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Publication Date: Friday, September 09, 2005

Turn-of-the-century melting pot
Superb acting in 'Intimate Apparel' brings to life a world of New York characters

by Jeanie Forte

"Intimate Apparel," the latest offering from TheatreWorks, is all in all an enjoyable evening of theatre, largely because of the superb acting. The script could use another turn through the dramaturgical mill to smooth out some rough patches, but is intriguing enough to hold interest.

The story derives from African-American playwright Lynn Nottage's imagined life for her great-grandmother, who was a seamstress of intimate apparel at the turn of the century. The seamstress apparently carried on a warm correspondence with a laborer on the digging of the Panama Canal, which Nottage has turned into a full-blown romance.

Nottage breathes creative license into the historical facts and develops unusual and compelling story material about a woman named Esther. Esther is proud and independent, having worked her way out of extreme poverty into a solid business of supplying women with corsets and lingerie; but she lacks, at age 35, what all around her say she needs -- a man. That is, until George arrives in New York on a promise and a prayer.

Esther already has varied relationships with the Jewish fabric broker, an upscale society woman who loves Esther's sewing creations, her boarding house landlady, and a prostitute friend in a brothel. Each character represents a slice of culture in the American melting pot of the early 20th century; but is also specific enough to be real in his or her own right.

Ultimately, Esther's journey has a lot to do with the search for love, friendship, and intimacy, particularly from a woman's perspective. The play poses the question of how far women will go to find love, and examines the choices they must make in a world limited by male dominance.

Race and racism also factor in, especially when we see George's inability to find work. In many ways, it's distressing to think how little has changed, for women and for African-Americans, in 100 years.

Where the script seems to falter is in the second act, with simply too many plot threads, some of which are never dealt with fully. The plot twists and resolutions tend to fluctuate between predictable and improbable, bringing some of the plot lines to unsatisfactory conclusions.

Nevertheless, the strength of the acting compensates for any script weakness, and makes the show interesting, moving and worth watching.

Laiona Michelle, as Esther, is a great match for the role, giving us equal parts strength and vulnerability as the character negotiates the uncharted waters of intimacy. Her voice ranges from deep, emotion-laden hoarseness to girlish playfulness, with just the right balance of sweet and tough. She's on stage the entire show, in a bravura performance that deserves high accolades.

Bryan Hicks as George makes an astonishing transition from Act I to Act II, required to play practically two different men. He was so believable that the audience actually hesitated in its applause at curtain call -- a true tribute to his fine acting.

Tracey Conyer Lee as Esther's prostitute friend Mayme and Lisa Anne Morrison as her client Mrs. Van Buren are also standouts, portraying two sides of the same coin that is woman's need and necessity. Both characters have particular challenges, and these talented actresses handle them with aplomb.

Robin Braxton gives the boarding house landlady a special turn, with a humorous and realistic mix of nurturing and intimidation. She delivers the touching story of her mother's hands with simple clarity and conviction.

The most appealing storyline of the play concerns Esther's relationship with her fabric broker, an orthodox Jewish man played by TheatreWorks regular Jackson Davis. Davis and Michelle perform a marvelous pas de deux as two people from widely divergent cultures whose growing tenderness for each other can only be expressed in the space between them, in the inexpressible. Davis shines in this subtle, exquisitely drawn portrait of intimacy.

Remembering those particular scenes makes me like the play better -- Nottage could let go of some of the other plot lines and focus on this one.

Sets by Erik E. Sinkonnen manage to fulfill the demands of many different locations, but seem rather cumbersome at times during scene changes. Allison Connor's costumes are wonderful both as statements of period and as fanciful realizations of Esther's vivid imagination. Director Anthony Haney does well to deal with a difficult script, but there's too much shouting for my taste.

It's a worthwhile evening of theatre, with beautiful performances in a thoughtful piece of writing.

What: "Intimate Apparel," a play by TheatreWorks

Where: Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro Street

When: Runs through Sept. 18, with performances Tuesday through Sunday (no performance on Tuesday, Sept. 13).

Cost: Tickets range from $28 to $50, with $20 tickets for students and $30 tickets for seniors.

Info: Call (650) 903-6000 or go to www.theatreworks.org.

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