2013 may be the year of the girls. With the continued success of shows like “Girls” and videos of Miley Cyrus writhing like an oversexed octopus, "Breaking Heels", a sweet and simple new play by Bryn Lagoni, sounds on paper like a much needed addition to this continuing dialogue on what it means to be a young woman today. Yet everything about this production from The American Theatre of Actors feels like a valiant rookie effort; you find yourself rooting for it, but while yearning for a taste of what those other girls are selling. If “Girls” is a bloody burger, then “Breaking Heels” feels like turkey on wheat.
Described as a coming of age story, “Breaking Heels” centers around two girls, Stacy and Rachel, two diametrically opposed roommates journeying through their freshman year of college. Stacy (Chelsea Gonzalez) is a goofy, likable, reclusive klutz, the kind that belts Kelly Clarkson tunes into her hairbrush while falling off the bed. Her roommate, Rachel (Kaitlin Wire), is a husky voiced, leopard clad, red lipstick wearing, vodka swilling rebel with an ill-fated past.
Both refreshing and disappointing is the girls’ immediate bond. There is no inane cattiness anywhere to be found, but there is also very little conflict. The girls play hooky and drink like skid row pros, but they don't do much else. They also have contrived confessional hour at “Insecurity Rock”, a landmark that appears to be standing without visible support. (Yes, parents, that is where college tuition goes.) In the midst of all this girlhood is a fraternity mime show suspended high above the main stage, a thinly veiled homoerotic brofest between Mike (Danny Bateman) and Ryan (David Siciliano). Their relationship unfolds like a ton of predictable bricks.
The problem with “Breaking Heels” is that there are no surprises. Every cliché about coming of age, every weepy narrative about the past, and all the heavy-handed tricks that are supposed to guide an audience that doesn’t need any help are all lurking here. In short, there is no mystery, no intrigue, and nothing specific enough to make these stories anything more than Lifetime-movie lite.
Notwithstanding, Lagoni does have a gift for dialogue and her actors are trying their damndest. Director Phil Blechman casts his not-so-subtle hand over the production, pulling out a trying, albeit enthusiastic, performance from his cast. Oddly, Blechman has Lagoni’s frequently undersized scenes interposed with blaring music for what feels like the entire run of the show. The set, by Katrina Gordineer, has all the lure of dorm room chic: complete with matching twin beds and dressers, Christmas lights, and the soundtrack of the 90s on perennial blast.
For what the show is missing in substance, it compensates for in energy. There isn’t a trace of irony in “Breaking Heels”: the play seems to take itself completely seriously and that, like the lovable blonde at the root of the story, is endearing. Still, what could have been a funny narrative about female agency and burgeoning womanhood falls flat, altogether saccharine and stale; like growing up, “Breaking Heels” is a sweet sitcom, missing the bite of adulthood.
Performances of "Breaking Heels" continue through October 13th. Check out our full even listing here: https://stagebuddy.com/listingdetail.php?lid=15485
