Intimate Apparel Critique

There are many plays throughout history that tend to grab at the viewers heart as though they were truly on the stage right along with the actors. From the over view of Intimate Apparel it would seem as though it would not be one of those plays. Just from a quick summary of the story, it could be assumed that the play would be one gossip story after another, perhaps even a soap opera type of play. However, through two elements of the set, the scenic design and a combination of the set and theatre, as well as thoroughly thought costumes, Ball State Universities’ production of Intimate Apparel allows the audience to become emotionally intertwined with the play.

The set itself, at first glance seems rather plain, there’s a wall, a stage, and another wall with a few doorways and a window. As the play begins however its clear that the simplistic design of the scenery is very well planned. The right side of the stage is set as the bedroom for Esther throughout the play. The room itself is very plain, to the point of being boring. However, as the audience learns more about Esther herself, it becomes clear that this plays into her personality. She lives a rather boring life where only local gossip and letters to a man she has never met are her only form of entertainment. With that said, much like Esther’s and her flair for fabric and sewing, the room has its own pieces of flair, including a rather intricate blanket that some could argue is out of date with the time. The he middle is a mix between a pass way to get to the left side as well as Mr. Mark’s fabric shop. This was a wise choice because the theatre Intimate Apparel was shown in is a small theatre upon itself, so to add a multi-purpose stage that allows as a walk way, shop, and...

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...because although Esther wore the exact bustier as Mayme, she could not fill it out as Mayme could, and thus she was not what George was looking for.

With every bit of detail, even those most would disregard, Ball State Universities’ production of Intimate Apparel brings the audience into the 1900’s and puts them right on stage with the actors. Even if the audience just plays the role of a friend listening to a story, the fact that design of the set, as well as where the play is held brings elements from the play that may have been missed. The color and fabric of the costumes the characters wear carefully contribute to the already delicate symbols written into the play. Truly, through the scenic design, set, theatre, and costumes, the Ball State Universities’ production of Intimate Apparel intricately intertwine the emotions of the play with that of the audience.