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Intimate Apparel Production History - By Lynn Nottage

The play had its world premiere at Center Stage in Baltimore, Maryland, running from February 21, 2003, to March 30, and was directed by Kate Whoriskey. The cast featured Shane Williams (Esther), Brenda Pressley (Mrs. Dickson), Kevin Jackson (George Armstrong), Sue Cremin (Mrs. VanBuren), and Erica Gimpel (Mayme).

It next ran at the South Coast Repertory from April 11, 2003, through May 18, 2003, directed by Whoriskey and with the same Center Stage cast.

It ran at the Roundabout Theatre, running from March 17, 2004 to June 6, 2004. Directed by Daniel J. Sullivan, it featured Viola Davis (Esther), Lynda Gravatt (Mrs. Dickson), and Corey Stoll (Mr. Marks).

Also ran in:

Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles from July to September 2004

Southern Repertory Theatre in New Orleans, the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago (January 2005)

Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis (Sept-Oct 2005), the City Theatre in Pittsburgh (May 2007)

Two River Theater in Red Bank, NJ (September/October 2010)

New Jewish Theater in St. Louis, Missouri in January 2017

Everyman Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland in October/November 2017

Lynn Nottage's inspiration for the play

The play is based on Nottage’s great-grandmother, Ethel Boyce Armstrong, a seamstress who immigrated from Barbados.

Nottage found a photo of her grandmother and her sister in an old Family Circle magazine while cleaning out her grandmother's home

The play highlights the experiences of African American women migrating from the South to New York, living in boarding houses, and navigating the restrictions of a post-Plessy v. Ferguson society

Awards won:

Drama Desk Awards (2004)

Outstanding Actress in a Play – Viola Davis (win)

Outer Critics Circle Awards (2004)

Outstanding Off-Broadway Play (win)

John Gassner Award – Lynn Nottage (win)

Obie Award (2003–04)

Performance - Viola Davis (win)

Set Design - Derek McLane (win)

Lucille Lortel Awards (2005)

Outstanding Set Design – Derek McLane (win)

Outstanding Costume Design – Catherine Zuber (win)

Historical CONT.

history.state.gov 3.0 shell

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-panama-canal-took-huge-toll-on-contract-workers-who-built-it-180968

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Historical CONT.

The second set of answers to readers’ questions about black life in 19th-century New York City, from Carla L. Peterson, author of “Black Got

It’s February and we’re celebrating the central role Black New Yorker’s have played in shaping Lower Manhattan. The history of New York’s Bl

“Little Africa” around present-day Greenwich Village

a hub of Black life in Manhattan in the years following the Civil War

Discover NYC’s growth (1905-1910) through towering architecture like the Singer Building, subway expansions, and a cultural renaissance in a

The 1900 New York City, New York Race Riot began following an incident between Arthur J. Harris, a black man, and a white undercover police

New York City Race Riot in 1900

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Historical Context By CJ Robinson

Source: Wikipedia, Credit: D. W. Griffith, 1915 The story of the Civil War and Reconstruction was told through the stories of two famili

Black People migrating to escape the oppression and violence present in the south post-civil war

Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and NYC

Population of Black People in Manhattan grew from around 10,000 in 1865 to 60,000 in 1900

South, agriculture and service, North, manufacturing

Even in the North, blacks encountered violence at the hands of whites, who resented competition for jobs and black economic success.

Between 1850 and 1890, approximately 8 million immigrants passed through the port of New York

Persecution and lack of opportunities in the old world

Established neighbourhoods across the city, ethnic enclaves

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Article: The Rise and Fall of The Tenderloin

By CJ Robinson

In Lynn Nottage’s Intimate Apparel, the neighborhood where Mayme lives is called the Tenderloin. This area in lower Manhattan was an entertainment and residential district, known mainly for catering to the scandalous and immoral desires of the wealthy elite. Following the Civil War, upper-class New Yorkers began to move northward towards Central Park. The blocks west of 6th Avenue between 24th and 42nd Street began to shift from strictly residential to the district that would become known as the Tenderloin. Often being called “Satan’s Circus” by moral conservatives, the neighborhood was the home of gambling rings, saloons, fight clubs, and brothels. At the center of it all was the Haymarket, the most notorious “Dance Hall” in the district. It was a one-stop shop for the elite’s more “sinful” desires.

