Spike Heels

by Theresa Rebeck

Comedy / 2 male, 2 female Interior Pygmalion goes awry in this contemporary comedy of manners which explores sexual harassment, misplaced amour, and the possibility of a four sided love triangle. The combatants are a sexy, volatile young woman and three Back Bay types a writer, a lawyer and a fiancee in sensible shoes. The setting is Boston, the ending is happy and laughter abounds. "Stinging one liners." N.Y. Daily News. "Places a superior wryly pleasing ... fashionable femin

Genres: Plays, Theatre, Drama, Adult, School

112 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 1991

About the author

Theresa Rebeck is a playwright. She also works as a television writer. Her input went into popular shows such as Dream On, Brooklyn Bridge, L.A. Law, American Dreamer, Maximum Bob, First Wave, and Third Watch.
She also wrote and produced Canterbury’s Law, Smith, Law and Order: Criminal Intent and NYPD Blue.
Ms. Rebeck has an MFA in Playwrighting and a PhD. in Victorian Melodrama, from Brandeis University. She is a board member of the Dramatists Guild and has taught at Brandeis and Columbia Universities.
She currently resides in Brooklyn with her husband Jess Lynn and two children, Cooper and Cleo.

Reviews

[Hanako · Rating 2 out of 5]

the ending makes me wonder if the play is actually misogynistic..
i do root for each character for at least a moment or two, but they're overall very unlikable and they're truly bad people :(

[Jaden Urso · Rating 3 out of 5]

so when do i get to play georgie?

[Sophia_onion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dramatic rom com… I think? Love the female characters dynamic. Maybe bc it’s a play, I feel like the exploration of sexual assault and social economic class differences might be a bit shallow. Perhaps if it’s in an in depth book form, those topics can be explored more

[Chey]

I enjoyed this for the most part. All of the characters are totally messed up and have no idea what they want. The love triangle (or is it a love square?) was also kind of gross. I had to deduct a star for the ending... Rebeck's endings generally annoy me.

*Read for class.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a play

[J Jewell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who would’ve thought I’d be reading so many goddamn plays in acting school. Not me ironically, when now that I think of it, it comes with the job.

This was a little clusterfuck of a play, and for what it is, it was a fun ride. All of these little creature demon humans are portrayed in a very…morally grey light to say the least. With Andrew being with Lydia after she was with Edward before and cheated, and Georgie having feelings for Andrew because of their dynamic and ‘friendship’ and Lydia getting jealous and confused why her Fiancé is so close to this woman and Edward wanting to fuck Georgie, it’s all a big mess. With a lot of fighting, drinking and even a little dancing.

This is a great commentary on what hopelessness, seeking in the moment pleasure to hide one’s own pains, validation in the form of acceptance and love and the issues with desire and lust along with so much more. Georgie is definitely a broken woman with a Spiky Exterior and has very complicated mushy inside.

I’m excited for the character work I’m going to be doing on her in the next few weeks and will be finishing my script analysis in the next few days.

Overall, considering I’m doing the scene where Lydia confronts her, I can see this scene truly coming to life and having some beautiful moments once performed.

3.0/5.0

[Laur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another play read come and gone -- I really enjoyed this one, while some of the characters and character choices were a little iffy, it was really humorous and the girl we had reading Georgie I think captured her perfectly so it was really fun to hear and to read along with her.

The play takes place in two apartments (Andrew's in Act 1 and Georgie's in Act 2) and I think this really helped the audience get a sense of the characters more closely and why they are the way they are --> what their personality looks like on the outside vs the inside -- I can see why this is related back to pygmalion and it's interesting that in this version it is much like George Bernard Shaw's ending addition - with who she ends up with - unlike the movie edition where she would end up with Andrew - I am glad that this was not the case here.

I think personally I would enjoy seeing this play done live, but there are some definite issues in it. The most interesting part to me is how modern it feels even though it was written quite some time ago.

[Em Stern · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok good play. Lots of scenes between Georgie and Andrew, Andrew and Edward, Lydia and Georgie, Edward and Georgie. Some good feminine monologues in there as well. All the characters are messed up in their own way and dont know what they want. It was entertaining, but also a little redundant. While Theresa Rebeck tends to write great women characters with depth it was VERY unsettling and WEIRD that Georgie kissed and was open to dating Edward after he threatened to rape her. He was villianized throughout the entire play for saying this.... and then this is how the play ends? Weird. The ending really pissed me off.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this play in two sittings. The characters were fascinating and what was happening in their individual lives when they collided with each other’s was page turning. It leads you to empathy, which is the whole point of any play worth reading in my opinion. Quick, easy, entertaining. It has some great monologues and I really enjoyed reading it!

[Aitana Jordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Someone called this a period piece because it was written in the 90's and I found that hilarious and my mom found it horrifying. It's fine, a little performative 1st wave feminism for me and I doubt it would hold up today.

[av ignacio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Georgie is such an interesting character, and it was fun to see such long scenes play out and how the development and the dynamics change so fast, even in the same space. Super glad to performing a scene from this play soon <3

[Adrian Collins · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not a fan of Theresa Rebeck's female characters.

[Daniel Pivonka · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Darby Steeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was completely taken. It was a gorgeous escape.

[Carola Di Franco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun play

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

great dialogue and status

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

definitely want to work on this

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually thought this was so good I’ve been really struggling to find plays with women who are like empowered through sexuality??? Idk if that’s the right way to say it but I liked it

[Rebecca Jauregui · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still trying to understand why the author wrote the ending that way? It makes me mad but maybe that’s the point?

[jas binder · Rating 5 out of 5]

hey why are georgie and andrew kinda eo coded .

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simulataneously dated and also eerily relevant. Disappointed in how the sexual harassment plot gets resolved....

Plot twist: everyone is sleeping with each other and they're all terrible people (it's a theresa rebeck play)

[Sara Elice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun 4 character play. Lots of solid scenes with good character monologues interspersed.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting look at relationships. Not as clever as I had hoped, though and the dialouge was a little screechy.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

read it or see it! very good, but i can't discuss this play with you any further until you do.

[Irene Doughty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Realistic play with four parts
Two f two m

[Faleena Hopkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good play. Funny. :)

[Ryan Juno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it for class. Rocked my world. A good, edgy book about people who are die hard about their character.

[Luwam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four people who don't know what they want and once they finally figure it out, they live in denial. Sounds like life!

[Chloë Kamali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this. I loved this play SO much, even though I have no fucking clue what to entirely make of it.

[Mary Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just a lot of arguing. Did not find it to be something I'd like to direct or be in.