UCF's production of the play Theresa Rebeck's Spike Heels was an entertaining and thought-provoking portrayal of the play by Theresa Rebeck, taking the anxieties of working professionals of both sexes in the 20th century and exploring them in a fun, breezy way. While the production did not seem to take an especially risky series of choices with regards to their production, the acting, direction and more worked quite well in presenting a straightforward and entertaining version of the play.
Spike Heels was Theresa Rebeck's first play to receive wide recognition, and was one of many plays during this era to explore the realms of sexuality in the late 20th century. This play in particular tackles the subject of sexual harassment, which was an immensely popular and controversial subject at the time; the phenomenon was only just being recognized as a significant problem in the workplace (due primarily to events like Anita Hill's allegations of sexual harassment from Clarence Thomas, for example), and this play addresses those anxieties (Bowers and Hook, 2002). It is also a four-character relationship drama, which was typical of the new types of plays which were coming out in the early 90s; black box theatres and off-off-Broadway were becoming more popular, and four-character relationship dramas are affordable to produce and easy to cast due to their small cast size. The first professional production of this play was conducted in 1992 at the Second State Theatre in New York City, and featured Kevin Bacon in an early role as Edward (BID, 2012).
Spike Heels follows four young professionals - two men and two women - trying to navigate the world of modern-day sexuality and feminism, all while dealing with the anxieties of the workplace. Georgie, a young, liberated professional woman, who is alternatively friends, lovers, and proteges to both Andrew, her neighbor, and Edward, her boss. Over the course of the play, Georgie and the others attempt to navigate the various levels of sexual tension between them, often with disastrous and tense results. Each character was realistically flawed in their own way - Georgie is alluring and confident but self-destructive, Andrew is smart and reserved but all too cautious and unwilling to take risks, Edward is assertive but sleazy and morally dubious, and Lydia is fiery and possessive. None of these characters are much more likeable than the other, but they are all very relatable, due to the restrained and flawed nature of their characters. At varying times, you hated many of the characters for not committing to their various relationships, but their closeness and sexual tension was also so palpable that you understood the threat of indiscretion that was there. The play ends with Georgie rejecting Andrew despite his feelings for her, and talking with Edward about the possibility of getting together; the play ends in an open-ended fashion, not telling us if they will truly get together.
UCF's production of Spike Heels was very good for a black box production; fairly strong performances all around, especially from Gracie Winchester, who played Georgie with just the right amount of restraint to prevent her from turning into a Sex and the City character. Kate Ingram's direction was assured, but sometimes the blocking seemed a bit repetitive (more variation in movement/playing with levels could have kept the pace fresh). Costumes and lighting were fine, if not spectacular; the play was not produced in a very presentational way, which is perfectly acceptable for this play but nothing revolutionary. In fact, the realistic way the play was directed helped to bring home the realistic arguments and conflicts at the heart of the play.
The audience seemed to react quite well to the production, and I found myself reacting the same way. Uproarious laughter was heard at several points, on cue with some of the funnier moments of the play; at the same time, people seemed enraptured by the moments of drama. I definitely felt the play was produced for a college crowd (just like me), so I did feel that it was a young person's play - the audience response hammered that idea home.
In conclusion, I could recommend this production of Spike Heels for those who like straightforward dramedies in their theater. The production is quite competent, and the play itself is a strong exploration of modern themes of sexuality and feminism. I would recommend it to friends and others like me who enjoy modern theatre, but not to older audiences or those who are not familiar with these kinds of late 20th century relationship dramas. The play's intention is to explore the types of personalities that come about as a result of high-powered professionals and a fast-paced city life, and the production matches that intent fairly well. Gracie Winchester's performance along her peers and Kate Ingram's direction were very assured, and along with the other elements made for a very entertaining evening, which made you think and feel while you were laughing at the same time.
Works Cited
Bowers , Toni and Brian Hook. "Hostile work environment: A manager's legal liability."
Techrepublic, October 22, 2002.
Rebeck, Theresa. Spike Heels. Samuel French, Inc., 1992. Play.
Broadway International Database. Spike Heels. Production Information. 2012. Web.
