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| Photo by Erin Lartonoix. |
Theatre
UCF presents Theresa Rebeck's Spike Heels
in the Black Box from July 12-22, 2012. The play consists of four young
adults from different classes and education levels exploring the limits of
self-determination, sexual harassment, and expectations of gender roles in an
increasingly feminist world.
In
the script, the characters discuss Shaw's Pygmalion
(on which My Fair Lady was based)
and the play itself picks up on similar themes. Friends Andrew and Edward are
attempting to transform the lesser-educated and flashy Georgie into a lady. Spike Heels is a more modern version of
the tale, however, and Georgie rebuffs their attempts.
"Spike Heels defies genre," says
director Kate Ingram. "It addresses serious topics and issues like sexual
harassment not lightly, but without dragging the audience down. Just reading
the script sounds like it might be offensive to women, but it isn't. It is a
fun play, like riding a roller coaster."
Junior
Gracie Winchester plays the lead role of Georgie in Spike Heels. Winchester has performed a wide variety of roles in
the past year on the UCF stages--a comedic secretary in The Pajama Game, a distraught widow in Bury the Dead, and a comical call girl in No Sex Please, We're British. This role is a departure from her previous
work.
"At
UCF, I've been in roles that were either highly comedic or dramatic, but this
role is different because I'm just being a human being. It can be much harder
to not 'act' and just be normal," says Winchester.
"Georgie
can be funny and sarcastic and also angry and sad. It's a broad spectrum of
emotions and I have to be ready for all of them. I try to stay as present as
possible in the moment and keep listening to the other actors and respond as
honestly as I can, without anticipation. It's high energy, for sure."
"I
think the audience will find Spike Heels
funny and very relatable," continues Winchester. "It's a very realistic play. We
all have a little Georgie in us. Everybody goes through a time where they have
to figure things out for themselves and that’s what Georgie is doing. She's not
right or wrong, she's learning who she wants to be rather than letting people
decide for her."
Playwright
Theresa Rebeck is the creator and executive producer of the NBC hit Smash. Her other credits include "NYPD
Blue," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," and the screenplays for Harriet the Spy and Gossip. Rebeck is also the
author of Seminar, currently running
on Broadway and starring Alan Rickman.
Spike Heels contains adult
situations and mature language.
