Raelle Myrick-Hodges's Intimate Apparel

“Intimate Apparel” is play full of character development and thematic depth. The play features characters that each have very unique personalities and characteristics. Thematically reflecting upon the social norms, cultural values, and more of the early 20th century, the play utilizes various design elements to develop meaning for the play. Scenery, costumes, lighting, and sound all play large roles in shaping the communication of the play’s plot and themes. The theatrical production of “Intimate Apparel” at Playmakers Repertory Company, directed by Raelle Myrick-Hodges, utilized various design elements to accentuate the plot and reinforce central themes. The first elements of design that the play utilizes to for enhanced plot and thematic
First and foremost is Esther’s sewing bench, one of only two things in Esther’s room alongside her trunk. The sewing machine is a vintage, single treadle sewing machine and a very basic one. It is not extravagant, but it gets the job done. This is highly reflective of its owner. Esther is a hardworking woman that makes elegant corsets and for a living. Like her sewing machine, despite being very simple, Esther is able to make very beautiful clothing. The other piece in Esther’s room is her trunk. Again, like her sewing machine, it is a very simple piece of furniture. But, it contains everything Esther has. Further, accentuating that Esther is a very simple character. Another interesting aspect of Esther’s sewing bench is it’s positioning on the stage. It is placed far away from everything else on the stage. This also shows Esther’s dedication to her work. She isolates herself from the rest of the world to work
Echoing the idea that Esther is a simple woman is her clothing. She wore a simple cream blouse with minimal designs, paired with an equally ordinary long, gray skirt. A character who’s clothing showed a lot about him is Mr. Marks. He wore an almost all black suit with a black Kippah. This suit was his grand-father’s. Mr. Marks prided himself on living up to his grandfather’s standards and wore his suit every day. This is symbolic of the cause for the internal dilemma that Mr. Marks faces, his strict adherence to traditional Jewish values conflict with his emotions for Esther. Throughout the play, we learn of Mr. Marks’ past, values and religion. We also uncover his love for Esther, but know that they’re love cannot be due to his faith. “Intimate Apparel” is a play loaded with thematic, plot, and character development and complexity. In order to properly convey these concepts to the audience, the play utilizes in depth scenery, costumes, lighting, and sound to properly convey this development and complexity to the audience. Through extensive use of these aspects of design, the audience is able to understand that “Intimate Apparel” is not about lingerie. It is about a young woman’s struggles with hope, self-esteem, love, and facing the realities of