Intimate Apparel

Intimate Apparel is intended for a mature audience.

The beauty and brilliance of Ms. Nottage’s play is that it is equally as relevant today as it was during the time period set in New York city in 1905.

The story and the characters that she created are more alike than they are different. All five characters long to be loved, and they yearned to be with someone. This is the foundation of the play because as all five go on this quest to find belonging, they discover who they really are at their core.

And it’s through these complicated relationships that each character ultimately finds what they’re looking for – whether they like it or not. They discover the essence of their identity.

Ms. Nottage establishes the beautiful metaphor with the corset, which is the center of the play. The corset can be viewed as oppressive, but Lynn made it powerful for the women in this play. Esther has the skill and talent to create these magnificent and intimate garments, which is her power as a woman. Mayme uses her corset to lure men into her lair, although she’s supposedly convinced that she doesn’t need romantic love. Van Buren continually has her heart broken by her husband but wearing the corset allows her to rebel against her high society world. She wants corsets that ladies of the night in the Tenderloin district wear.

My last point about this fascinating play is the power of the women although their
behavior is limited by social norms of the time. Esther exerts her power as a
businesswomen with a gift to create intimate apparel. Though the male hierarchy is
dominant in the early 1900’s, it’s the men that are causing pain whether they intend to or not. Yet the men’s power is superficial and deceptive as all the women endure at the end by wielding their OWN power.

CAST BIOS

Anthony Costello is a third year BFA actor from North Carolina. Purchase Rep: Hog King in Gint, Caleb Williams in Back County Crimes, and Orpheus Descending. Regional: world premiere of Double Helix (Bay Street Theater), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Neo-Political Cowgirls), A Christmas Carol (Triad Stage). Shoutout to the production team and Jamie Leonhart!

Imani Jones is a third year BFA actor from Prince George’s County, MD. Purchase Rep credits include: Socrates (Anytus / Eryximachus) Gint (Older Man/ Ensemble), Back County Crimes (Doc Autry). Other credits include: The Government Inspector (Anna Andreyevna) Three Sisters (Olga/Maria) She is grateful for all her family and friends for the continuous support. Much love!

MisaLove Smith (she/they) is a third year BFA Actor from Harlem, New York. Love from 22! Purchase Rep Credits include Gint, (Older woman) & Back County Crimes (Honey/Mrs.MaHorney/Widow Wheelwright) Other creds include: The Wolves (#25), Alter Ego (Dre), A Midsummer Nights Dream (Titania), The Comedy of Errors (Dromio of Syracuse) Shoutout to her family & friends + many thanks to everyone that’s supported her journey!

Em Rose Stern is a third year BFA actress. Previous Purchase Theatre credits include Crito in Socrates, Oldie Mama in Gint, and Bird Carlton/Joy Jean MaHorney in Back County Crimes. She is beyond grateful for her director Chantal, her cast, crew, family, friends, and everyone that supported her on the beautiful journey of Evangeline Van Buren.

Leanora Octavia Tapper is a third year BFA actor from Harlem, New York. Purchase Rep credits include: Back County Crimes (Carrie/ Maude), Gint (Younger Woman/ Sally Vicks), and Socrates (Meno/ Poisoner). She’d like to give special thanks to her family and friends for being her biggest supporters and daily inspiration. She dedicates her performance to her Grandma Tapper & Grandpa Sanon, who recently passed and were the most amazing angels she’s ever known. She hopes you all love the show and leave inspired forever!

Myles Windbush-Soules is third year BFA actor, from Buffalo New York. Purchase credits include: Back county crimes ( Richard Prichard, Christopher Cadwell, Timmy) Gint ( Pete Gint, Older man). Many thanks to his family and friends for supporting him along the way, he wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them!

CREATIVE AND PRODUCTION BIOS

Claire Linden-Dionne is a fourth year BFA stage manager. Purchase Rep credits include: Back County Crimes (PSM), Orpheus Descending (SM), Barbecue, Life is a Dream, Sweat, and Everybody (ASM). Many thanks to her family for all their love and support.

Sofia Olga Lavion is a fourth-year technical director/production manager. She would like to thank her parents, especially her mother, for their endless support, and all her friends. Credits include TD for Fall Festivals | Production Carpenter for Fefu and Her Friends | Lead Technical Draftsperson for Twelfth Night | Lead welder for Life Is A Dream.

