In 1905 New York City, Esther, a Black seamstress, is in great demand for the intimate apparel she creates for clients from prostitutes to wealthy white patrons. She is lonely and longing for a husband and a future. She begins a correspondence with George, a lonesome Caribbean man and soon he persuades her that they should marry, sight unseen. However, Esther’s heart is drawn to the Hasidic shopkeeper from whom she buys cloth, and his heart with her. When George arrives in the city, Esther is hit with the reality of the situation and she is forced to face a future that she is truly unprepared for.
Play Runtime: 1:45 with no intermission.
From time to time, we may document post show conversation on video. It is not mandatory to participate: however, if you do take part, it is with the understanding that, in doing so, you grant The Gracemoon Arts Company the right to use the footage for archival and promotional purposes. If you do not want to be filmed, please let a member of the company, or a volunteer know.
MEET THE CAST
Esther - ANDREA CARTER*
From a young age, Andrea Carter dedicated herself to training as a competitive gymnast, finding immense joy in performing. This early love for performance ignited a passion for acting that has spanned over 20 years. Andrea further cultivated her appreciation for the dramatic arts by attending the acting conservatory at York University. After theatre school, one of Andrea’s most memorable experiences was her role in an all-black cast adaptation of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Guirgis, titled Judas Noir. In 2023, Andrea secured a recurring guest star role on the TV series Chucky on the Syfy channel. Her other TV and film credits include 12 Monkeys, Murdoch Mysteries, Designated Survivor, Race, Secret Santa, and Ghosts of Christmas Past. Currently, she is working as a lead actor in an upcoming video game by Don’t Nod Entertainment titled The Lost Records: Bloom and Rage. For the past nine years, Andrea has been a company member with Gracemoon Arts, studying acting in Toronto, Montreal, Italy, Tobago, and New York City. She played a key role in the opening of the Gracemoon Arts Theatre in Bushwick and is thrilled to be acting in the third play of the season, Intimate Apparel, alongside a community of dedicated artists committed to creating truthful art. Andrea is also writing her own plays, with a particular focus on supporting fellow black artists, and she hopes to stage these works at the Gracemoon Arts Theatre.
Mrs. Van Buren - KRISTA MORIN*
Making her New York stage debut with Gracemoon Arts, Krista has been a Company Member since its inception. She has also been an instructor at LS&Co Studios and continues to study with her coach and co-star, Michèle Lonsdale Smith. Past credits include The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu), Circuit Breakers (Apple TV+), and the upcoming comedy pilot Checked Out. Krista is ready to get back on stage to do what she does best. Thank you for coming and enjoy the ride.
Mr. Marks - DANIEL CHICHAGOV*
Daniel Chichagov is a Queer Actor and Filmmaker of Russian-Canadian descent. Born in Ottawa, Canada, he discovered acting at the age of 17, instantly falling in love with the art form. He has studied for over a decade at LS&Co. Studios with his longtime acting mentor Michèle Lonsdale•Smith, is an Ensemble member of the Gracemoon Arts Company and a graduate of Concordia University’s Theatre Performance Program.He has appeared in shows across major networks like “The Recruit” (Netflix/Doug Liman), “Station Eleven” (HBO Max), “The Expanse” (Prime Video) and “Murdoch Mysteries” (CBC). He currently stars as Ian Mackay in “We Three Queens” (OutTV).He has briefly appeared in feature films such as “Zoe” (Drake Doremus) and “I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House” (Netflix/Oz Perkins). On stage, he played Louis in “Angels in America” by Tony Kushner at Concordia University and Matt in “Red Light Winter” by Adam Rapp with Lifelong Productions.
Mayme - Played by GABRIELLE GRAHAM*
Gabrielle Graham is a Canadian-born artist from Toronto, and is of Jamaican and Montserratian decent. Gabrielle has had a passion for the arts for as long as she can remember, and has showcased her dancing, singing, and acting talent from a young age. She began her in-depth acting study in the notable theatre program at York University in 2010. In her second year of university, she was accepted into the acting conservatory and ensemble in plays that include: Hamlet Machine, Tina in Tough, His Poor Nose Froze, Odysseus/Suitor/Penelope in The Penelopiad Semele/Sister/Boy in The Ecstatic Bible and lead her final show as Venus in Venus. Upon graduation, Gabrielle went on to join the ensemble in a theatre production of The Living at the Summerworks Festival, and toured across Canada where she co-led a two woman play as Harriet Tubman in The Power of Harriet T at the Manitoba Young Peoples Theatre. Gabrielle has gone on to star in various roles on film and television. She is best known for her ensemble role as Nia in Lena Waithe’s series Twenties on BET, and her highly acclaimed opening performance as Holly in Brandon Cronenberg’s feature Possessor. She can also be seen as a lead and co-lead in films such as Swindler Seduction, and Relax I’m from the Future by Luke Higginson. Gabrielle is currently co-starring in the upcoming Netflix limited series The Madness. As Gabrielle’s career blooms, she continues to develop her craft at the LS&CO Acting Studio where she has toured with the company to New York City, Italy and Tobago to help introduce other hungry artists to the craft of acting. Gabrielle is currently a company member of Gracemoon Arts in Toronto and New York, LS&CO’s sister production and theatre company.
