Intimate Apparel
by Lynn Nottage

Directed by Fred Goodson

Featuring Lynn King, Jacqee Gafford,

Toccarra Cash, Katie Gilchrist, Mykel Hill

and Dean Vivian

June 15-July 15, 2007
PREVIEWS June 13 and 14

Talk Back Performances June 19, 24, and 26

When playwright Nottage was browsing through a tome on the history of lingerie, she spotted a photo of a beautifully sewn corset.  this inspired her to create the character of Esther Mills, a 35-year old African-American seamstress living in 1905 New York City.  Her clientele range from society women to prostitute, and she quickly becomes entangled in their private lives.  Nottage weaves many remarkable characters together, creating a play that challenges the racial and sexual taboos of the age.

 

In the Press...

 

InfoZine--Tuesday, June 5, 2007 :: infoZine Staff
The Most Produced Play in American Regional Theatre Since 2005 Comes to the Unicorn

(click for complete story)
Unicorn Theatre will present Lynn Nottage's highly acclaimed Intimate Apparel June 15-July 15, 2007.     

 

Kansas City Star--Posted on Fri., June 15, 2007    
Corsets and Customers  (May require registration)                                                                                            What did society women and prostitutes have in common in 1905 in New York City? Beautiful, beautiful corsets.
By BRIAN McTAVISH   

 

Reviews... 

 

Camp--Posted on Mon., June 30, 2007
'Intimate Apparel' Looks at Life and its Constraints  (May require registration)

If there’s a job that I almost never think about, it’s lingerie maker.

By PAUL DONOVAN

 

Kansas City Star--Posted on Mon., June 18, 2007
Actors make melodrama credible, almost  (May require registration)

Independent women should never — I repeat, never — yield to the seductive entreaties of a man.

By ROBERT TRUSSELL 

 

Pitch--Posted on June 21, 2007
Worn Out  (Click for complete story)

The Unicorn’s Intimate Apparel reveals too little.

By Alan Scherstuhl   

 

InfoZine--Tuesday, June 19,  2007
Intimate Apparel-A Turn-of-the-Century Love Story, Unicorn Theatre Review               (click for complete story)
The Unicorn Theatre, Kansas City, is now presenting Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage, an intimate story that carefully reveals the heart of its central character, Esther Mills.                                                                                    By Jeannine Chatterton-Papineau

   

      

 

Lynn Nottage (Playwright) Lynn's most recent play, the Obie Award winning FABULATION! OR THE RE-EDUCATION OF UNDINE premiered in London to a sold out run at the Tricycle Theatre. It was recorded and broadcast by LA Theatreworks in December 2004, after having concluded a sold out run at Playwrights Horizons in New York. Her earlier play, INTIMATE APPAREL (produced at Roundabout Theatre Company, South Coast Rep, Center Stage and Mark Taper Forum) is the winner of numerous awards including the coveted 2004 New York Drama Critics Circle Award, Outer Critics Circle Best Play, John Gassner Award, American Theatre Critics/Steinberg 2004 New Play Award and 2004 Francesca Primus Award.

An anthology of her plays, CRUMBS FROM THE TABLE OF JOY AND OTHER PLAYS was published by TCG, and includes CRUMBS FROM THE TABLE OF JOY, LAS MENINAS, MUD, RIVER, STONE, POR'KNOCKERS and POOF! Her plays have been produced and developed at theatres throughout the country, including the Alliance Theatre, The Sundance Institute Theatre Lab, Second Stage, Freedom Theatre, Crossroads Theatre, Intiman, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Steppenwolf, Yale Rep, The Vineyard Theatre, among others.

She wrote the feature film Side Streets (Merchant Ivory Productions) directed by Tony Gerber. The film was an official selection at the Venice and Sundance Film Festivals. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the prestigious 2004 PEN/Laura Pels Award for literary excellence, 2005 Guggenheim grant for playwriting, and fellowships from Manhattan Theatre Club, New Dramatists and the New York Foundation for the Arts, where she is a member of the Artists Advisory Board. She is also the recipient of a NEA/TCG(99/00) grant for a year long theatre residency at Freedom Theatre in Philadelphia.
 

Fred Goodson (Director/Scenic Designer) is delighted to be working with Cynthia Levin and all the good people at the Unicorn again. His last directing assignment in Kansas City was Unicorn’s production of The Rocky Horror Show in 1990. Fred recently “retired from teaching” and as Director of Theatre at Elmira College, Elmira, NY and returned to Kansas City to “decide what he wants to do when he grows up.” He has directed productions in a number of professional theatres including: the Herberger Theatre in Phoenix, Meadowbrook Theatre in Rochester, MI, The Midland and Folly Theatres in Kansas City, and the Westport Playhouse in St. Louis. He is married to the beautiful and talented actress/singer/director and choreographer, Nedra Dixon. They are the proud parents of the equally beautiful and talented actress/singer, Jasmin Walker. It’s good to be back in Kansas City among so many talented theatre people. Fred hopes you enjoy tonight’s beautifully sensitive story.

