By Lynn Nottage
directed by 4th Wall Executive Director Gwen Ricks-Spencer
WHEN: Friday, February 22, and Saturday, February 23, at 8:00 pm, and Sunday, February 24, at 3:00 pm
WHERE: Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts, 10 Durand Rd., Maplewood
TICKETS: only $22, and discount tickets are available for students and seniors. Tickets may be reserved by calling 973-996-8484. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover are accepted.
Tickets may also be purchased online and additional information is available at www.4thwalltheatre.org.
Intimate Apparel tells the story of Esther, a talented African American seamstress in turn-of-the-century New York, who has built a savings for herself making beautiful undergarments—intimate apparel—while earnestly daydreaming of new beginnings, romantic possibilities, and the lingering affection she shares with a Jewish fabric merchant. An egregious deception cuts her dreams short, and the audience is asked to consider if class, culture, and circumstance outmatch the strength of the human spirit. Inspired by a true story, Intimate Apparel is a heart-rending contemporary work from Nottage, the first female playwright to win two Pulitzer Prizes.
4th Wall has assembled a talented cast including Tasha R. Williams of Belleville, Diane L. Parker of Laurence Harbor, Deshja Driggs-Hall of Montclair, Patrick McAndrew of Bayonne, and Sheleah Harris and Sam Currie of Newark. Gwen Ricks-Spencer of Lumberton directs. Kate Swan of Teaneck is the Production Manager, and Logan Krastev of Caldwell serves as the Stage Manager.
Of the show Ricks-Spencer says, “The play is part love story and part a confrontation of race and religion. The story of Intimate Apparel stretches across a century of discrimination and gender inequality to remind us that, deep-down, we’re all searching for the same things—a sense of purpose, a professional pursuit that makes us happy, and, most importantly, someone to love us.”
