Washington Improv Theater (WIT) is gearing up for the return of its hugely popular and hysterically funny presidential election-year satire POTUS Among Us, which starts September 27.
The show features a cast of fictional candidates whose respective platforms are based on
audience members’ suggestions. The first half of the performance sees the candidates face off in a moderated debate during which they must defend their newly-assigned (and generally ridiculous) policy positions, while fending-off rumors and false accusations lobbed by their opponents and members of the audience.
The second half of the show is a fast-paced countdown to “Election Day,” with bits, twists, and sharp-edged satire reminiscent of Veep or The West Wing.
“Here, more than ever, we want to make people laugh,” says WIT’s Artistic Executive Director Mark Chalfant. “Our shows take place a mile from the actual White House in a city saturated with politics. The last thing we want to do is parody the actual candidates. Our goal is to satirize the entire campaign process, including the frenzied 24/7 news cycle.”
POTUS Among Us, which started in 2004, is WIT’s most audience-immersive and interactive
production. Patrons decide in real time, using a smartphone-based voting system, who among the candidates will advance to win each night. The show is totally unscripted and completely made up in the moment, making it exciting, unpredictable, and entertaining.
This year’s theme is “Beyond Belief” — a nod to the rampant spread of lies and misinformation that have become mainstays of modern politicking.
“We wanted to explore how we understand truth in the age of misinformation,” says POTUS
Among Us: Beyond Belief co-director Meghan Faulkner. “So, you’ll see totally outrageous candidates discussing a real issue, like the environment or taxes, through the lens of their own wild worldview.”
Her co-director John Carroll says it’s a winning strategy. “I hope people walk away considering a few things,” he says. “First, how much fun they had! Second, asking themselves how tiny morsels of information can inspire such outrageous characters in the hands of our immensely talented cast, and third, I hope they leave thinking a bit differently about the information they consume and the ways in which they consume it.”
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET DETAILS
WIT’s six-week fall run is from Friday, September 27 to Saturday, November 2, 2024, at Studio Theatre on 14th St. NW, where WIT is entering its third year of artistic residence. All shows are in the ground-floor Shargai space.
The election-year production POTUS Among Us: Beyond Belief will take place every Friday and Saturday evening from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM (including a 15-minute intermission).
The ensemble showcase WIT Presents: DC’s Funniest Improvisers can be seen every Friday and Saturday night from 9:30 PM to 11 PM. This series will include performances by all of WIT’s incredible company ensembles — from the long-running crowd-pleaser iMusical, who create an improvised musical out of thin air, to the incredibly talented all-woman improv group Hellcat.
GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS to each show are $20 per person.
WIT is offering a two-for-one ticket deal throughout the six-week run applicable to the 9:30 PM showings of WIT Presents: DC’s Funniest Improvisers ONLY. Patrons can select this option at checkout.
The full schedules for both sets of performances can be found HERE, including links to purchase tickets.
OPENING WEEKEND
To coincide with the start of DC Theatre Week and the Mayor’s Art All Night initiative, there is special programming planned for Opening Weekend. In addition to POTUS Among Us at 7:30 PM each night, audiences can catch these 9:30 PM performances:
– On Friday, September 27 at 9:30 PM, WIT is thrilled to welcome back to the stage: Kinfolk, Baggage Claim, and Lena Dunham — three of the all-Black improv groups, who
brought the house down at WIT’s sold-out celebration of Black improv in July.
– On Saturday, September 28 at 9:30 PM, WIT’s Queer Variety Cavalcade Presents: Queers in Space! This sexy, sassy variety show highlights various performance genres — from drag and burlesque to music and magic. This edition will include a guest interview
with astrophysicist Ell Bogart, a performance by Baltimore’s premiere Filipina cabaret
queen Beth Amphetamine, and a special musical performance from singer/songwriter
Be Steadwell plus the QVC Improv Players.
