Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Ari Graynor, Joshua Henry, Tonya Pinkins Explore Intimate Apparel in NYC Reading

By Andrew Gans
07 Jan 2013

Ari Graynor
Ari Graynor
Photo by Simon Perry

A benefit reading of Lynn Nottage's Intimate Apparel plays the Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center, located in Manhattan at 480 West 42nd Street, Jan. 7 at 7 PM.

Directed by Jade King Carroll, the reading features Quincy Tyler Bernstine as Esther Mills, Ari Graynor as Mrs. Van Buren, Joshua Henry as George Armstrong, Tony winner Tonya Pinkins as Mrs. Dickson, Condola Rashad as Mayme and Morgan Spector as Mr. Marks, with Dominique Morisseau as Narrator/Stage Directions.

Proceeds benefit Donor Direct Action (donordirectaction.org), a non-profit organization for which Nottage is on the board, that "strengthens women’s rights organizations around the world by increasing access to funds, advocacy, and visibility."

The reading is co-produced by Nick Gereffi and Rachel Sussman.

Intimate Apparel, according to press notes, tells the "heartfelt story of Esther Mills (Bernstine), an African-American seamstress living and working in 1905 New York. Though she has managed a steady livelihood through creating intimate undergarments for a host of clients, Esther has largely seen her own life’s dreams go unfulfilled. When she suddenly finds herself torn between her feelings for the Hasidic merchant whose store she frequents (Spector) and a lonesome Caribbean man with whom she begins corresponding (Henry), the prospect of love and a better future beams bright with promise, but Esther soon learns that the realities of our dreams are often far from what we’ve imagined."

Tickets are $40 and $75 (the latter includes premium seats and a copy of the play signed by Nottage). To purchase, visit ticketcentral.com or phone (212) 279-4200 (between the hours of noon and 8 PM). There is also a discount code for $20 tickets: INTIMATE20.