About the play

 

“Tremendulos…aren’t for everyone”

'Quality' is a play by Elaine Avila, set in the fiercely competitive world of high fashion and shoes. Witty, fun and modern, the play exposes the machinations behind the scenes of a Manhattan shoe-store, where shoes "cost as much as shoes can cost".

On the surface, ‘Quality’ is a play about shoes and delivers all the punch of a shopping trip to an expensive designer boutique where one finds that perfect pair of absolutely fabulous shoes on sale for half price. Beneath its glossy surface, ‘Quality’ is about the quality of life, and the quality of the human character. Can self worth be established with the perfect pair of shoes? What if those shoes are a perfect work of art?

The play examines contemporary obsessions with beauty, sexiness, and consumption. It delves into the complex relationship between working women of different classes.

The play follows the story of two women – a mentor and her protégée – as they attempt to navigate and, each in their own way, conquer the world of selling high-end designer shoes. As these two intelligent, ambitious shoe enthusiasts discover what really matters in life, their relationship to each other is thoroughly tested. This is an unusual play in that it places its female characters in the context of work – and not in the more usual mother-daughter scenario.

This setup will talk directly to many working women today.

‘Quality’ was performed in Edmonton (Canada) in June 2007 to both critical and audience acclaim.

Written by Elaine Avila
Directed by Kathleen Weiss
Performed by Tracy Penner and Melissa Thingelstad
Designed by Alex Warnock-Smith and Christina Godiksen
Produced by Tanja Raaste