seven brilliant and beleaguered women must risk life, liberty and the pursuit of sanity to keep the commander-in-chief (the great dumbass) out of trouble. In this adults only go for broke comedy, everything is on the line and nothing is off limits.”
The play’s Broadway run was critically praised and included Julie White, Rachel Dratch, Vanessa Williams, Lea DeLaria and Julianne Hough. Dratch and White both earned Tony nominations for Best Featured Actress for their performances.
The Footlight Club’s ensemble cast taking on the roles of these put-upon women are Katherine Light as Harriet, POTUS’ Chief of Staff; Elizabeth Bean as Stephanie his secretary; Vivian Liu-Somers as Jean, his Press Secretary; Juliette McClendon as Chris, a White House reporter; Talia Bashan-Fahy at Bernadette, the president’s sister; Margaret McLoughlin as Dusty his mistress; and Joanne Loetz as Margaret, the First Lady.
The Footlight version is directed by Maryann Zschau, with assistant director Natalie Farina and producer Michael Colford.
There will be eight shows from Sept.13 through Sept. 27. Performances are at 2 pm (Sunday shows) or 8 pm. There will be a sensory friendly performance on Sept. 20 at 2 pm. For tickets and more info check out footlight.org or at the box office, the night of the show.
