By Alan Jozwiak
Ladies’ undergarments—and what they reveal about the women who wear them—are at the heart of Lynn Nottage’s Intimate Apparel, on stage this weekend at University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music Acting Program (CCM Acting).
Set in Lower Manhattan in 1905, the play follows Esther Mills (Kathuure Miriti), a seamstress who creates intimate apparel for women from very different walks of life. Esther lives in a boarding house run by Mrs. Dickson (Dylann Williams-Sanford) and counts among her clients the well-to-do Mrs. Van Buren (Annika Kallstrom) and Mayme (Miranda Myers), a sex worker.
Esther purchases her luxurious fabrics from Mr. Marks (Adrian Graff), a Jewish-Romanian fabric merchant who quietly harbors feelings for her. However, Esther has fallen in love with George Armstrong (Ryan Mills), her pen pal who is working on the Panama Canal. When George leaves his work to court Esther in person, the carefully constructed lives of the characters begin to unravel.
Strong Direction
Director Torie Wiggins, a CCM graduate and fixture of Cincinnati Theatre, keeps the production moving even though much of the play consists of intimate scenes between two characters. Wiggins knows how to engage her audience and make these scenes come alive with action and possibility.
Also, Wiggins guides the student actors to get at the emotional truth behind the action. She imbues this play with heart and soul as an exploration of a middle-aged woman navigating romance. Intimacy Director K. Jenny Jones supports the actors.
Solid Cast
Kathuure Miriti gives Esther a strong presence, making her easy to understand as a woman willing to take a risk on love. There is a warmth and vulnerability to Miriti’s performance that helps explain why the other characters are drawn to Esther. A particularly effective moment comes when Esther wears some of the intimate apparel she has made for other women. The scene reveals how vulnerable she has become now that she is no longer simply making these garments for someone else.
Ryan Mills has a difficult role as George, whose character shifts considerably over the course of the play. Mills straddles that tension well, creating a winning characterization and handles the changes effectively, particularly in the early scenes when he reads his letters to Esther aloud.
Adrian Graff’s Mr. Marks is equally compelling. Graff gives the character a believable Jewish-Romanian accent without reducing him to a stereotype. His interest in Esther comes through in small gestures and reactions rather than an announcement. These small gestures speak volumes about his character and are perfect for the show.
Dylann Williams-Sanford, Annika Kallstrom, and Miranda Myers round out the cast with performances that deepen Esther’s relationships with the women around her.
Williams-Sanford’s Mrs. Dickson balances genuine concern with a tendency to be a busybody, leaving the audience wondering exactly where her motivations lie. Her wedding advice to Esther is particularly effective.
Kallstrom and Myers also establish believable relationships with Esther. Both women find themselves in difficult circumstances, but neither character is reduced to those circumstances. In Act Two, both actors have surprising disclosures they make to Esther. Each actor handles their disclosure with care. They do a fine job fleshing out their respective roles.
The Set and the Costumes
Wiggins has a strong production team to aid her in realizing her vision.
Scenic Designer Josie Heys makes particularly effective use of the lower and upper levels of the Cohen Family Studio Theater. The vertical separation echoes the class distinctions that run throughout the story while also giving the actors a visually interesting space in which to work.
Costume Designer Celeste Jackson-Moody also plays an important role in telling the story. Nottage’s play refers to clothing made with a wide range of silks, brocades, and other fine fabrics. Jackson-Moody delivers a set of costumes which live up to Nottage’s descriptions, and fit well. The costumes almost become another character within the play. They are more than period decoration, telling us who these women are—and what they may be trying to hide.
Production Stage Manager Sarah Anderson keeps all running seamlessly.
The Bottom Line
CCM Acting’s Intimate Apparel is a must-see play, featuring strong direction, acting, and fine costumes for the occasion. It is a thoughtful production that explores love, vulnerability, class, race, and the complicated ways people reveal themselves to one another.
The production’s short four-performance run is unfortunate, because this is a show that deserves an audience. Also read Wiggins’ superb Director’s notes in the digital program. It will give you a sense of what she is aiming for within this production.
For tickets, click here.
Intimate Apparel is at Cohen Family Studio Theater October 1-3, 2026. Performances are 8 pm with a 2 pm matinee on Saturday.
Run time is approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes,including a 15-minute intermission