Many sources debate the exact borders of the Tenderloin, and it’s likely true that many of the notorious venues bled into the surrounding communities. The consensus is that the neighborhood definitely encompassed the present-day sites of the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, and Penn Station. While the Tenderloin catered to the wealthy, it was also the home of many working-class communities. These communities, comprising primarily of European immigrants and African-Americans, worked in the service industry, often being the staff of the hotels and restaurants throughout the Tenderloin. The construction of Penn Station in the early 1900s forced most of these families out of their homes. Many of the residents of the Tenderloin moved to Hell’s Kitchen, Harlem, and San Juan Hill. The start of World War I, combined with a national rise of conservatism, resulted in the inevitable downfall of the Tenderloin. The neighborhood formerly known as the Tenderloin is now an integral part of Midtown Manhattan. What once was seen as a “den of sin” is now a global destination for people looking to have a more family-friendly fun time.

Daly’s Theatre in the Tenderloin, photo taken in 1914, site of burlesque performances

Sources:

Amell, Robert. “The Haymarket, Broadway & NoMad—and a Long Forgotten Street!” Blogspot.com, 2026, manhattanunlocked.blogspot.com/2011/01/haymarket-broadway-nomadand-long.html.

“Daly’s Theatre in New York, NY - Cinema Treasures.” Cinematreasures.org, 2016, cinematreasures.org/theaters/16384/photos/157169.

Donati, Sara. “The Tenderloin.” Thegildedhour.com, 2026, thegildedhour.com/the-tenderloin/.

“Gilded Age NYC Tenderloin.” Ephemeral New York, 3 Feb. 2020, ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/tag/gilded-age-nyc-tenderloin/.

“The Tenderloin – the New Negro before Harlem.” CUNY Academic Commons, thenewnegronyc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/the-tenderloin/.

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Article: The Panama Canal by CJ Robinson

In understanding Lynn Nottage’s Intimate Apparel, it is important to understand the background of each character. George Armstrong would have just left an abysmal experience where he would’ve faced danger, death, and discrimination. George’s experience in Panama shaped his understanding of the struggle of being a Black man in New York. The Panama Canal was an important milestone in global economic growth. The construction of the canal in 1914 reduced voyages from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean by weeks, eliminating the need to travel around South America. Despite this, the story of the Panama Canal is one of political conflict, racial oppression, and avoidable death. In the early 19th century, there was an increasing pressure to ship goods cheaply and quickly between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. In 1850, the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty was signed between the United States and Great Britain. In this treaty, both parties agreed that neither country would have complete control over a potential Central American canal if and when it was constructed. In 1880, France would attempt to construct a canal through the Panama Isthmus, which was a part of Colombia at the time. The construction of the canal proved lethal for the French laborers, and over 20 thousand workers died over 9 years, mainly from disease. The French would eventually give up on this endeavor.

A little over a decade after France’s attempt, in 1901, the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty was signed between the United States and Great Britain. This treaty essentially voided the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty and gave the US the exclusive right to build a canal. In 1902, the United States and Colombia’s Foreign Minister signed a treaty to build a new canal; however, Colombia’s congress did not approve of the amount of power given to the US. In return, the US military arrived in Panama to support Panamanian independence. The Republic of Panama declared independence from Colombia on November 3rd, 1903. The country almost immediately signed the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty of 1903, which confirmed the plan to build the canal and provided the necessary land to the United States.

During the construction of the canal, tens of thousands of foreign laborers, mostly from the Caribbean, arrived in Panama. Many of these workers were from Barbados, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and other British colonies in the area. Almost all of these Caribbean workers were of African descent, being only a few generations removed from Chattel Slavery. These workers were forced to endure inhumane living conditions and were not provided adequate medical care. Diseases like Yellow Fever and Malaria persisted throughout the construction process, and around 15 thousand Caribbean immigrants died in the decade it took to complete the canal. Even more would be left with permanent physical and mental disabilities. The United States administrators enforced a racial hierarchy among the laborers. The white American workers were considered “skilled labor”, while the Caribbean and Panamanian workers were considered “unskilled labor”. The Black workers were paid considerably more than their white counterparts. The canal was completed in 1914, with the US having primary control of the land. The Panama Canal remains an important shipping corridor, and is key in the growth of the global economy in the 20th century.

A Digging Machine used during the construction of the Panama Canal, photographed in 1907

Sources:

“The Forgotten Builders.” Tulane Exhibits, Tulane University, 2024, exhibits.tulane.edu/exhibit/bridging-two-oceans-the-complex-legacy-of-the-panama-canal/the-forgotten-builders/.

Lieffers, Caroline. “How the Panama Canal Took a Huge Toll on the Contract Workers Who Built It.” Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2018, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-panama-canal-took-huge-toll-on-contract-workers-who-built-it-180968822/. Office of the Historian. “Building the Panama Canal, 1903–1914.” History.state.gov, history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/panama-canal.

