Authoritarian deputy ran the shows (6)
I believe the answer is:
tyrant
'authoritarian' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'deputy ran the shows' is the wordplay.
'shows' indicates a hidden word.
'TYRANT' is hidden in the letters of 'deputy ran the'.
(Other definitions for tyrant that I've seen before include "bully - with 17d" , "Cruel and oppressive dictator" , "Harsh and absolute ruler" , "Person dictating" , "Despotic ruler" .)