Take a break from politics with Bergen County Players production of POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive

29Oct

Take a break from politics with Bergen County Players production of POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Cammy Bourcier
Publicity@bcplayers.org
PHOTOS: Alan Zenrich

TAKE A BREAK FROM POLITICS WITH BERGEN COUNTY PLAYERS PRODUCTION OF POTUS: OR, BEHIND EVERY GREAT DUMBASS ARE SEVEN WOMEN TRYING TO KEEP HIM ALIVE

White House Chaos Reigns Supreme In This Fast-Paced Hit Broadway Farce Running November 2 Thru November 23

Oradell, NJ. October 15, 2024 — Perfect for fans on both sides of the aisle – Bergen County Players (BCP) one of America’s longest-running little theater companies, will spin heads and raise eyebrows with its raunchy production of POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive. The Tony-nominated play opened on Broadway in 2022, to belly-holding peals of laughter and non-stop chaos. It was a Broadway debut for 28-year-old playwright Selina Fillinger, fueled by sharp wit and biting satire, as well as humor and audacity. The show opens on Saturday, November 2 and runs through Saturday November 23 at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell. Show times are Friday and Saturday nights at 8PM and Sundays at 2PM. Tickets to POTUS, priced at $28 on Fridays and Saturdays, and $26 on Sundays, can be purchased online at www.bcplayers.org, by calling 201-261-4200 or by visiting the box office at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell during regular box office hours.

When a presidential PR nightmare involving a four-letter word evolves into a global catastrophe, it’s up to seven women in the Commander-in-Chief’s inner circle to do damage control, that is if they don’t drive each other off the rails first through a chaotic cocktail of increasingly absurd antics. Ironically, it is the women POTUS relies upon most who risk life, liberty, and the pursuit of sanity to keep the President out of trouble. The characters represent the double-bind most women face: balancing their day-to-day personal lives and loves with their loyalty to their jobs and/or boss. Delightfully raunchy and uproariously funny, POTUS is a naughty political farce that will have you rolling in the aisles!

Lynne Lupfer is a BCP Life Member, past president and member of the theater’s Board of Governors who has multiple directing credits to her name, including Godspell, You Can’t Take it With You, Sleeping Beauty, The Mouse That Roared, Aladdin, Leading Ladies and The Emperor’s New Clothes, among other shows. Her credits as Costume Designer include The Story of Velveteen Rabbit, Ragtime: The Musical (Perry Award nomination), Jack & the Beanstalk, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Guys and Dolls. Audiences have also seen her talent for decor on more than 30 sets at BCP.

“There is no more suitable time than this very moment for Selina Fillinger’s biting and hilarious comedy, as it pulls back the curtain on the women working behind the scenes at the White House,” director Lynne Lupfer said. “It’s a raucous, bawdy ride that will leave you thinking while you laugh.”

The talented cast of POTUS includes BCP veterans and newcomers. BCP President and Life Member Alyson Cohn of Wyckoff takes on the role of Harriet, the harried chief of staff, whose mission is to control the ensuing madness. BCP newcomer Rachelle Rennagel of Montclair plays Jean, the press secretary tasked with the unenviable job of keeping a lid on a PR nightmare. Marisa Gore of Englewood takes up space in uproarious fashion as Stephanie, the neurotic POTUS secretary who overdoses on psychedelics-laced Tums with hilarious results. Katie Maul of Fair Lawn makes her BCP debut in the role of Dusty, the President’s pregnant mistress, who presents an unexpected complication when she shows up on the scene. Felicia Benson-Kraft of Maywood is Bernadette, the troublesome drug-dealing jailbird sister of POTUS, who is banking on a presidential pardon. Tonette Smith of Tappan, NY plays Chris, the scoop-chasing reporter who is just trying to beat her competition but unwittingly becomes ensnared in the debacle on stage. Rounding out the cast is Dana Harris of Newark who makes her BCP debut in the role of the very classy FLOTUS, Margaret, who has seen it all and isn’t easily surprised by her husband’s gall.

The production team is comprised of Howell Mayer (Producer), Michele Roth (Assistant to the Director and Stage Manager), Gerard Bourcier (Set Design/Construction), Jodi Laufer (Set Construction), Marci Weinstein and Terri Caust (Décor), Michael Serpe (Fight Coordinator), Allan Seward (Lighting Design), Jill Hendrickson (Lighting Operator), Tim Larsen (Sound Design), Lisa Dahlborg (Sound Operator), Jennifer Bancks and Barbra Murtha (Props), Olga Garey (Costumes), Joanne Misha (Makeup), Ian Kenny (Crew Chief), Jennifer Bancks, Richard Field, Greg Guido and Leon Vaks (Crew), Dominique Alvarado (Choreographer), Michael Serpe (Fight Choreographer), Alan Zenreich (Photographer), Marci Weinstein (Program Notes), and Paul Aiello (Member-at-Large)

Disclaimer: POTUS contains explicit adult language.
PRESS PHOTO ALBUM

Click HERE for Press Photos – https://photos.app.goo.gl/njuS9hExNA4nn1d68

TICKET AND SCHEDULE INFORMATION

  • All performances take place at The Little Firehouse Theatre at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell, home to the Bergen County Players since 1949. Performance times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM, and Sundays at 2PM.
  • Tickets for Potus: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive are $28 on Fridays and Saturdays and $26 on Sundays. Tickets can be purchased online at www.bcplayers.org, by calling 201-261-4200 or by visiting the box office at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell during regular box office hours. Visa, Master Card, and American Express are accepted.
  • Those interested in Group Sales or benefit theater parties can call (201) 261-4200 (option #6)
  • BCP offers seating to accommodate patrons who are mobility impaired and can transfer from a wheelchair. These seats can be purchased by calling the box office at 201-261-4200 and will be released for public sale two weeks prior to performance.
  • BCP’s popular Questions & Artists talkback session with cast and crew will be held following the performance on Friday, November 8.
  • Advance discount tickets for students age 25 and under with proper ID are available for $19 by phone or walk-up at every performance, pending seat availability. Not available online. There is a limit of one discount ticket per student ID.
  • “Rush” discount tickets for students age 25 and under with proper ID are available for $10 at the box office window, starting 30 minutes prior to curtain. There is a limit of one Rush ticket per student ID and cash is the only payment method accepted.
  • A new program is now available for qualified non-profit organizations to use one performance of each production as a fundraising event. The group will book all 200 seats at a deeply discounted price and then resell the tickets at a price of their choosing, with the difference in price kept by the group. The available date is the Thursday of each show’s final weekend. Interested groups can email fundraising@bcplayers.org for more information.
  • Parking is free for our patrons at the Park Avenue municipal lot, across the street, one-half block north of the theater, as well as street parking on Kinderkamack Road and various side streets, all within easy walking distance.

Further information can be found at www.bcplayers.org

The Bergen County Players, Inc. is a non-Equity, non-profit community theater company dedicated to presenting quality productions for the enrichment of the community.

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