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George - Based upon the man who married Lynn Nottages great grandmother and who worked on the Panama Canal. Kevin Jackson played him in the Baltimore premier in 2003.

A handsome Barbadian man working on the Panama Canal. He hears about Esther from one of his coworkers and begins a correspondence with her. In his letters, George appears just as interested in stories and language as Esther is, and according to Mrs. Van Buren, his handwriting is wonderful. Though he's well aware that he's little more than a body on the Panama Canal, he also loves the tropics and feels as though he has a sense of purpose there. He appears to be an upstanding Christian man and betrays none of his vices until after he arrives in New York to marry Esther. Though George is gentle with Esther on their wedding night, it soon becomes apparent that he's not at all who Esther thought he was. He's dismissive of the beautiful smoking jacket she makes for him, and he laughs about her dream of opening up a beauty parlor. New York itself is extremely disappointing for him, as he sees that it will be very difficult for him to do anything besides carry luggage in hotels or shine shoes. He's also disappointed by Esther's looks and her desire to attend church events and socials, which George finds tedious. Instead, George spends his time in bars and, Esther later discovers, in Mayme's saloon with Mayme herself. Worst of all for Esther, George gives Mayme the smoking jacket and steals her heart completely. Despite these red flags, Esther gives George her life savings so that he can buy twelve draft horses and become a successful businessman. Instead, George wastes the money gambling and drinking, though Esther stops Mayme from allowing George to continue to hire her. George disappears after Mayme refuses to let him in, having used up all of Esther's money. (https://www.litcharts.com/lit/intimate-apparel/characters/george)

By: Ciel Davis

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Mayme - Erica Gimpel played her in the Baltimore premier in 2003.

A black sex worker for whom Esther sews lingerie. Though Esther disapproves of Mayme's line of work, the two are close, genuine friends and often share their dreams with each other. Mayme initially moved to New York in the hope of playing ragtime piano in fancy clubs in Europe; however, these dreams have, as far as Mayme is concerned, proven unattainable. Though she still plays piano for herself and her clients, Mayme believes that dreaming and planning are foolish and, especially in her case, would take away from her ability to do her job. Though she recognizes that she has a relatively good job in a safer saloon, Mayme is also exasperated by her clients, as most of them are rough or overly handsy with her. Many of the clothing items she commissions from Esther are based off of corsets that Esther made for Mrs. Van Buren, the "Fifth Avenue lady," while Mayme laughs to learn that Mrs. Van Buren wants to wear corsets like those commonly worn by sex workers and dancers. Despite Mayme's initial skepticism of George, she helps Esther draft letters to him and, unbeknownst to her, takes him on as a client in the weeks after he comes to New York to marry Esther. George's kindness, gentleness, and generosity—he gives Mayme the smoking jacket that Esther made him as a wedding gift—rekindles Mayme's belief in romance and reaffirms her insistence that it's none of her business if her job harms the marriages of the men she sees. She reevaluates this when Esther finally admits that George is her husband. The two women both let George go, thereby asserting their independence. (https://www.litcharts.com/lit/intimate-apparel/characters/mayme)

by: Ciel Davis

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Mr. Marks - Possibly inspired by a clothing advertisement selling fabric. Corey Stoll played him in 2004 Off-Broadway.

A Romanian Jewish fabric seller. It's unclear how long he's been in New York, but he's relatively young and likely immigrated to the U.S. sometime in the last ten years. Mr. Marks is a bright and passionate man; he loves beautiful fabrics and the stories he learns about them. He knows that Esther shares this passion, and he's often able to sell her fabric that she insists she doesn't need by sharing the stories with her. An observant Orthodox Jew, Mr. Marks is dedicated to upholding the rules of his religion and often explains these rules to Esther. For instance, he cannot wear colors aside from black, and cannot touch women who aren't his wife or family members. He also has a fiancée at home in Romania, whom he's never met—but whom he will, in theory, send for when his shop is doing well enough to support a family. This seems an almost impossible goal, however, as Mr. Marks notes that he's losing clients, and he's poor enough to have to sleep in his shop. The cultural differences pose problems for Esther and Mr. Marks, as the two are very attracted to each other but can never be together. After Esther's marriage to George fails, Mr. Marks does accept Esther's gift of the smoking jacket she initially made for George, puts on the colorful garment, and allows Esther to touch him and smooth the lapels. (https://www.litcharts.com/lit/intimate-apparel/characters/mr-marks)

By : Ciel Davis

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Mrs. Van Buren - Inspired by help-wanted listing, possibly looking for a seamstress to sew lingerie for her. Sue Cremin played her in the Baltimore premier in 2003.

