By John Quinn
Hot comedy at Performance Network thaws Ann Arbor's chill
The traditional mid-winter orgy of red paper hearts and long-stemmed roses is fast approaching, and the Performance Network in Ann Arbor is staging Theresa Rebeck's valentine for dysfunctional lovers, "Spike Heels."
A battle-of-the-sexes comedy, "Spike Heels" probes relationships that are as dark as Godiva chocolates, but nowhere near as sweet.
Up-tight academician Andrew has been playing Henry Higgins with his up-stairs neighbor Georgie, a rather brassy -uh, shall we say "common" – bundle of sexual energy. He's responsible for getting her a secretarial position with his good friend Edward the attorney. Andrew's feelings for Georgie seem strictly platonic; after all, he's engaged to pale and cultured Lydia. But when Georgie storms into the apartment with a tale of sexual harassment, tempers and friendships begin to fray.
Director Grant Stokes and his cast easily draw us into the conflict. Front and center is Carla Milarch as Georgie the center of our love "wreck-tangle," just a working girl with a penchant for apparel in glowing reds and pinks. That includes the spike heels of the title – "instruments of torture," as Andrew describes them. "Don't those shoes hurt?" asks Lydia in a crisp scene between jealous ladies "but I guess you don't wear them for comfort." We already know that. Georgie endures the pain because heels make her legs look good.
Alex Mendiola as Andrew is a rather pedantic scholar, and he contrasts nicely with Michael Del Sordo's hyperkinetic lawyer. Rounding out the foursome is Sarah Nelson as social patrician Lydia, who stands a good chance of being the odd woman out in the relationship game. The one-on-one scene between Milarch and Nelson is clearly the high point of the show. It's an emotional roller coaster, both incisive and wise.
The energetic blocking makes good use of a detailed set by designer Eric W. Maher; so slick is the construction that it changed colors at intermission to depict the scene change from Andrew's apartment to Georgie's. Watching the stage crew work was more entertaining than anything that could have gone on in the lobby – and I have a strong bladder.
While the play can stand on its own as a comedy, note must be made of the barrage of vulgarity in the first act. It's valid to ask if giving Georgie such a potty mouth is an attempt at detailing the character or reaching for cheap laughs. She barks at Andrew, "Do you think I talk like this in front of strangers?"
Hell, teamsters don't talk like that in front of friends! In fact, playwright Rebek often reaches for the broadly conventional or stereotypic to prove a point or gain a laugh. It is the false note in an otherwise engaging comedy.
"Spike Heels" Presented Thursday through Sunday at the Performance Network, 120 E. Huron, Ann Arbor, through Feb. 29. Tickets: $22.50 & $27.50. 734-663-0681. http://www.performancenetwork.org.
The Bottom Line: Trade in those mukluks for some stilettos; you need a lift out of your mid-winter blues!
