Out of Box Theatre, the Marietta-based theater company known for intimate and unexpected productions, returns May 8-17 with queer playwright Topher Payne’s comedy “A First Lady’s Guide to Killing the President.”
The play takes place in 1923 and follows Florence Harding, the wife of President Warren. G. Harding. Under the hanging threat of the president’s sex scandals and financial misdeeds, the Hardings embark on a cross-country train tour to generate good press.
But trouble comes along for the ride in the form of two of Warren’s blackmailing mistresses, a scheming Second Lady who’s looking to move up, an incompetent herbalist who somehow became Assistant Surgeon General, a debauched newspaper publisher convinced she’s suffering from the curse of the Hope Diamond, and an ill-tempered pet squirrel named Handsome Pete.
“Once the train leaves the station, it never slows down,” director Matthew Busch said. “It’s bold, it’s ridiculous, and it hits closer to home than you might expect.”
“A First Lady’s Guide” premiered to sold-out audiences in 2025 and returns from May 8 through 17 at Georgia Ensemble Theatre in Roswell. The cast features Leigh-Ann Campbell, Rial Ellsworth, Amanda Cucher, Shelly McCook, Neuma Joy, Leon Shields, and Jessie Kulpers.
Tickets for “A First Lady’s Guide to Killing the President” are $25.
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