"Do You Think There's Something Wrong With A Woman Alone?"

Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Lynn Nottage begs this question in one of her award winning plays in which I am currently playing her 'Esther', Intimate Apparel (Cape Fear Regional Theatre, Fayetteville, North Carolina March 2-19th http://www.cfrt.org/buy-tickets/). 

Esther, a 35 year old unwedded, no children havin' (ass) seamstress asks Mrs. Van Buren, the high-class white lady she sews for if she feels that there is "something wrong with a woman alone?"

Shiiiiiiiit, I off'en ask myself that question, in my deepest of thoughts. I'm of age. Not quite as old as Esther, god-forbid, but I'm older than I said I'd be when I thought I'd have kids. I had it all planned out. By 21, have be with the love of my life, by 25, have my career and my kids. Then move on from there.

Turned out to not be so simple.
And I'm not suuuuuuper mad about that.
A little tense, yes.
A bit flabbergasted if I sit and think about it too long? Maybe.
But I'm GOOD.
As long as I got me a job and a good time here and there, I'm good. (And NO, by "good time" I don't just mean sex. I mean whatever the good-time prescription calls for at that time. Whatever can remedy the specific symptoms.) 

In any event, that's what Esther was about, not settling. Had a job as a seamstress, private contractor around Manhattan in 1905. "Picking berries in every state" before that. Had a goal to open up a beauty parlor in Europe, "..east of Amsterdam, fancy." Saved up money for 18 years to back it up. Dreams. A focus. Determination. Goals. A man? That only came into play when the clock struck 35! Oh Lord! "I'm lonely. Am I lonely? I think I'm lonely...I need to get me a man!" And ohhhh man, if it were only that easy....for an introvert.

Oh Esther, I love her so much, her story is so rich. Reminds me of another little kitty with whom it must be obvious by now I love, Eartha Kitt. Eartha Kitt, born South Carolina, Esther Mills, born in North Carolina. Eartha had a tough childhood, fraught with pain and suffering, seeing and being subjected to things a young girl shouldn't have to be as was Esther. Love lives were tough in both women's lives...which brings it to me...

The city girl. Born in L.A., lived in Chicago with Big Apple experience. City girl to the core, but I'm an Aquarius and I see the beauty in nature. I had a share of the tough childhood experience and I've had my share of creeps. We won't get into the particulars, but  I keep it real with everything that I've experienced during my years on this planet and lend everything to my craft in order to produce the richest product.

My real life experiences mixed with the thing that Einstein told us was more important than education, my IMAGINATION is what connects me to these women, Eartha Kitt and Esther Mills and I will be forever grateful for their lives' stories influence on my life.