Intimate Apparel: Act 1, Scene 1 Summary & Analysis

In a small upstairs bedroom, Esther sits at her sewing machine sewing lace onto a camisole while a party takes place downstairs. Mrs. Dickson, the owner of the boardinghouse, teases someone and then enters Esther's room, laughing. She tells Esther that Mr. Charles is very taken with Esther's bread pudding. Esther is uninterested in accepting the compliment, but Mrs. Dickson persists and says that Mr. Charles is "most available" and was just promoted to head bellman at a fine hotel. Esther is unimpressed that Mr. Charles still carries luggage, but Mrs. Dickson says that high-class luggage is better than regular luggage. She remarks on the beautiful suit that Mr. Charles is wearing and both women laugh as they agree that any man can talk, but only sensible men buy nice suits.

Mrs. Dickson compliments the camisole Esther is making. Esther explains that she's making it for Corinna Mae, the honored guest downstairs who is soon to be married. Mrs. Dickson insists that Esther join the party before it ends so she can dance, but Esther refuses: nobody is interested in dancing with her. Taking a serious tone, Mrs. Dickson asks what's wrong with Esther. Tightly, Esther says that she turned 35 last week. After a moment of silence, Mrs. Dickson apologizes for forgetting about Esther amidst all the excitement and gives Esther a big hug. Esther suggests that she's been here long enough that she's a forgettable fixture, but Mrs. Dickson assures her this isn't the case: she's been a godsend since she arrived at 17.

Esther laments that since she arrived, 22 fellow boardinghouse girls have gotten married and she's had to act excited at every party. Esther knows she should be happy for them, but she keeps wondering why it's not her turn. She says that Corinna Mae isn't smart or all that pretty. When Mrs. Dickson assures Esther that she'll get her turn, Esther says that she knows it's wrong but she hates how happy Corinna Mae is and doesn't want Corinna Mae to pick up on this. Mrs. Dickson again suggests that Esther consider Mr. Charles. The women joke about how overweight he is, but then Esther seriously says that she's not sure if Mr. Charles is actually after women. She says that Mrs. Dickson thinks that she's lucky to attract his attention, but declares she won't give up that easily.

Mrs. Dickson praises Esther for this, but cautions her to not be too confident. She reminds Esther of her own late husband. He was almost 60 and addicted to opium when they met, but he had this boardinghouse which, since his death, has helped Mrs. Dickson. She says that she hated the opium and hated that he died, but suggests that one can't be too picky. Esther snaps that she's not going downstairs to be "paraded like some featherless bird" and asks Mrs. Dickson to take the camisole to Corinna Mae. Mrs. Dickson tells Esther to bring the camisole down herself. Before she leaves, she says that Esther is talented, good, and smart, but Corinna Mae deserves a toast.

Esther agrees to go downstairs and Mrs. Dickson remembers that a letter came for Esther from a Mr. George Armstrong. Esther doesn't know any living men by this name and asks Mrs. Dickson to read it to her, but Mrs. Dickson refuses and returns to the party. Esther puts the letter down, and across the stage, George appears in his bunk in Panama. He's muddy but handsome and recites his letter to Esther. He writes that he works in Panama and heard about Esther from her deacon's son. He briefly explains the Panama Canal project: it will allow ships to go from ocean to ocean and is supposedly important, but men are dying left and right. George feels as though the heat is driving people mad. He asks if Esther would agree to receive his letters and begin a correspondence.