Caelyn Speicher

Matilyn Tamplin is a fourth year theatre d/t student, with a concentration in scenic design. Purchase credits include Proud to Present (Asst. Scenic Designer), Henry IV (Asst. Prop Charge), Cyrano de Bergerac (Scenic Designer), and Twelfth Night (Asst. Scenic Designer). Many thanks to her family, friends, and cat, Anya!

Tyler Franks

Zhengxue Qiao is a fourth year BFA Scenic Designer From Purchase Rep credits include:How to Defend Yourself（Scene Design), Cyrano De Bergerac (Assistant Scene Designer), Proud to Present (Props Charge), Good Goods (Paint Charge), Orestes (Paint Charge) Many thanks to his family and everyone else who supports him!

Laura is a third year costume design/ technology major.
Purchase credits include assistant costume design and wardrobe for both Good Goods and Conduct of Life.She would like to thank her family for their support and the amazing work of the costume shop and design teams for their great work on this years shows.

Hartley Silverman is a third year lighting designer who’s from Ossining, New York. Purchase Credits: Fefu and Her Friends (Production Electrician), Cyrano De Bergerac (Programmer), Good Goods (Programmer/Board Operator) and Purchase Dance Company (Programmer). Thank you to all of my friends and family who have supported me through theater!

CHANTAL JEAN-PIERRE

Chantal is thrilled to return to the scenic campus of SUNY/Purchase to direct as she
was here a while back as faculty teaching Speech. While she works primarily as a
seasoned actress with two decades of stage & screen experience, Chantal is excited
to assume the role to direct one of her favorite plays – Intimate Apparel by Lynn
Nottage.

Her first foray in the world of directing occurred a while back at the Tony® Award-winning Crossroads Theatre Company’s Genesis Festival where she led a
development workshop to present an acclaimed stage reading of What Doesn’t Kill
You by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant.

She is primarily an actor, so whether performing classic Shakespearean text or the
modern expressive language of Wilson or Hansberry, Chantal possesses a litany of
performances. A few favorite roles: the seductive Cleopatra in Antony and
Cleopatra; the lustful Olivia of Twelfth Night; and the pernicious Goneril in King Lear (André DeShields as Lear). Chantal also enjoys charismatic modern women as
Jasmine in the Pulitzer-prize winning play Fairview (Berkeley Rep – west coast
premiere) or Ruth in A Raisin in the Sun (Crossroads Theatre Company). Her career
evolved to more screen work expanding her repertoire with meaty roles on “Blue
Bloods,” “New Amsterdam,” “The Good Fight” and “Law & Order: SUV.”

Chantal has served on the theater faculty at Rutgers University, SUNY/Purchase,
Brown/Trinity MFA, and Howard University among others.

She holds a BFA in acting at Florida International University, and an acting MFA at
Rutgers University.

In our teaching and art, the Conservatory values inclusiveness, equality, and excellence. Upholding all of our training is our aim to train and graduate citizen artists: multifaceted people with a strong sense of purpose in approaching an arts education.

What is a citizen artist? Citizen artists seek to discover how their unique voices can contribute to our world. They understand what it means to be an artist, and what they are here on earth to say and do and make.

The Conservatory trains future citizen artists in three degree programs:

+ BFA Actor Training. The BFA is an intensive professional training program offered to a highly select and diverse group of students. The professional training is anchored in four years of study in acting, voice, speech, and movement, complemented by offerings in dramatic literature and analysis, history of the theatre, stage combat, improvisation, mask work, acting for the camera, and the business of acting. As one of five schools in the Consortium of Professional Theatre Training Programs, Purchase is one of a handful of colleges in the world capable of training artists at this level—and of drawing a faculty from the ranks of professional theatre

+ BFA in Theatre Design/Technology. Emphasizing studio and classroom training, our professional training program in theatre design/technology gives students the guidance and support of established and theatre industry professionals. Many of our alumni are recognized at the top of their field, and have received Tony, Emmy, Obie, and Drama Desk Awards, among other honors. Quite literally, Purchase grads are working in or have worked in every theatre on Broadway, in all tristate venues, and with countless touring productions

+ BA program in Theatre and Performance. From traditional theatre to cutting-edge interdisciplinary work, the theatre and performance major encourages creativity, intellectual curiosity, social engagement, and critical thinking. The core requirements combine scholarship and practice to provide students with a strong foundation in theatre history and dramatic literature, with mandatory stagecraft/production courses. Theatre and Performance majors are encouraged to expand the scope of their education by studying abroad, as well as pursuing coursework in other programs of study within the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Purchase College.