Intimate Apparel

Written by Lynn Nottage, Intimate Apparel takes place at the dawn of the 20th century, when opportunities for African-American women are in short supply. But 35-year-old Esther has a gift for sewing exquisite lingerie. Her creations are worn by Park Avenue socialites and downtown prostitutes alike, and offer her a rare life of independence. Still, she is lonely and risks it all to wed a Caribbean stranger whom she knows only through a romantic exchange of letters. When she realizes that he may not be the same person who wrote those impassioned thoughts, Esther must answer difficult questions about her own identity, about tradition, and about a woman’s place in the world. Viola Davis stars.

Daniel Sullivan directs for the Roundabout Theatre Company.

Winner of the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award Best Play, Outer Critics Circle Award Best Play, Outer Critics Circle Award John Gassner Award Best Play, PEN/Laura Pels Foundation Award for Drama, American Theatre Critic’s Assoc. Francesca Primus Award Best Play, and the Steinberg New Play Award.

Also the recipient of the Obie Award for Outstanding performance and the Drama Desk Award for Best Actress in a Play for Viola Davis.