Winner of the 2004 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, Intimate Apparel spins the tale of Esther, a middle-aged African-American seamstress in turn-of-the-20th-century New York City who sews lingerie for everyone from wealthy white women to prostitutes. After decades of loneliness in a world where social and class lines are clearly drawn, Esther finds solace in letters from George, a handsome young Caribbean man working on the Panama Canal. Enlivened by her potential suitor, illiterate Esther relies on an unlikely pair of patrons to help her write back. This play by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage (2009's Ruined) is inspired by the true story of her great-grandmother. Chapman University's College of Performing Arts brings it to life on stage at the Waltmar Theatre.