LIMA — She was a pioneer in the world of stand-up comedy, offering memorable one-liners with an over-the-top personality.
And she was also from Lima.
Phyllis Diller is an inspiration, someone in whom Lima can take a great deal of pride, said Gina Chiappazzi of Limaland Comedy.
“She lived in Lima for her entire childhood and went to college just up the road in Bluffton,” she said. “She is an inspiration for women because she broke into an industry that’s still male-dominated, and she was better than nearly all of them. She would hang out with Groucho Marx and Bob Hope, and most comics today couldn’t dream of doing something like that.”
In an attempt to further honor Diller’s legacy, Limaland Comedy will be holding the Third annual Lima’s Funniest Lady festival Thursday through Sunday to help raise funds for a permanent Phyllis Diller exhibit at the Allen County Museum.
“Our goal is to get her a good, solid exhibit inside the museum that does her legacy justice,” Chiappazzi said.
Allen County Museum director Patricia Smith would love to see a more elaborate display for Diller at the museum, and she already has some ideas as to how she would like the exhibit to look.
“What I would love to see us have is an automated figure,” she said. “I think it would be one of the most effective ways of sharing her character. You see them at some of the larger museums and other venues. But they’re extremely expensive and have a lot of requirements.”
The museum does have some items of Diller’s including a dress, two paintings she painted and some publicity photos. However, they are not always displayed for risk of damaging them. However, the paintings and photos will be on display when the museum hosts a showing of “Eight on the Lam,” a 1967 film co-starring Diller and Bob Hope.
“We’re very excited about the movie,” Smith said.
The viewing will wrap up the festival, with other events including a free comedy show Thursday at Lima’s Holiday Inn featuring four female comics from throughout the Midwest, a Friday comedy show at the Milano Cafe featuring nationally renowned comic Steve Iott and a free Saturday improv show at the Holiday Inn banquet room featuring the New York City improv troupe “Pinup Squirrels.” Tickets for the Steve Iott show are $10 and can be purchased at Milano Cafe or at limalandcomedy.com.
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