I have to admit that it has been several years since I attended a play at 140 West J St. I have considered attending many times but somehow never got there. I had to compete with other events. I truly like to support our local events, and April 21 finally worked for me and some friends.
I have attended more theater since retirement than ever before- Broadway, Berkeley, Walnut Creek. I am still no expert on theater, rather a novice. However when an ensemble makes me care about what happens to the characters enacted, I applaud them with a standing ovation.
You can imagine how delighted I was when “Intimate Apparel,” currently running through May 13, was presented by the BOTT group. The lead actress playing Esther Mills, Chelsea Bearce, did precisely that. I cared what happened to her. The play itself is predictable, yet it still manages to speak to our human condition. The need to be held…not even to be loved, but to have human contact.
(I would like to digress…I have been watching the CNN special, “Mostly Human,” on the impact of technology. One sequence speaks to the mannequin/robot._A company is creating plastic robots that mimic a person. The consumer can choose the physical characteristics that appeal to them and even the personality type. When the CEO was interviewed, his compassion for those who spend the $16,000 to purchase these dolls was evident. He judged not, saying purchasers are lonely-perhaps they lost a loved one through divorce, abandonment, or death and this made them feel less alone.
When visiting with a friend recently, she seemed interested in Alexa, the Siri box, because she would have someone to talk to.
The need for the presence of the other is simply part of being a human.)
Back to the play, set in the 1890s. The old-town aspect of the play was enhanced by the number of attendees that dressed in period costume. What was also special and unexpected in the opening night event was the snacks, champagne and cake that came with the $30 ticket.
We live in an old town in which the sponsors listed on the program not only donated the space and cash and sold tickets, but painted the set, donated props and took pictures.
Sometimes the sophistication of big city dramas leaves me feeling separate from the actors and the subject matter. Thank you, BOTTG, for the intimacy created in both the ambiance, the generosity of food and drink, and the subject matter. I hope the town shows up to enjoy your offering.

Ellen Blaufarb is a marriage family therapist.

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