Wearing her heart on her sleeve while sewing intimates for her clientele, Esther is the talented, proud, but shy Black seamstress in turn-of-the-century New York 1905. She has built savings for herself making beautiful undergarments for both posh Fifth Avenue boudoirs and questionable bordellos. Esther earnestly daydreams of new beginnings and romantic possibilities. She plans to open a beauty parlor where Black women will be treated like royalty. She embarks on a journey to find love, discovering unexpected friendships that defy race, class, and religion. But when an egregious deception cuts short her heartfelt desires, can class, culture and circumstance outmatch the strength of the human spirit? Inspired by a true story, Intimate Apparel is a heart-rending contemporary work in the style of an enduring classic—from Lynn Nottage, the first female playwright to win two Pulitzers.