Lynn King (Esther) is happy as always to be on the Unicorn stage, is thrilled to be working with this talented cast and director.  She was last seen here in Nickel and Dimed.  Other Unicorn favorites are:  Flyin’ West, Blues for an Alabama Sky, Jar the Floor, Betrayal of the Black Jesus and Bee-Luther-Hatchee.  A Kansas City native and no stranger to local audiences, Lynn has appeared at Theatre for Young America, with InPlay Theatre Co., Coterie Theatre, New Theater Restaurant, KC Repertory Theatre, with Johnson County Community College Theatre Department, and with the UMKC theatre department (her alma mater).  Lynn was honored with a Best in KC award for acting in 2003.  Lynn is grateful for every blessing and sincerely thanks her dear family and friends for their continued love and support.  Thanks to Cynthia.  A very special thanks to DJ.

 

Jacqee Gafford (Mrs. Dickson) is no stranger to the Unicorn. Over the past 15 years, her work has been seen as actor, stage manager and director on the Unicorn stage. Her favorite Unicorn roles include Miss Leah in Flyin’ West, and Bessie Delaney in Having Our Say. Jacqee was the director of the recent successful revival of the Unicorn hit Crowns, at the Historic GEM Theatre in Kansas City. As the Producing Artistic Director of InPlay Theatre Company, Jacqee has penned, produced, and directed two well received plays, Harlem Knights and Nothing Comes To Sleepers. This Fall, with Inplay Theatre, Jacqee will appear again, as the title role in Journey with Barbara Jordan.  She had co-written the play with Theatre for Young America’s Artistic Director Gene Mackey. Jacqee's credits also include acting, directing, and playwriting, as a guest artist, for Theatre for Young America, UMKC's Actor Conservatory Program, and Rockhurst College and Lawrence Community Theatre.

 

Toccarra Cash (Mayme), a 2^nd-year M.F.A. Acting student at the University of Missouri- Kansas City, is thrilled to be making her debut on the Unicorn Theatre stage. Hailing from Dayton, Ohio, she may be recognized from the Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s (Copaken Stage) recent production of The Syringa Tree. She has also recently appeared in UMKC Theatre productions of Present Laughter and Boesman and Lena, as well as those from last season, including Black Snow, The Trial, The Maids’ Tragedy, and The Darker Face of the Earth. In Atlanta, where she earned her B.A. in Drama from Spelman College, Ms. Cash has appeared in productions at the Horizon Theatre Company (Blue); the Alliance Theatre Company (We Are Antigone), and True Colors Theatre Company (The Wiz). She gives all thanks to God, her supportive network of family, friends, and faculty, as well as the Unicorn family for providing her with such a rich and exciting experience.

 

Katie Gilchrist (Mrs. Van Buren) is proud and honored to be part of this amazing theatre,  where she was last seen as Izzy in Rabbit Hole. Her past credits here include: Lobby Hero, Bright Ideas, Bug and Painted Alice. Katie has an MFA from UMKC and has appeared locally here in Kansas City, as well as in New York. She is currently working on a debut album, and can be seen singing for her supper around KC. She would like to thank her family, her friends, and her fiancée, whose support and love have inspired and fulfilled her wildest imaginings.

 

 

Mykel Hill (George) marks this as his fourth production with the Unicorn Theatre.  The Rialto, CA native has appeared at the Unicorn as "Man" in the revival of Crowns, “Timber Tucker" in An American Daughter, and as “Leland" in Blues for an Alabama Sky.  He did his undergraduate work at the University of Wyoming and earned his MFA in Acting from the University of Washington's Professional Actor Training Program. Mykel currently serves as Chair of the Performing Arts at The Pembroke Hill School, here in Kansas City. Other roles include: "Gratiano" in The Merchant of Venice, "Randall" in Slow Dance on the Killing Ground, "Otto" in Mephisto, and "Robert Dobbs" in Eleven Zulu.

 

Dean Vivian (Mr. Marks) is thrilled to return to the Unicorn stage, where he’s played some of his favorite roles:  Paul in Permanent Collection, Mason in Take Me Out, Stu in Talk Radio, The Professor in All In the Timing, Jonathan in Sight Unseen and Peter in The Heidi Chronicles, for which he won a Best of Theatre Award.   Other favorite local roles include Tony in Shear Madness and Abbott in Radio Girls at the American Heartland, Dirty Bob-Bob in Lumberjacks in Love at The New Theater, and at the KC Rep, Henry in the World Premiere of Carter’s Way, Dr. Glass in Room Service and The Interviewer in Love, Janis.  Offstage, Dean is a veteran of over 1,000 radio & TV commercials, hundreds of commercial and industrial films, and hundreds of print gigs, including a baker’s dozen Hallmark Cards. Dean lives in Armour Hills with his lovely bride Sandy.

 

Please Note: There will be no performance on July 4th.

Buy Tickets Online! or call 816-531-PLAY x 10

Box Office Hours:

Monday-Friday 10-5pm

Saturday 12-4pm (During the run of the show)

 

 Unicorn Theatre offers $5.00 off for senior citizens and full-time students (with valid I.D.). Group rates are available, and students with valid I.D. can purchase Rush Tickets for $7.00 five minutes before curtain (based on availability)

SPECIAL THANKS
to those who generously donated their time, talents and services to this production:

Bungalow Creative

Financial assistance has been provided by Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.

The Pillowman | Orson's Shadow | The Great American Trailer Park Musical | Rabbit Hole |

Nickel and Dimed | Crowns | Iron Kisses |