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High Heels.I
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High Heels.I
High Heels.
I am in a play at an acting camp I am doing. We are showing Around the World in 80 Days, and I am playing a middle-aged gossiping upperclass Englishwoman. My costume consists of a corset (not joking), a frilly white top, a skirt that doesn't show my feet in flats, and a pair of 4 inch heels. I have a few problems with these heels.
Problem #1, I am 5'8, so I never wear heels unless I want to look like a giant.
Problem #2, Since I never wear heels, I can barely walk in them.
Problem #3, Since I can barely walk in heels, I will most surely trip on the long skirt and crack my head open five seconds before I go on or, even worse, when I'm on, if I don't get any help.
So, do any of you guys know anything about or have any experience with wearing heels and not tripping? I would love any helpful hints, since our show is in two days. And, if you have any funny high heel stories, you can share them here.
Thank you in advance for helping me not kill myself.:)
And is anyone else doing any acting this summer?
My only suggestions are to practice, practice, practice in the long skirt and the heels. Be sure the skirt isn't so long that you'll step on it. If you still feel really precarious, I suggest you ask the director if you can wear flats. If not, then shorten the skirt. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Admin
submitted by Gigi
(July 4, 2012 - 3:35 pm)
(July 4, 2012 - 3:35 pm)
Re: tallness: I'm 5'11" and I always tower over everyone all the time especially in heels. The best way to deal with that is to enjoy it. *wise nod*
re: corset: BLARGH those suck. I'm sorry.
re: walking in heels themselves: As Admin said, the best way is to rehearse your blocking while in either the costume itself or in rehearsal clothes, whichever you have access to. Over and over and over and over again. You might also want to try weird things like abnormally long steps/climbing stairs/rocking back onto the heels/dancing, although depending on how sturdy the shoes are (I'm picturing character shoes, which are practically indestructable and specially designed for acting/dancing) you might want to give that a miss.
Also, while you're out of costume, walk on your toes whenever possible and try to keep your heel four+ inches from the ground at all times. You will probably feel ridiculous (unless you are a habitual toe-walker like me) but it seriously, seriously helps your balance because you get used to the necessary alignment/altered muscle movements and it's much easier to make the transition to legit heels if you already have that down.
And, while in the heels, keep in mind that the better your posture, the easier it is to balance. Stay as straight up as you can—which will help with the whole upperclass Englishwoman thing anyway.
Break a leg! :D
(July 5, 2012 - 12:06 am)
*pokepoke*
(July 5, 2012 - 5:12 pm)
*poke*
(July 5, 2012 - 12:09 pm)
Girl, shoot, wear those heels ! Tall women ( and girls ) that wear heels look gorgeous. Long legs are very feminine and beautiful. As for the skirt, make sure it's not too long; if it is, and you trip, then brush it off and continue.
(July 5, 2012 - 7:04 pm)
True. Mishaps happen all the time in live theatre, and the best way to deal with them is to ignore them when they happen. Be confident and the audience likely won't even notice if you're having balance problems and/or stumble.
They might even think it's part of the show. I saw a school production of Fiddler on the Roof in which a glass bottle fell off a dancer's head and broke all over the stage at the beginning of the bottle dance. The show went on and though I'd seen a successful bottle dance in an earlier production, I really thought that in this one the fall was on purpose in order to show the audience that the dancers were balancing real glass bottles on their heads and they were not glued on in any way. The fall made the audience appreciate the skill of the other dancers more!
Admin
(July 5, 2012 - 8:43 pm)
'bout the heels I can offer nothing since, hey, I'm eleven. Well, twelve in August. But still.
But, once I was watching a school musical of Peter Pan, and one of the beds fell apart inthe middle of a scene. My classmate, who was Peter, didn't try to put it back together or go to pieces or anything, she just went, "Wendy, you've got a flimsy bed there!" She said it as if she was rehearsing it all along. It was awesome.
She made a good Peter Pan.
(July 6, 2012 - 12:19 pm)
I have high heels that are 5.5cm and when I was only 6, I had high heels higher! As been said before the the only thing you can really do is practice. How many centimetres are in 5.5cms? I think is about 3 or 4 inches, i'm not sure.
(July 6, 2012 - 1:19 am)
I would agree with everything TNO and Vida say- I'm sure they know MUCH more about theater than I ever will. :)
I think you just have to get used to wearing heels- I'm 5'6'' or so and I wear heels whenever I get a chance. It's one of those life skills you just have to practice. No, really.
Anyway, good luck with the play, and I'm sure you'll do great!
(July 6, 2012 - 8:17 am)
Advice on the Heels: Practice in a skirt longer than the one you'll be wearing in the play and wear higher heels than the ones in the play. Then the real costume will seem easier.
I am doing acting this summer, too! We're doing As You Like It by William Shakespeare. I am Touchstone. Unfortuantly, the girl who is playing Audrey (the girl my character is supposed to fall in love with) has chicken pox! So, there is one week until the performance, and if Audrey doesn't get better, my really good friend Lily is going to have to play Audrey. She was exaggerating a little. I mean, a lot.
(July 6, 2012 - 7:32 pm)
If you have any say in your costume, try to get the thickest heels you can. Thicker heels (I.e. Wedges instead of stilettos) are easier to walk in.
(July 6, 2012 - 9:07 pm)
Thanks for all your tips, guys! The show went really well. I was proud of all our cast. And I only tripped once on my heels, and it wasn't even my fault! I basically was walking around in the dark backstage, and I stepped on a rolly prop thingie and did a very impressive split. My friend didn't stop laughing for the next five minutes. Anyway, your tips really helped! Thank you!!!:D
(July 9, 2012 - 4:06 pm)