THE STORY:In 1905 New York City, Esther, a Black seamstress, is in great demand for the intimate apparel she creates for clients who range from wealthy white patrons to prostitutes. Though leading a life that provides joy to so many, she remains lonely and longing for a husband and a future. Through a mutual acquaintance, she begins a correspondence with a lonesome Caribbean man named George and soon he persuades her that they should marry, sight unseen. However, Esther’s heart is drawn to the Hasidic shopkeeper from whom she buys cloth, and his heart with her. When George arrives in the city, Esther is hit with the reality of the situation and she is forced to face a future that she is truly unprepared for.
Winner of the 2004 New York Drama Critics’ Circle for Best Play and the Outer Critics Circle Award for John Glassner Playwriting Award.
“…a near-perfect balance between content and execution…” —Associated Press.
“…a deeply moving portrait of Esther, a middle-aged African-American woman…Nottage’s play has a delicacy and eloquence that seem absolutely right for the time she is depicting…New York has no richer play…” —New York Daily News.
“…thoughtful, affecting… The play offers poignant commentary on an era when the cut and color of one’s dress—and of course, skin—determined whom one could and could not marry, sleep with, even talk to in public.” —Variety
