The Playgoer: PR Macht Frei?

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Saturday, June 09, 2007

PR Macht Frei?

"You have so many of those emails and promotions and you try to kind of do something to stand out."

-So says the head of Glendale, CA's Luna Playhouse in explaning her controversial "outside-the-box" ad campaign for their production of Charles Busch's WWII genre parody "The Woman in Question." What part of this did people not understand?

"Come see The Lady in Question dressed as a Nazi and get $10 off."

Brilliant!

And she's not backing down, this Lilly Thomassian gal. A big overreaction: "I guess the word 'Nazi' just kind of shocked people, because if I had said, 'Come dressed up as a German soldier from the '40s,' nothing would have happened."

Wait, it gets better.

In response to those in the Glendale community expressing reservations over the prospect of Obergruppenfuhren in their local parking garages and restaurants pre- and post-show: "Even if people see a person in a Nazi uniform on the street, they would probably think they were going to a party or something. Nobody would take it seriously."

Some party!

Or did she mean party rally?

Is Luna Playhouse revoking the promotion? Nein!
"Whoever has the courage to do that deserves to have $10 off," Thomassian said. "Come to see it as a Nazi or not as a Nazi. I don't care. Just come to see the show."
(I told you it gets better)

Lily, babe, right sentiment, wrong phrasing. The ad copy should read: "So if you're a Nazi--or even if you're not!--don't walk but run schnell over to Luna Playhouse!"

I hear the Telecharge code for the $10 offer is HEIL.

Man, who put this person in charge of a theatre!

Oh wait--she did. (She's identified as "co-founder.")

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interestingly, she's also the author of a play about the 1915 Armenian genocide. Say what you will about her, she sure knows how to compartmentalize.

parabasis said...

Good point, James.

This is just... I mean, it seems obvious to me that this is something you don't do... you know, like common sense or whatnot... the holocaust was less than a century ago, for god's sake.

Can you imagine...
COME SEE "SINCERITY FOREVER" DRESSED AS A KLANSMAN AND GET $10 OFF! or... COME SEE EXTREMITIES DRESSED AS A RAPIST AND GET BUY-ONE-GET-ONE-FREE!... or...

Anonymous said...

Did anyone bother to see the play? I did...the lead was brilliant; the production hilarious! So the idea was in poor taste. I guess so, but it sure got your attention, didn't it?