Intimate Apparel

Commissioned by Center Stage and South Coast Rep, Intimate Apparel came to national attention with the 2004 production at the Roundabout Theatre in New York City. Set in Manhattan in 1905, it is the story of Esther, an African-American seamstress who sews extraordinarily beautiful lingerie for wealthy patrons — both white and black. In the process, she becomes intimate with these women, and her dream of standing on her own as a businesswoman plays out against the backdrop of the ordinary details of fitting corsets and fine hand sewing.