The opening night of WMU Theatre’s “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive” was met with a full house at the Gilmore Theatre Complex on Sept. 27.
The play follows seven women in the White House trying to avert a national crisis caused by the president.
A political, non-partisan farce, “POTUS” focuses on providing some humor in an often bleak subject, according to stage manager Lauren Myers.
“It’s a tough world and a lot of us can feel very jaded about it all, and this show relates to that in a motivational way,” Myers said.
The show was performed in the York Theatre in Miller Auditorium, the smallest of the three theaters within the Gilmore Theatre Complex.
“From a production standpoint, this show is in our smaller theater, which means less departmental support, especially budget-wise,” Myers said.
She continued: “The students on the show have been going above and beyond to make this show fantastic without a lot of support.”
“POTUS” opening night tickets sold out a day before the performance, welcoming a full theater when the show made its debut.
Audience members, including Kalamazoo resident Xandra Mielke appreciated the humor in the show.
“I really enjoyed it. I thought it was super funny,” Mielke said.
She continued: “I liked how they made social commentary and brought up social issues without it being the main point and without it making it super serious. It still remained a comedic play.”
Full of slapstick and crass humor, “POTUS” made the small theater come alive with laughter.
The high energy continued long after the show ended, with cast members being greeted with applause and praise from friends and family as they emerged backstage.
Cast member Kate Wilen, who played the role of Stephanie, was particularly exhilarated from the show.
“I love everyone so much. It is such a good show, everyone should come see it,” Wilen said.
She continued: “I just love watching my coworkers work. I’m so inspired by them every day.”
“POTUS” will run at the York Theatre in the Gilmore Theatre Complex until Oct. 13. Due to the play’s explicit language and humor, patrons under the age of 16 will not be admitted.
Tickets, showtimes and additional information can be found on the WMU Theatre website.
