Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage has won several major theatre awards in the last few years, and its easy to see why this happened. (Coincidentally, the Pulitzer Prize for the year in which it was eligible went to the production seen here last fall: I Am My Own Wife.) The current production at the Play House came here from Louisville, and the extra time that the actors have had together benefits both them—and the audience.
In essence, this is a sweeping tale writ small; each of the six characters struggle towards fulfillment of a dream while living with reality. They are similar in many ways yet vastly different, as well. Director Timothy Bond keeps the pace steady without rushing it.
Esther Mills is a young Black woman who supports herself as a seamstress. She lives in the boarding house owned by the widowed Mrs. Dickson. One of her clients is a wealthy, yet lonely white society lady, Mrs. Van Buren; the other, Mayme, a Black prostitute who is also a talented pianist and singer. Mr. Marks is a Rumanian Jew who sells the beautiful fabrics which Esther fashions into garments for her customers. Life is an established pattern for these five people, who could conceivably continue in this way for many more years.
Until the day a letter arrives for Esther, setting into motion events which will change all of them, including the sender of the letter. George Armstrong is a laborer, one who is not afraid of hard work, and has been given Esther’s name by a fellow worker at the work-site of the Panama Canal. He hopes she will appreciate his letter and respond to it. However, at 35, Esther cannot read or write.
Her landlady is skeptical, even though she is aware of Esther’s longing for a love—a husband—of her own. It is the lonely Mrs. Van Buren who coaxes the tale from Esther, while the latter is adjusting the gorgeous item of intimate apparel on her client. Sharing the words of the far-away writer, the two women concoct a letter in reply, instigating the deus ex machina that will change the lives of all of them.
The time and place of the story are exquisitely established by the stylish set by Paul Owens, which encompasses four smaller areas: the boudoirs of the three women spaced across the front, and elevated at the rear, the sales room of Mr. Marks. A small platform to the side of this area provides a space for George to appear when reading the various letters. Above and behind all of this are great swags of fabric hanging from horizontal bars that are lit in constantly changing colors, adding to the feeling and emotions of the piece. Darren McCroom designed the evocative lighting while Matt Callahan created the sound. The costumes by Lorraine Venberg are marvelous and imaginative, especially the more intimate ones!
The play could easily founder if Esther is not brought to life by a strong, yet sensitive actress. Gwendolyn Mulamba might have been the force behind the creation of this play, so completely does she inhabit the part—and soul—of Esther. She might be a plain woman, but she knows her own worth, and tenaciously holds on to her dignity. She is patient and kind and intense in her loneliness, blossoming when George appears to fulfill her dream. The strength that has allowed her to flourish for the past 18 years will hold her in good stead for the next 18, or 48, if that should prove necessary.
Most of the time, Erik LaRay Harvey as George speaks in the lilting accents of Barbados; unfortunately, the words he speaks are not his own. Like Esther, he cannot read or write either, and has paid someone else to write the letters he sends to her. In the cold North, work isn’t easily come by to a non-native, and he does not fare well at this failure to prove himself a man worthy of a wife. On the other hand, he certainly knows all the ‘manly’ things that lead to trouble, including how to use romance to coerce his wife into giving him her life savings.
Joe Hickey as Mr. Marks is simply wonderful. He wears the black suit of his grandfather to remind him of the generations that have come before him, holding onto the traditions that have made him strong. But yet, he yearns to break the bonds which hold him, wanting to share more than just the gorgeous fabrics he sells to Esther. As the two of them touch and caress and swathe themselves in the various fabrics in his little shop, it is easy to see the growing bond between these two lonely persons. It’s heart-breaking as these two tentatively reach for each other, only to back away again.
More than anything, Mrs. Van Buren wants to provide an heir for her husband, but it doesn’t happen. Denise Cormier is eloquent in her distress at this perceived lack in herself, pushing aside Esther’s query about the lack being in Mr. Van Buren. In her solitude, the young wife drinks too much, leading her in directions better left unexplored.
Tiffany Adams as Mayme is bawdy in an innocent sort of way. There’s no mistaking how she earns her living, but she has no illusions about it, either. Ms. Adams sings well, too, and has a wonderfully engaging laugh. As Mrs. Dickson, Perry Gaffney has been there, done that, and tries to explain and share her knowledge with Esther, but the younger woman wants more than the landlady was willing to settle for, and persists in going her own way. Eventually, she’ll wind up right back where she started from. Making more Intimate Apparel.
Although the actors project well and enunciate clearly, it may take a few minutes for you to understand the subtle accents. Rest assured this is not the fault of your ears, but just the acoustics in the Bolton Theatre. Intimate Apparel runs through March 5. For tickets or other information, call (216) 795-7000 or visit the web-site:http://www.ClevelandPlayhouse.com.
-- Kelly Ferjutz (:divend:)