by Ioana Sileanu

Directed by Mihai Lukács

at Tranzit House, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

 

Scenography concept:

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The scenography transforms the stage into an oceanic landscape — a hypnotic space of beauty and peril — mirroring both the seductive pull of addiction and the fluid, treacherous terrain of the advertising world. The blue field evokes the ocean’s depths, while red lines trace across it like those of a sports arena, alluding to the competitive dynamics of the corporate world and the fiery instability of oceanic trenches — the “ring of fire.” This unstable ground reflects the fragile balance between success and collapse faced by the protagonists. Scattered plastic bottles punctuate the scene as remnants of excessive consumption, standing as silent witnesses to the environmental and ethical decay driven by corporate greed. The chromatic tension between blue and red underscores the struggle of women-led businesses navigating a system that commodifies empowerment, revealing how feminist language is cynically repurposed into yet another strategy of seduction and control.

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Context:

 

"Slots" explores, with sarcasm and dark humor, how the gambling industry tries to attract a female audience through targeted campaigns under the guise of feminism.

The show fictionalised real campaigns, revealing the subtle and manipulative mechanisms companies use to turn "empowerment" into a tool for capturing a profitable clientele.

In recent years, we have witnessed an increase in marketing campaigns and strategies by major gambling companies aimed at attracting women to casinos.

These campaigns exploit feminist messages and values, attempting to associate women's decision-making power and financial independence with gambling, which often leads to addiction and vulnerability, increasing the risk of poverty and social exclusion.

By appealing to "community building," the aim is to manipulatively and immorally create a loyal clientele from which gambling operators generate profit.

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Plot: 

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MegaWin, a gambling company, aims to attract an unexplored audience segment - women - through a specially designed marketing campaign for March, "Women's Month."

For Luiza, the owner of the BrightSpark agency, Dana, an advertising expert, and Ana, a young aspirant, MegaWin is the big chance to solidify their small startup.

Amid heated discussions about empowerment and feminism, a collaboration with Carina, a successful influencer and online community creator, and an unexpected perspective, the campaign promises a "community that inspires."

For these three women, its success represents the thin line between triumph and collapse.

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