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March 5, 2007
New American drama produced by ISU Theatre in late March
- Outside of a few Shakespeare productions and "A Christmas Carol,"
no play is currently performed more than a small 2003 American drama.
Iowa State University Theatre will be the latest theatrical entity to present
"Intimate Apparel" in late March. The Lynn Nottage drama is the winner of
five national awards for Best Play including the New York Drama Outer Critics
Circle Award.
Set in the tenements of New York City in 1905, "Intimate Apparel"
explores the story of Esther (played by Kira Ashley), an African-American
seamstress who creates exquisite lingerie that is in high demand among the
elite of the city. This allows her to save a large sum of money.
Although Esther is successful, she is also single and at 35 years of age,
it's to the point that it's now or never if she's going to marry. She takes
up a correspondence with George, a handsome Barbadian laborer (played by
Brent Curvey).
"Both are unable to read or write so they have others write their letters
for them," says ISU Theatre's Sarah Zwick-Tapley, the play's director. "When
they finally meet, they get married the same day and soon discover they
aren't who the letters profess them to be."
Act 1 focuses on the courtship and is seen through Esther's eyes as she
imagines what George is like through the letters. Act 2 deals with their
marriage. Both acts look at Esther's love for an Orthodox Jewish fabric
dealer and immigrant from Romania and are set in different individuals'
bedrooms.
"I think it is in the bedroom where our foundation of who we are really
shows through," Zwick-Tapley said. "There are moments of cruelty,
courage, character and vulnerability that happen in this play.
"It's all about what we hide from each other and what happens when
we show ourselves."
The six-person cast makes this the perfect production for the Maintenance
Shop in the Memorial Union according to Zwick-Tapley.
"The challenges in the M-Shop are technical ones but I love being this
close to the audience," she said. "I can't imagine doing this
play in a large theatre. Intimacy is the key for this production."
That intimacy comes out in the script and in the courage portrayed by Esther.
"Most of us think that courage is going to war or running into a burning
building to save someone," Zwick-Tapley said. "I think it's just
as courageous to be vulnerable with another human being."
"Intimate Apparel" will be performed at the M-Shop March 22-24
at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, March 25, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $13 for adults,
$12 for seniors and $7 for students.
Other members of the cast include Tiann Taylor, Mayme; Brendan Dunphy, Mr.
Marks; Tiffanie Jackson, Mrs. Dickson; and Genya Coffey, Mrs. Van Buren.
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