Ah, politics. This election cycle has been more of a cluster than usual, and it’s got most of us feeling a little overwhelmed. But, rest assured, you won’t find any impressions of the current candidates on the stage at Studio Theatre — your monotony will be thoroughly broken by POTUS Among Us: Beyond Belief. This provocative production will be there for the next few weekends with a rotating cast of talented improv performers curated by Washington Improv Theater. And, if the performance I attended is any indication, they will spend every show playing the most ridiculous personas possible, characters who very well might rival even the most ludicrous nominee the U.S. currently has on offer.
If you’ve ever done improv, you’ve dreamed of the reward of being in a challenging show like POTUS Among Us. If you’ve never done improv, but you have an inkling of how hard it is, multiply that rating by a lot to get to the difficulty level of planning and executing a production like this. Every story needs a structure, and although improv usually requires the performers just wing it, this concept demands a framework. And guiding the troupe through that outline takes a deft directing hand — fortunately this piece is steered beautifully by longtime vets John Carroll and Meghan Faulkner.
The show is framed as a whirlwind political tour of the country, starring a motley panel of candidates who bring all their tumultuous history, impractical ideas, and emotional baggage with them. As with all good improv, audience participation is part of the process of creating the magic, and each character gets an initial input (a stance, belief, or personality trait they have to incorporate). The audience gets the profound pleasure of making up these inputs, plus silly monikers for each candidate. They’re also involved in some other fun games as the evening evolves.
Cast and audience interactions are handled by the Moderators, played by Alex Kazanas and Kate Symes. These two strong personalities definitely have the authoritative juice they need to anchor this wildly gyrating spectacle, and it helps that they are both stalwart improv experts. I’d trust them with a real debate. On the evening I attended, the rest of the cast included Darnell Eaton, Sarah Herhold, Eva Lewis, Turner Meeks, Jordana Mishory, Erick Acuña Pereda, Chelsea Shorte, and Ali Stahr. Each of these seasoned performers found their groove early on, and absolutely nailed the task at hand. The picture is made complete by some wonderful ‘atmospheric’ actors who play secret service agents and sundry on the edges of the action: Mark Chalfant, Caroline Chen, Lauren Gabel, Abby Haverty, Carly Kraybill, Anna Nelson, Chris Olinger, Alissa Platz, Kelly Shannon, Mikki Smith, and Nick Tschernia.
It’s exciting to see this cast bop all over the stage, approaching mics on the side for disembodied “breaking news bulletins” and “attack ads” (some of the audience requested attacks on certain candidates), improvising answers for the Q&A portion, battling their opponents during the debate, nimbly pivoting for walk-on offers, serving as talk show hosts, etc. It’s easy to see they are having as much fun as the audience. One by one, the candidates are whittled down by audience votes, until just two remain, and these will be different every night.
The other component that changes for each show is the special guest. Washington Improv Theater has gathered an impressive list of important political luminaries to attend specific nights. The night I attended, I was shocked to see a face I had seen on TV just a few days before — Allan Lichtman. This globally recognized lecturer and author is known for his method of predicting election winners, known as the “13 Keys” to a successful election campaign. If a nominee manages to pass his test, he declares that they will be the winner, and he’s been correct 9 out of the last 10 elections.
The guest gets their moments throughout the show, greeting the audience, making fun choices for the cast, and contributing suitable knowledge to the story. It’s a feat that could only be accomplished in DC. The list of guests is visible on WIT’s ticket page, and I encourage you to check it out and see if there are any local heroes you gravitate toward before committing to buy tickets for a certain evening. But, for me, the guest is just a bonus — my heroes are the ones leaving it all out there between the curtains.
When you see a lot of theater, you become accustomed to seeing certain faces. And sometimes, if you’re lucky, the actors recognize you, too. The dynamic becomes an unspoken agreement: we’re all here to support one another, so don’t sweat anything. It’s all good. This forgiving familiarity is automatically built in to an improv performance. Admittedly that’s disarming, but it’s also what makes the art form so unique and valuable. If this sounds intriguing to you, give POTUS Among Us: Beyond Belief a few hours of your time.
Running Time: Two hours, including a ten-minute intermission.
POTUS Among Us: Beyond Belief plays through November 2, 2024, presented by Washington Improv Theater performing in the ground-floor Shargai space at Studio Theatre, 1501 14th Street NW, Washington, DC. Purchase tickets ($20) online.
COVID Safety: Masks recommended but not required. WIT’s complete policy is here.
SEE ALSO:
WIT’s hit election-year satire ‘POTUS Among Us’ returns this fall (news story, September 6, 2024)
