37 pages 1 hour read

Theresa Rebeck

Spike Heels

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1990

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Important Quotes

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“Goddammit, I hate heels. I have ruined my arches for the rest of my life just so a bunch of stupid men can have a good time looking at my fucking legs.”


(Act I, Scene 1, Page 8)

Georgie angrily decries the expectations of her male-dominated workplace—that she play up her feminine allure as a way to job security and even advancement despite the pain from the spike heels and the damage they are doing to her feet. She performs the part of sexy secretary to secure her status within the law firm while hating herself for doing it.

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“He sees something on the coffee table, picks up a book and slams it down. He takes the book to a small garbage can by his desk and knocks the dead bug off.”


(Act I, Scene 1, Page 11)

This brief stage direction reveals much about Andrew’s self-righteous prissiness. He cannot have any imperfections in his world—quietly getting rid of the bug underscores his need for control and his ease with wielding power. This quiet extermination is contrasted in Act II when Georgie far more dramatically kills a bug in her apartment.

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“I am gracious, I am bright, I am promising. I am being the other person for them because I do want this job but there is a point beyond which I will not be fucked with!”


(Act I, Scene 1, Page 15)

Georgie wonders whether she consents to her position in the workplace and or whether she doesn’t even have the power of consent. She knows exactly what she is doing with her risqué dress, her double entendres, and her flashy walk. But she also knows that she is smart, a quick learner with genuine people skills—all of which should make her appearance irrelevant.