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Intimate Apparel Production History - By Lynn Nottage 

The play had its world premiere at Center Stage in Baltimore, Maryland, running from February 21, 2003, to March 30, and was directed by Kate Whoriskey. The cast featured Shane Williams (Esther), Brenda Pressley (Mrs. Dickson), Kevin Jackson (George Armstrong), Sue Cremin (Mrs. VanBuren), and Erica Gimpel (Mayme). 

It next ran at the South Coast Repertory from April 11, 2003, through May 18, 2003, directed by Whoriskey and with the same Center Stage cast. 

It ran at the Roundabout Theatre, running from March 17, 2004 to June 6, 2004. Directed by Daniel J. Sullivan, it featured Viola Davis (Esther), Lynda Gravatt (Mrs. Dickson), and Corey Stoll (Mr. Marks).

Also ran in:

Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles from July to September 2004

Southern Repertory Theatre in New Orleans, the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago (January 2005)

Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis (Sept-Oct 2005), the City Theatre in Pittsburgh (May 2007)

Two River Theater in Red Bank, NJ (September/October 2010)

New Jewish Theater in St. Louis, Missouri in January 2017

Everyman Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland in October/November 2017

Lynn Nottage's inspiration for the play

The play is based on Nottage’s great-grandmother, Ethel Boyce Armstrong, a seamstress who immigrated from Barbados.

Nottage found a photo of her grandmother and her sister in an old Family Circle magazine while cleaning out her grandmother's home

The play highlights the experiences of African American women migrating from the South to New York, living in boarding houses, and navigating the restrictions of a post-Plessy v. Ferguson society

Awards won:

Drama Desk Awards (2004)

Outstanding Actress in a Play – Viola Davis (win)

Outer Critics Circle Awards (2004)

Outstanding Off-Broadway Play (win)

John Gassner Award – Lynn Nottage (win)

Obie Award (2003–04)

Performance - Viola Davis (win)

Set Design - Derek McLane (win)

Lucille Lortel Awards (2005)

Outstanding Set Design – Derek McLane (win)

04.09.22

As you may have seen, Jo "formally" got accepted into UCF this week. She sent the transcripts a while ago and they showed her AA was achieved, so it was pretty much a done deal. But we told her, no lease signatures until the final acceptance was in the mailbox (email inbox, nowadays). It finally came and now we scramble to get all the apartment paperwork completed before move-in day in about a month.

You know what that means, right?!?! Empty nesters! Now the real party starts! Of course, that's after we both ball our eyes out that first night.