Intimate Apparel
A story about a Black seamstress in the early part of the 20th century, this is a small and delicately woven piece. A small ensemble cast, with an excellent Samira Wiley in the centre, unfold the story carefully. Esther is 35 and fears she is left on the shelf, but she is saving money through her work sewing gorgeous undergarments for her female clientele, and she plans to open a beauty parlour with the money one day. But out of the blue come letters from George, a man she has never met, currently working on building the Panama canal. Through her friends and clients helping her with the letters, a romance develops despite their relationship only coming from letters. Alongside this is a sweet and unspoken romance with a Jewish fabric salesman (Alex Waldmann), wooing Esther with ever more gorgeous fabrics. But this delicate little romance comes to nothing when Esther marries George at the end of the first half. The second half is packed wit...