The Red Sneaks
by Elizabeth Swados

This free wheeling contemporary musical for teens is a loose adaptation of the The Red Shoes, transposed to today's urban jungle.

The allegorical montage of songs, scenes and monologues centers around a welfare hotel resident who is persuaded by a mysterious young drifter to accept a pair of glittery red sneakers.

Whoever is wearing them may wish for anything-- and every wish comes true, but the easy way out turns out to be a fast trip to an early death."The most refreshing thing about The Red Sneaks ... is the chance to hear youths rather than adults talk about the nightmarish pressures of urban life."

- The New York Times"Remarkably clear, unsentimental and disturbing.... A gritty little musical that combines pop and rock with more traditional musical comedy."

- Associated Press"A most effective contemporary morality play....

The music has real gusto."

- New York Post