SEATTLE, WA (August 12, 2024) — ACT Contemporary Theatre announced today the cast and creative team for the opening show of their 2024/25 Season, POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive. This Tony-nominated comedy, written by Selina Fillinger and directed by Jillian Armenante, begins September 7 and has already announced an extension to the run, now closing September 29.

POTUS presents a behind-the-scenes story of seven extraordinary women tasked with managing the unstoppable antics of the most powerful man in the world: the President of the United States. With shrewdness, physical comedy, and an abundance of four-letter words, POTUS is an outrageously funny send-up of modern American politics. 

Nationally acclaimed actor, writer, and director Jillian Armenante (Actor: The Sex Lives of College Girls; Vice; Director: Oldcastle Theatre: The Turn of the Screw; Matrix Theatre: We Are Proud to Present… ) returns to her “artistic birthplace” of Seattle to helm ACT’s riotous season opener. 

“We are thrilled to bring this political farce to the stage,” said Armenante. “While the situations in POTUS are exaggerated for comedic effect, there’s an underlying truth that resonates with our current political climate. Seriously, you can't make this sh*t up. It's theatre of the absurd, with real-world consequences.” 

“There is no more perfect way to open ACT’s 2024/25 Season than with POTUS, a hilariously profane satire that meets the current moment with razor-sharp wit and edge,” said John Langs, Artistic Director of ACT Contemporary Theatre. “We’re absolutely thrilled to have the incomparable Jillian Armenante at the helm, leading an all-star Seattle cast in this must-see production.” 

The Tony Award-nominated POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive plays in ACT’s Falls Theatre September 7 – 29, 2024, with an opening night celebration on Thursday, September 12. A full list of events can be found below and at ACTtheatre.org.

Showing: September 7 – 29, 2024 

Evening performance times are at 7:00 p.m (Tues, Wed, Sun) 7:30 p.m. (Thurs, Fri, Sat) and matinees are at 2 p.m. A full performance schedule can be found here. 

Run time is approximately 95 minutes including one intermission.. 

Key Dates: 

● First Preview: Saturday, September 7 at 7:30 p.m. 

● Industry Night: Tuesday, September 10 at 7:00 p.m. 

○ Theatre industry professionals receive $25 tickets, and are invited to a pre-show reception with light bites and a cash bar. Get Industry Night tickets here >> 

● Opening Night: Thursday, September 12 at 7:30 p.m. 

○ Join us before the show at 6:30 for our Opening Night celebration featuring music from Dunava, in collaboration with Northwest Folklife. Food and drink are also available for purchase. Get Opening Night tickets here >> 

● ASL (American Sign Language) Interpreted & Audio-Described Performance: Saturday, September 14 at 2:00 p.m. 

○ Special seating is reserved for patrons requesting live ASL interpretation of the spoken English performance. Seats are held for patrons during select performances to guarantee optimal viewing of both the interpreters and the stage. Get ASL tickets here >> 

○ Complimentary audio description is available for patrons who are blind, who have low vision, or who may benefit from having the unspoken action of a play narrated for any reason. See any front-of-house team member before the performance to receive your headset. Get audio-described tickets here >> 

WHERE: 

ACT Contemporary Theatre’s Falls Theatre, located at 700 Union Street in Downtown Seattle. 

TICKETS: 

Tickets start with Pay What You Choose to all performances. We are proud to offer a range of ticket prices and discounts for all our plays in our goal to make theatre affordable for everyone. See all of our discount offerings here. 

To purchase tickets, visit https://acttheatre.org