“People need human contact, Maxine, honey.” So wrote Tennessee Williams in one of his greatest plays, The Night of the Iguana. Playwright Lynn Nottage presents us with five souls in search of human contact, yearning for intimacy. These are people unlikely to draw anyone’s attention on the street. With the exception of Mrs. Van Buren, none of them have any “standing” in the world. And yet, the emotion that simmers inside each of them could fuel a jet plane—!
After seeing a vintage photograph entitled “Unidentified Negro Seamstress, 1905.” Lynn Nottage wanted to know more about this woman—who was she and what was her story? That photograph inspired this play—making it a celebration of the human heart and its resiliency.
It’s a great story, with an enormous heart. And that’s why I chose this play. – Michael Shamata, Artistic Director