DT_EXTREMITIES


 * 1) If I had to take credit for one of these advertisements, it would be number 6. Only that poster captures the theme of the play in a concise and memorable way. Poster 1 is too cluttered, and few people would stop to read the newspaper clippings. Poster 2 looks like an ad for a home-improvement workshop. Poster 3 is too clichéd and ordinary. Poster 4 has a cartoonish tone, which is certainly not desirable. Poster 5 looks like it belongs on a can of Raid. And poster 7 is much too vague. Poster 6, on the other hand, is distinct. It’s simple, but its stark imagery and selective use of color are eye-catching. It also does the best job of conveying the play’s content: from the eye, it is implied that the protagonist is female; from the wasp, that she experiences pain or danger. The wasp’s color and its placement in the eye emphasize its menace, and the complete lack of plot clues inspires curiosity.
 * 2) The best way to educate the audience about the work would be to advertise it with a sentence that conveys the broad intention of the production. For example, if the show were intended as an indictment of the justice system, it could be advertised as “Extremities: Is the Law on Your Side?” Or, since the author invented the story after talking to a real rape victim, the title could read “Extremities: Inspired by a True Story.” These phrases tell the audience that Extremities is not meant as a psychological or fictitious exercise, but as a realistic drama with serious implications.