George - DAREN HERBERT*
Daren is a Bermudian artist whose love for acting continues to grow.
He was an ensemble lead on Amazon's Pretty Hard Cases and a recurring on hit Netflix series' Kim's Convenience and Designated Survivor.
He is a multiple Dora Mavor Moore Award winner, a two-time Toronto Theatre Critics Award winner, a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award winner and a NAACP Theatre Award Nominee. Daren also received the prestigious Earl Cameron Award, recognizing his achievements in theatre, film and television, from the Bermuda Arts Council in 2022.
Daren is one of the founding members of the Gracemoon Arts Company. For over a decade, he has been training at LS & Co. Studios, under the mentorship of Michèle Lonsdale•Smith. Daren serves as a member of the Sheridan College Music Theatre Performance PAC and is a past board member of the Musical Stage Co.
He earned his MFA in Drama from the University of California, Irvine and a BFA in Theatre Arts from The University of the Arts, in Philadelphia.
#allblacklivesmatter
UNDERSTUDY in the role of
Mrs. Van Buren - BRENNA STEWART*
Brenna has been a member of the Gracemoon Arts Company for 2 years. She has worked behind the scenes as stage manager on their last two productions (Dreamer Examines his Pillow & Venus in Fur) in Rome Italy. Brenna is exceptionally proud of all the work, devotion and love the company has poured into the creation of this space for artists. Welcome home and get ready for a wild ride!
DIRECTOR &
IN THE ROLE OF MRS. DIXON
MICHÈLE LONSDALE • SMITH*
Michèle Lonsdale•Smith, Trinidad and Tobago born, began her acting career at The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in the late 80’s in New York and studied with teachers trained by Mr. Strasberg. Over the past 3 decades, intertwined with an international directing and acting career, including roles in the Feature Film “Race” and Episodic work for NBC, Global, USA Network, Showtime and others, Michèle has directed 24 plays and 2 Web Series. Theater productions include, “Bad Jews”, “Burn This”, “Lion in the Streets”,“The Dreamer Examines his Pillow” (in Italian) “Jesus Hopped the A Train”, “Venus in Fur”, as well as writing and directing the original stage play “The 21st Floor” which were all reviewed notably. She produced and directed the digital series “Bradley Borgen: The Actor Who Could Not Cry.” which won Best Writer & Director at WorldFest Houston and “Little Wars”, a series of 17 short films, each filmed in one continuous shot, is currently in post production.
She is currently the founder and artistic director of the Gracemoon Arts Company.
Synchronous to her acting and directing career, Michèle teaches and coaches award-winning actors around the world; Canada, America, Jamaica, Tobago, England and Italy. Her self developed modality is an amalgamation and iteration on the work of master and visionary teacher Lee Strasberg, as well as completely proprietary techniques. Her research and development has been compiled over the past 25 years, alongside her Master Class at the LS&CO Acting Studio for the Humanitarian Arts, and which over two decades evolved into the Ensemble of Actors at The Gracemoon Arts Company.
In 2023, she returned to New York to live and work, the birthplace of her acting training in the 80s, to create a home for art, and to add her voice to the global conversation. Together with her company of 18 actors, they will officially open The Gracemoon Theatre, Salon & Gallery in Bushwick in April 2024. The non-profit is a home for “the artist”, devoted to uplifting and upholding the New York tradition of excellence and integrity in acting, while aspiring to evolve the art form and its humanitarian impact.
STAGE MANAGER - MOONEY SHEPARD*
Mooney is an artist born and raised in Ontario, Canada who has made the big move to Brooklyn to support the dream of Gracemoon Arts Company! She has been studying acting at LS&Co for under two years now and is eternally grateful for the opportunity to stage manage her first show under the guidance of Michèle Lonsdale Smith and with the love of all the company members at Gracemoon. Thank you! Gather ye rosebuds while ye may…
SOUND & LIGHTING - RANDALL ROSS
Randall has been a company member of the Gracemoon Arts Company for 12 years. He was in Michèle Lonsdale•Smith’s first acting class almost 30 years ago. He is a cinematographer, editor, lighting and sound technician. Randy has executed the audio, visual and technical requirement of Michèle’s vision on all Gracemoon productions. He is also a Co-Founder and Head of Business Development at Gracemoon.
*Appearing through an Agreement between this theatre, Gracemoon Arts Company, and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.