A wealthy white woman in her early 30s for whom Esther sews lingerie. Mrs. Van Buren appears to have it all—she's mostly successful at disguising her Southern roots, is a part of New York high society, and has the money to throw at expensive undergarments—but she's extremely lonely and insecure despite all of this. Much of this has to do with the fact that despite having been married for some time, she and her husband haven't been able to conceive a child and she's asked about it at almost every party she attends. She believes that her husband is losing interest in her and waffles between wanting to rekindle his affections with seductive undergarments and being thrilled when he leaves for months at a time. Mrs. Van Buren relies heavily on Esther's visits and confides in Esther about almost everything. For Mrs. Van Buren, Esther represents an exciting, exotic lifestyle, especially when Esther shares that she wants to write to George but can't, being illiterate. Mrs. Van Buren jumps at the opportunity to write Esther's letters for her and finds them an excellent distraction from her life. She is also sexually attracted to Esther. Things begin to fall apart between Esther and Mrs. Van Buren when Mrs. Van Buren laments that, with Esther's marriage, she's bored without letters to write; kisses Esther; and then insists that they can "just be friends." She seems not to realize that because of the power imbalance between her and Esther, Esther understands that the two cannot be true friends and that Mrs. Van Buren is using Esther to fill major gaps in her life. (https://www.litcharts.com/lit/intimate-apparel/characters/mrs-van-buren)

By: Ceil Davis

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Mrs. Dickson - Inspired by help-wanted listing, possibly of a boarding house owner. Brenda Pressly played her in the Baltimore premier in 2003. Lynda Gravatt played her in 2004 Off-Broadway.

The stern older woman who owns the boardinghouse where Esther lives. Mrs. Dickson is proper and well to do, and for a widowed black woman, she's doing extremely well for herself. She came into these fortunate circumstances after her husband died, leaving her the boardinghouse. Though Mrs. Dickson recognizes that her marriage was fundamentally flawed—her husband was addicted to opium—she still holds up marriage for sensible reasons as an aspirational ideal, and she wastes no time in cautioning Esther to not marry George for love. Despite, or possibly because of, how long Esther has been at the boardinghouse (and because of Mrs. Dickson's tough love), she and Esther are very close. Esther chooses to return to the boardinghouse after her marriage to George fails. Mrs. Dickson shows that while she might be a nosy busybody at times, she's also a respectful and forgiving friend by agreeing to not question Esther about her marriage and accepting her back with open arms. (https://www.litcharts.com/lit/intimate-apparel/characters/mrs-dickson)

by: Ceil Davis

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Esther Mills - Esther was based off of Lynn Nottage’s great grandmother who actually came to New York City as an 18 year old seamstress and who married a man who worked on the Panama Canal. Shane Williams played her in the Baltimore premier in 2003. Viola Davis played her in 2004 Off-Broadway who won numerous awards for the role.

The protagonist of the play; a black seamstress in New York who sews intimate apparel for ladies of all levels of society. Esther is 35, unmarried, and is described by herself and others as being a plain and unattractive woman. What she lacks in looks, Esther makes up for in kindness and skill—she's a very talented seamstress who can craft beautiful undergarments, whether they're for sex workers or high society ladies. She's extremely kind to and open with all of her clients, as part of her job entails cultivating a level of intimacy with them given the nature of her work. In this line of work, Esther is also privy to a number of her clients' secrets and deepest desires, information that the play suggests that these women don't discuss with anyone else. Esther is very involved with her church and her community to the extent that she can be as a single woman. She desperately wants to marry so that she can better participate in social events, but her looks and her pragmatic nature have kept her from doing so. Marrying and combining finances also would, in her mind, allow her to open a beauty shop that caters to black women. Esther has been saving for her beauty shop since she moved to New York eighteen years ago. Esther adores fabric and stories, which feeds her attraction to her Jewish fabric seller, Mr. Marks. Her love of stories also causes her to abandon her practical sensibilities and strike up a correspondence with George, a Caribbean man working on the Panama Canal whose letters draw her in and make her feel loved and cared for. Her decision to marry George, however, has disastrous consequences: he refuses to join Esther at social events or church, is disinterested in having sex with her, and ultimately betrays her trust by taking her money and spending it on gambling and sex workers, including Esther's friend and client, Mayme. Esther finally asserts her independence and her right to control her future by returning to her former boardinghouse and resuming work on intimate apparel to rebuild her savings, without a husband. (https://www.litcharts.com/lit/intimate-apparel/characters/esther)

by Ceil Davis

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Intimate Apparel Production History - By Lynn Nottage

It next ran at the South Coast Repertory from April 11, 2003, through May 18, 2003, directed by Whoriskey and with the same Center Stage cast.

