Spike Heels

How do the two male characters represent different aspects of men’s need to control women?

Discuss the play’s approach to character. As a problem play, how does it flatten its roles to present social and cultural ideas, rather than present fully-developed characters?

Why does neither Edward nor Andrew take Georgie up on her offer to have sex? Are their refusals hypocrisy, fear of losing power, or something else?

Discuss the role of the audience in the staging of the play. Why does Georgie and Lydia’s night happen off-stage? Why does Edward’s harassment of Georgie also take place off-stage? How does this transform audience perceptions of these characters?

Research the two books Georgie is given: Andrew’s gift of the Iliad and Lydia’s gift of Pride and Prejudice. How does each title reflect the gift-giver and their perception of Georgie’s potential as a person?

Rebeck’s play was a direct response to the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Clarence Thomas, in which attorney Anita Hill testified about sexual harassment and the difficulties women faced in a male-dominated field. Is the play still relevant to modern audiences? Why or why not?

Discuss aesthetics in the play. What do dress, choice of music, books, and other aesthetic decisions say about the characters and their choices?

Examine power in the play. Who wields it and how? Who abuses it and how?