Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on June 2012

Daughter of slaves Esther Mills is a skilled seamstress in New York City in 1905. She saves all her money and hopes to open a beauty parlor where black women will be treated like royalty. But not everything is right: Esther is still single. “I was given this play on my 35th birthday and immediately identified with Esther: black, independent, accomplished, yet at 35 still single,” says director Sonja Inge of Tokyo International Players’ upcoming production of Intimate Apparel by New York playwright Lynn Nottage. “I love the way Nottage lets every character share their story – showing how people live in their mistakes, which leads to self-acceptance of their fate.” The cast includes TIP veterans Trenetta Jones, Ann Jenkins and Ra’Chelni M. Weir II, and fresh faces Lucy King, Nami Miyazaki, and Matthew Rac.

Theater Rapport, June 15-17 (listing).