Intimate Apparel was co-commissioned by Center Stage in Baltimore, Maryland, and South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California. It opened in 2003, first in Baltimore then in Costa Mesa, before moving to New York’s Roundabout Theatre Company in 2004. It received mostly positive reviews and won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play, as well as several other prizes. It has since played as a favorite in regional theaters and smaller companies across the country, becoming Nottage’s most popular work. Critics have commented on its place in the African American theatrical tradition represented by August Wilson and Lorraine Hansberry, who also represent African American history in their work.