FIU Theatre threads a hidden history with season closer, Intimate Apparel

In the cramped tenements and bustling streets of 1905 New York, Esther sits at her sewing machine, quietly stitching together the intimate garments of others while daring to dream of a life that offers more.

This is the story at the heart of FIU Theatre’s final production of the season, Intimate Apparel by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage, opening Friday, April 4, at The Wertheim.

Directed by alumna Karina Batchelor-Gómez, the production offers a moving and meticulously crafted look at the life of a seamstress at the dawn of the 20th century.

“Intimate Apparel imagines a history that existed but was never recorded,” says Batchelor-Gómez. “It gives voice to conversations left unheard and relationships that faded from memory.”

Batchelor-Gómez, a director and dramaturg known for her work with City Theatre, Gablestage, SolFest and the Pioneer Winter Collective, brings a deeply thoughtful lens to this production.

Drawing inspiration from a family photograph, Nottage based the play loosely on the life of her great-grandmother, Ethel. “This fragment of family history, more mystery than memory, led Nottage to imagine the life her great-grandmother might have lived,” Batchelor-Gómez explains.

While the story centers on Esther, it unfolds through her relationships with those around her: Mrs. Dickson, the boardinghouse owner; Mr. Marks, a kind Orthodox Jewish fabric seller; Mayme, her free-spirited friend; Mrs. Van Buren, a lonely socialite; and George, a laborer working on the Panama Canal with whom Esther exchanges letters and dreams.

Each character, Batchelor-Gómez notes, “leaves a thread in Esther’s fabric, altering its design in ways both tender and heartbreaking.”

The role of Esther is played by BA Theatre major Tamara Anthony, who brings the quiet but resilient seamstress to life.

“I am inspired by how hard of a worker she is,” said Anthony. “She had these huge dreams and worked so hard to achieve them. She worked tirelessly for 18 years to save money for her own beauty parlor, at a time when that wasn’t really realistic for a woman of color.”

Much of the world-building in the production rests in the hands of the all-student design team. Costume Designer Willow Barbee and Assistant Costume Designer Elliot Eibe undertook extensive research to create period-accurate looks that evoke the texture and complexity of 1905.

“I did a lot of research on undergarments from the period—corsets, chemises, bloomers,” said Barbee. “It was my first time designing a show set in this era, so I learned a lot. The silhouettes are so different from what we’re used to now.”

The costumes do more than reflect the time—they help tell the story. Each garment speaks to class, culture and character. The designers worked closely with the department’s costume shop to construct most of the garments by hand, adding yet another layer of artistry to the production.

Intimate Apparel is not just a period piece; it’s a meditation on human connection, longing and the courage it takes to imagine a life of one’s own making. As Batchelor-Gómez reflects, “Isn’t that what it means to be human? To be shaped by those we love, the choices we make, and the histories we carry—both remembered and forgotten?”

Intimate Apparel runs now through April 13 at The Wertheim.