cannot run minimal example of powerdot

Question

I'm trying to compile this minimal example using the powerdot class but I don't see what's wrong. Here is a screenshot of the error.

%!TEX TS-program = latex
\documentclass[
  size=11pt,
  style=default,
  paper=screen,
%% Try me!
% orient=portrait,
 %mode=handout,  
   display=slidesnotes,
% blackslide,
nohandoutpagebreaks,
  fleqn
]{powerdot}
\usepackage{blkarray, bigstrut} %
\usepackage{amsmath,mathtools,amsthm,bbm}
\usepackage{epsf}
\usepackage{url}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\newcommand{\xx}{{\ensuremath{\mathbf{x}{i^{*}}}}}
\newcommand{\rr}{{\ensuremath{\mathbf{R}{g*}}}}
\title{{\Large here and there}}
\author{Me and Your}
\date{A.Y. 2020-2021\[1cm]
\textcolor{ao(english)}{L. 9 ~~~~Clust}}
\pdsetup{
counters={theorem},
  logohook=t,
  logopos={.925\slidewidth,.985\slideheight},
  lf={ADM -- Cluster},
  rf={},
  trans=Replace,
  theslide=CA -- slide~\arabic{slide},
  list={itemsep=3pt,topsep=3pt,parsep=0pt}
}
\begin{document}
\maketitle
\begin{slide}[toc=]{Lect 9 \newline groups}
\small
\tableofcontents[content=all]
\end{slide}
\section[slide=false]{Intro}
\begin{slide}[toc=Ok]{So then}
write smth here....
\end{slide}
\end{document}

UPDATE: after fixing as suggested below, I get the following error

%%%% WARNING: Transparency operations ignored - need to use -dALLOWPSTRANSPARENCY
Error: /undefined in .setstrokeconstantalpha
Operand stack:
   397.485   238.492   0.0   238.492   1.0
Execution stack:
   %interp_exit   .runexec2   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   2   %stopped_push   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   false   1   %stopped_push   1974   1   3   %oparray_pop   1973   1   3   %oparray_pop   1961   1   3   %oparray_pop   1817   1   3   %oparray_pop   --nostringval--   %errorexec_pop   .runexec2   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   --nostringval--   2   %stopped_push   --nostringval--
Dictionary stack:
   --dict:729/1123(ro)(G)--   --dict:0/20(G)--   --dict:148/200(L)--   --dict:184/300(L)--   --dict:57/200(L)--   --dict:132/200(L)--
Current allocation mode is local
Current file position is 216788
GPL Ghostscript 9.53.3: Unrecoverable error, exit code 1
FAILED to generate /tmp/altpdflatex.15339-1623244523/cluster2.pdf ()

Answer 1

At a certain point, the class has to execute (within an \xdef)

\expandafter\the\csname c@\pd@tempa\endcsname

where \pd@tempa runs over all counters to be protected (the predefined list has table, figure, equation, footnote, mpfootnote). By adding counters=theorem in your setup means that the class willy try to execute

\expandafter\the\csname c@theorem\endcsname

However, you haven't defined any theorem environment yet, and it is not predefined. This means that the counter \c@theorem does not exist, and the construction \csname c@theorem\endcsname expands to \relax; you arrive at \the\relax, and TeX complains:

! You can't use `\relax' after \the.
<recently read> \c@theorem

as you noted.

Long story short: define a theorem somewhere in your preamble.

\documentclass{powerdot}
\pdsetup{counters=theorem}
\newtheorem{theorem}{Theorem} % <----
\begin{document}
\begin{slide}{Foo}
Bar.
\end{slide}
\end{document}