“Intimate Apparel” at NCR: A Bittersweet Tale Of Love From Afar

Cast

 Lynn Nottage’s “Intimate Apparel” won  2004 NY Drama Critics Circle and Outer Circle Awards for best play. It received the John Gassner Award, 2004 Drama Desk, Obie and American Theatre Critics Steinberg 2004 New Play Award. And… it’s playing here in Solana Beach at The North Coast Repertory Theater through Feb. 4th.

Nottage snaps and frames a picture perfect of one uneducated African American woman who, at the turn of the century (1905) makes ‘intimate apparel’ for the rich and restless socialites of the upper class New York Society as well as for the prostitutes in the Tenderloin District.  It is a tapestry whose story is woven through the fabric of the lives of those who are trapped in their own cultures, customs and societal ways.

Madeline Barker

It is a well- seasoned and well rounded/excellent production splendidly directed by Jasmine Bracey with Nedra Snipes as Esther Mills, daughter of former slaves.Esther is so talented and with a well deserved reputation, that unhappy in her marriage socialite Mrs. Van Buren (Madeline Barker), takes Esther in her confidence and almost falls in love much to Esther's chagrin. From the rich and famous to the lower echelons she is also seamstress to her friend Mayme, (Arizsia Staten) a high- class prostitute whose conquests are shared with Ester on a regular basis.  

Esther is well respected and yes, loved from afar by Mr. Marks, (Jonathan Fisher, Jr ) the Orthodox Jew who sells Esther his most treasured fabrics of imported silks from which she makes her cherished items. 

Nedra Snipes and Jonathan Fisher, Jr

Theirs is a hands off love affair that takes place right under their noses but as religious and cultural restraints forbid their closeness they continue their business relationship with a tension as thick as an entire bolt of fabric. Brilliant in her comparison’s, playwright Notting places them on a parallel playing field; both are unwed, waiting for mail order spouses to arrive and fulfill their marital obligations. And both share a love of beautiful and expensive fabrics.

Esther is thirty -five and does not have ‘her own man’; she has no one to really connect with. Out of the  blue, she begins a correspondence, although she neither reads nor writes, with George Armstrong, (Donald Paul)  a West Indian on the Panama Canal construction crew, who would very much love to come to New York and marry her. She is elated and in her loneliness convinces herself that she’s in love. 

Donald Paul

Her landlady, Mrs. Dickson, (Teri Brown) who owns the boarding house Esther has lived in since she arrived in New York, has concerns about George’s motives but not enough to shake Esther’s happiness. Esther makes  a leap of faith, very much out of character, that leads to a predictable disaster in Act II Under Jasmine Bracey’s  solid direction and with poignant and determined acting, Snipes gives us an accurate portrayal of a woman’s restraint, elation, surprise, disappointment and finally resignation. She is easygoing yet poised as Esther threads her way through what should be a most happy time in her life to the worst case scenario. 

Arizsia Staten

Arizsia Staton shows her excellence as a most talented and versatile actor as the high class, jazz playing prostitute who shares secrets and an occasional drink with her friend Esther. Her portrayal of Mayme is both funny and painful as she cleans herself after having sex in what might be called a whore’s bath, and then dabs herself with talc in all her intimate parts. 

Donald Paul cuts quite a dashing figure of transformation from laborer to play boy while Fisher, Jr is able to subtly move his character of an Orthodox, hands off Jew to a more cautious and daring suitor. 

Ms. Brown is a powerful presence on any stage, and on target as Esther’s mentor, friend and adoptive parent. She’s funny, all knowing in her wisdom and while oft times offering unsolicited advise, knows from whence she comes. 

Teri Brown

Madeline Barker  is the token high -class white woman who consults with Esther on all that socialites are wearing ‘these days’ as well as her unhappiness in her loveless marriage. She gives a lightness yet evokes pity. 

Marty Burnett’s layered set with see through curtains showing another story in the background has period colors, sewing machine, several rooms, all different in décor separating one location from the other, and cubbies along the stag that holds the different bolts of fabric is picture perfect on the long stage NCR. 

Matt Novotny’s lighting design  in itself another character emphasizing the backlighting when George comes on to the scene sharing his stories of his days on the crew of the building of the Canal to the loneliness he feels and…his longing to come to New York.  The rest are in muted  tones in keeping with shaded lighting of the period. Elisa Benzoni’s  costumes are picture and period perfect for each character.