Also ran in:

Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles from July to September 2004

Southern Repertory Theatre in New Orleans, the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago (January 2005)

Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis (Sept-Oct 2005), the City Theatre in Pittsburgh (May 2007)

Two River Theater in Red Bank, NJ (September/October 2010)

New Jewish Theater in St. Louis, Missouri in January 2017

Everyman Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland in October/November 2017

Lynn Nottage's inspiration for the play

The play is based on Nottage’s great-grandmother, Ethel Boyce Armstrong, a seamstress who immigrated from Barbados.

Nottage found a photo of her grandmother and her sister in an old Family Circle magazine while cleaning out her grandmother's home

The play highlights the experiences of African American women migrating from the South to New York, living in boarding houses, and navigating the restrictions of a post-Plessy v. Ferguson society

Awards won:

Drama Desk Awards (2004)

Outstanding Actress in a Play – Viola Davis (win)

Outer Critics Circle Awards (2004)

Outstanding Off-Broadway Play (win)

John Gassner Award – Lynn Nottage (win)

Obie Award (2003–04)

Performance - Viola Davis (win)

Set Design - Derek McLane (win)

Lucille Lortel Awards (2005)

Outstanding Set Design – Derek McLane (win)

Outstanding Costume Design – Catherine Zuber (win)

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Jewish Immigration in 1905 by Kameal Brown

ALT TEXT:

Jewish Immigration in 1905 Article

By: Kameal Brown

Intro

In Intimate Apparel, Mr. Marks is a Jewish-Romanian immigrant in New York. This is not an unintentional choice, it is an important reflection of the landscape of New York in 1905. The years between 1880 and 1924 brought the largest wave of Jewish immigrants to America, largely from Russia and other Eastern European countries such as Romania, Poland, and Austria-Hungary. This was because of a sharp increase in Anti-semetic attacks in Eastern Europe.

Russian Pogroms

The Russian pogroms were waves of violent attacks against Jewish communities that took place primarily in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries within the Russian Empire. These pogroms often involved the destruction of homes, businesses, and synagogues, as well as physical assaults and killings. They were frequently fueled by deep-rooted antisemitism, economic tensions, and political instability, especially after events like the assassination of Tsar Alexander II, which led to false accusations against Jewish people. Local authorities sometimes ignored or even encouraged the violence, leaving Jewish communities vulnerable and unprotected. As a result, many Jewish families fled persecution, leading to large waves of emigration to countries such as the United States. These events had lasting effects on Jewish identity, migration patterns, and cultural life, and they also help explain the backgrounds of many Eastern European Jewish immigrants, like characters such as Mr. Marks in Intimate Apparel, who carry the legacy of displacement and survival.

New York

Many Jewish people immigrating settled in crowded neighborhoods, like the Lower East Side, and lived in tenement housing. Tenements were often cramped and unsanitary but offered affordable living and a strong sense of community. These immigrants worked long hours in industries like garment manufacturing, tailoring, and small retail shops, becoming a backbone of New York’s clothing trade. Despite facing poverty and discrimination, they maintained rich cultural and religious traditions, establishing synagogues, schools, and mutual aid societies. Over time, their hard work and tight-knit communities allowed many families to gradually improve their economic conditions while preserving a distinct cultural identity within the larger American society. To this day, there is still a strong Jewish population in New York.

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Freddie Harward is a Junior at UNCC after transferring from CPCC where he received a AS in Technical Theater. They are a theater major with a double concentration in 3D (Directing, Dramaturgy, and Dramatic Writing) and Design tech with a focus in Costumes. He has worked with several local theaters, primarily as a stage manager (most recently Theater Charlotte for "Over the River and Through the Woods") but they are also a director, costume designer and, stage hand.

I am also the one posting to this blog! Hello ! :3

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Zakiyah is ecstatic to see this performance come to life! A Native to Hickory, Zakiyah is a junior majoring in theatre performance, minoring in voice performance and dance, while pursuing a certificate in musical theatre. The most exciting part of this process to her was researching the early twentieth century fashion, and incorporating that research into the overall presentation. Zakiyah is truly grateful she got to participate in this powerful production!

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Ciel Davis is a senior at UNC at Charlotte and is studying Theater Education. Once she graduates she’s hoping to jump into a classroom and start her career! Just recently, Ciel was a costumed spotlight operator in her school’s production of Cabaret. She is hoping to continue her journey in theater!

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