BWW Preview: INTIMATE APPAREL Promises Exquisite Craftsmanship of Drama and Corsetry

I'm not being flippant when I say that Ensemble Theatre has answered my secret prayer that someone in town will mount a period piece about a woman who makes corsetry. Costume enthusiasts: get excited!

Intimate Apparel (by Lynn Nottage) is the story of Esther (Karole Foreman), an African-American woman who makes lingerie for clients from various social strata, from wealthy socialites to prostitutes. Set amidst the constantly developing immigrant community of New York in 1905, Intimate Apparel combines romance and social observation about race and religion into what Ensemble's Artistic Director Jonathan Fox calls, "a poetic look at a critical moment in American cultural history."

Single and lonely at 35, Esther harbors an unrequited love for an Orthodox Jewish tailor who's already committed to an arranged marriage from within his own ethnic and religious background. A romance crossing such insurmountable cultural divides can't be actualized in turn-of-the-20th-century America, and despite her feelings for the tailor, Esther agrees to an arranged marriage with a Barbadian immigrant she knows only through written correspondence. Fox calls Nottage's play "a gorgeous story of love and yearning across cultures and ethnicities."

Intimate Apparel is a dramatic envisioning of the melting pot that was (and still is) New York. Also featuring Jon Levenson and Heather Ayers, Intimate Apparel promises a love story of social significance. A play about race, religion, the cost of emotional intimacy, and handsome lingerie, Intimate Apparel promises an exciting evening of drama, intelligent social commentary, and the exquisite craftsmanship of fine garments.

Ensemble Theater Presents:

Intimate Apparel
By Lynn Nottage
Directed by: Saundra McClain

February 5 - 22, 2015

PERFORMANCES:

Thursday, 2/5/15 - 8:00pm - Preview
Friday, 2/6/15 - 8:00pm - Preview
Saturday, 2/7/15 - 8:00 - Opening
Sunday, 2/8/15 - 2:00pm/7:00pm

Tuesday, 2/10/15 - 7:00pm
Wednesday, 2/11/15 - 8:00pm - Preshow Talk
Thursday, 2/12/15 - 8:00pm
Friday, 2/13/15 - 8:00pm - Martini Night
Saturday, 2/14/15 - 4:00pm/8:00pm
Sunday, 2/15/15 - 2:00pm

Wednesday, 2/18/15 - 8:00pm - Preshow Talk
Thursday, 2/19/15 - 8:00pm - Jewish Cultural Night & Talkback
Friday, 2/20/15 - 8:00pm
Saturday, 2/21/15 - 8:00pm
Sunday, 2/22/15 - 2:00pm/7:00pm

TICKET PRICES: $35 - $75. Discounts available to Seniors, Groups, and those under 30 years old.
TICKETS/INFORMATION: 805-965-5400 or online at www.etcsb.org
BOX OFFICE LOCATION: 33 West Victoria Street in Santa Barbara's Historic Theatre District
BOX OFFICE HOURS: Monday - Friday, 1pm - 5pm*

*On days with performances, the Box Office opens one hour prior to curtain and will stay open until show time.