Peter Herman’s wigs are perfect and Evan Eason’s sound design along with Arizsia Staton playing Honky Tonk on the piano puts the topping on a well-deserved production. 

Nedra Snipes and Donald Paul

Lynn Nottage’s bittersweet saga of self -discovery, and a woman’s courage should be an inspiration to all who take in this excellent production and who, like yours truly, was spellbound overall. 

When: 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Through Feb. 4

Where: North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach

Tickets: $49-$74

Phone: (858) 481-1055

Photo: Aaron Rumley

LAMB’S “OUTSIDE MULLINGAR" FILLED WITH LAUGHTER, ANXIETY AND HOPE.

Background: Robert Smyth, Deborah Gilmour Smith, Brian Mackey and Rachael Van Wormer

New York born Irish –American Patrick Shanley of “Doubt” (Pulitzer Prize) and “Moonstruck” (Best original Screenplay) and  “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea” knows how to tell story and build it to awesome heights while keeping us in suspense as to the outcome. 

That’s the case with “Outside Mullingar” now playing at Lambs Players Theater through March 3rd. 

“Outside Mullingar” hit some nerves as I sat and watched two lonely young people struggle to gain their footing in a world that talks love and relationships, sings its praises but for them it’s an uphill journey to find either or even one. 

Sometimes you just want to knock two heads together to put some sense into them. That’s the case of Anthony Reilly (Brian Mackey) and Rosemary Muldoon (Rachael Van Wormer) .

To say that their secret longings have been brewing under the surface for years would be an understatement especially for Rosemary. Anthony even had a serious girlfriend at one time and Rosemary weathered that storm. For Rosemary, her patience is running thin. Anthony has his own inner musings that stops him from confronting the present. We will learn about that later rather than sooner. 

Brian Mackey and Rachael Van Wormer(back row) Robert Smyth and Deborah Gilmour Smyth

Tony and Aoife (Robert Smyth and Deborah Gilmour Smyth)) have been neighbors, it seems forever. They live in a rural village just outside Mullingar not far from Dublin, but it seems a world away. 

After the death of her husband we find Aoife and Tony deep in conversation in Tony’s kitchen about the funeral. The conversation veers to rumors that Tony is not going to give his only son Anthony his farm after he dies, which he’s sure will be soon. He’s considering a nephew in America as the recipient.

Tony goes back and forth about who Anthony looks like in the family, the fact that he’s not married nor has his own children to pass it along and the fact he doesn’t really likes the farm (“You don’t stand on the land and draw strength from it as I did.”) 

Brian and Rachael

By this time Rosemary has come to the house and both mother and daughter fall on Tony until he comes to his senses and agrees Anthony should have the farm after all. 

The two families own adjoining farms with a gate separating them. Years ago when Tony needed some cash he sold off a small parcel to Aoife’s husband  that was deeded to Rosemary when she was a child. Tony wants it back, but that’s a non- starter. The land will remain in Rosemary’s column. 

It’s not surprising then, that there were no secrets between the four nor is there now between the two since each lost their surviving parent. The only unspoken puzzle is why the two have been dancing their separate dances for years. Why they don’t decide to get hitched is the mystery that we all hope will be resolved at plays end.  Certainly, there is chemistry, history and it just makes sense.

Now a year has passed and both sets parents on each side are deceased. For Rosemary, her patience is running out. Anthony has his own inner thoughts that we will learn later rather than sooner.

But Shanley’s “Outside Mullingar” isn’t that simple. It’s really about two displaced (just about past prime time) people who must take this journey alone to find love or whatever they imagine love would look like. It’s epic in proportion, as we will soon find, as the entire later part of the play will begin their coming of age relationship. 

Between Shanley’s lyrical dialogue, and a terrific cast supporting that, we find ourselves in the middle of some strange bargaining or fact findings; is he gay, impotent, depressed? The fact that she loves him so, she’s willing to explore every angle. His retorts are one for the books and that’s what makes this love story so charming, so truthfully sad, so appealing, so funny…so Irish. It’s as if they do live on opposite sides of the world.

Putting shy and almost childlike Anthony up against outgoing, speak your mind Rosemary doesn’t seem ‘fair and balanced’ but in Shanley’s world and you will agree it is indeed balanced. 

Husband and wife teams of Robert Smyth and Deborah Gilmour Smyth and Rachael Van Wormer and husband Brian Mackey as partners yet adversaries give the whole look a more intimate and convincing spark to it according to the troika of directors, Robert Smyth, Kerry Meads and Deborah Gilmour Smyth. 

Yours truly found the acting somewhat uneven at times especially when Miss Van Wormer was yelling her lines so much so that it was difficult to understand what she was saying. But in the final scene between Tony and Anthony as Tony lay dying it made up for all the difficulties and shortcomings of the production. Both father and son (in the play) broke your hearts and brought a tear or two to the eyes

Brian and Rachael

And yet, on a more positive note Van Wormer’s Rosemary leads Anthony on a path to giving him every reason to either accept her as she is, letting her love him as deeply as she knows how or giving him the option to walk away, and if that's the case, she bares her soul, her love and is ready to give him her heart.  It’s a gift, a love story and a winner. 

Enjoy. 

See you at the theatre.

Mike Buckley designed the minimalist set, Nathan Peirson the lighting, Jemima Dutra costume and Jillian Frost, dialect coach. 

When:  Opens Jan. 13 and runs through March 3rd.

 Showtimes: 2 and 7 p.m. Wednesdays; 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays

Where: Lamb’s Players Theatre, 1142 Orange Ave., Coronado

Tickets: $28-$82

Phone: (619) 437-6000

Photo: Ken Jaques and Lamb’s Players Theatre

Online: lambsplayers.org

 

The “Wiz” Hits The Civic Center With Great Voices, Every Color Of the Rainbow and Outstanding Dancing.

Nichelle Lewis as Dorothy and Avery Wilson as The Scarecrow

 If you are expecting to see a traditional “The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz: you will have gone to the wrong theatre of the opening night performance at the Civic theatre of “The Wiz” OH! There is a Dorothy, The Tinman, The Lion, The Scarecrow and The Wizard. But to say there is much more of the original the way you would have remembered it would be an overstatement. 

This almost all new singing and dancing touring show is slated for Broadway. With a few minor nips and tucks here and there and maybe an added person or two I would have been happy. And where the hell was Toto? 

Years ago, a very good friend of mine started  me on a Wizard Od OZ character collection. The last to arrive was Dorothy and Toto in her little doggie basket. I wish I still had that collection now. Anyway moving on, this revival production has an all -Black cast with talent galore, culturally inclusive and historically all knowing.

Kyle Ramar Freeman, Avery Wilson, Nichelle Lewis, Phillip Johnson Richardson

With book by William F. Brown and Music and Lyrics by Charlie Smalls, directed by Schele Williams, Choreographed by Jaquel Knight  and with awesome , never seen the likes of three dimensional projections by Daniel Brodie, Hannah Beachler’s scenic design and colorful costumes by Sharen Davis this two and a half hour show (with all the wonders of modern technology) still needs culling.

The story pretty much follows Dorothy’s (the beautiful and gifted 24 year old Nichelle Lewis) wind swept adventure to the Land of Oz where she saves The Scarecrow(Avery Wilson), comforts the Tin Man (Phillip Johnson Richardson) gives understanding to the Cowardly Lion (Kyle Ramar Freeman). All three ooze with talent both singing and dancing. It’s a bit of a change from the original Frank L. Baum, but you do get the impression that you’ve seen something very similar a la "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" even without the munchkins. The Yellow Brick Road (sorry no yellow) “Ease Down the Road” instead are minor departures, but to be expected. 

There are more names to be added to that outstanding list: Deborah Cox as Glinda, ("He's the Wiz" and Believe in Yourself") and Melody A. Betts as Aunt Em. She tries to reassure Dorothy that she's loved("The Feeling We Once Had") And not to forget Dorothy's final number "Home".  

“The Wiz” opened on Broadway’s Majestic Theatre Jan. 5th 1975, and later transferred the Broadway Theatre. It played 1,672 performances . It won seven 1975 Tony Awards including Best Musical. A 19684 revival managed only 13 performances at the Lunt-Fontainne Theatre. 

Only time will tell the fate of this 2025 revival. 

Enjoy. 

See you at the theatre.

Dates: Jan. 11; 8 p.m. Jan. 12 ; 2 and 8 p.m. Jan. 13;1 and 6:30 p.m. 

Where: San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., downtown

Tickets: $44 and up

Photo: Jeremy Daniel

Online: broadwaysd.com