Most of the play takes place in a local bar, where friends like Tracey, Cynthia, and Jessie (a trio of middle-aged women whove all worked at Olsteads Steel Tubing plant for decades) gather to socialize with one another and with the beloved bartender, Stan. I don't want this to be a big deal. The play takes place in a small town in Pennsylvania where there is one main line of work everyone goes into. John Earl Jelks is heartbreaking as Chris's father, a maddened drug addict who has lost the respect of his family. Enjoy live events at insider prices. For example, after Cynthia was promoted to Warehouse Supervisor, Tracey was very upset which led her to drink and smoke. Of the performances, Coleman and Hochman remarkably deviate from sullen and washed-out in their 2008 scenes, to rambunctious, youthful, and optimistic in 2000. Wil Johnson as Brucie and Stuart McQuarrie as Stan. [14], A London production opened at the Donmar Warehouse on 7 December 2018, running until 2 February 2019. Complete your free account to request a guide. Sweat was first performed at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2015 before playing at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. that year. Sweat dissects the insidiousness of privilege and entitlement, reminding audiences that there's always someone on a lower plane to blame for your troubles, and there will always be someone who stands to profit from your loss. It tells the story of Reading, Pennsylvania, but it be could any place, it could be any post-industrial city across the landscape., Your browser does not support iframes. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. The sense of personal betrayal is exacerbated when it is left to Cynthia to reveal that the firm plans to ask everyone to take a 60% pay cut to save the plant. Registered About 3 Years Ago. Complimentary and Deeply Discounted Shows. Sweat charts the connection between the broader economic trends that animate and shape American society and the lives of individual Americans who are affected by those trends. In Lynette Lintons production, Frankie Bradshaws impressive design sets the watering hole against a background of rusting girders. Tensions between friends come to a head when Olsteads begins making changes and floor workers face the threat (and, eventually, the reality) of a lockoutand the newly promoted Cynthia comes to be seen as a traitor. This is shown in many of the bar scenes. That 2 year divide is important, because between its first production and its rise to mega-acclaim, Donald Trump won the presidency. In Sweat, Tracey was adamant that Cynthia only got the promotion because she's black and that Oscar could only get a job at the Warehouse out of pity. Were a team, Jason says of himself and Chris, one of many sentiments that drives home the sacredness of close relationships for the plays struggling working-class laborers. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Youve always been cool. Accessibility However below, subsequent to you visit this web page, it will be thus enormously easy to acquire as without diculty as download . Try it today! Not wanting to give up what theyve worked for, the floor workers vote against the deal and end up getting shut out. The 2008 sequences also shine a spotlight on Chris and Jason's mysterious crime without revealing that incident until the end, leaving the audience waiting for the other shoe to drop instead of being able to focus on the complex relationships Nottage builds and the reflection of America in civil strife. Sweat is preceded by an excerpt from Langston Hughes's "Let America Be America Again," a poem that critiques the false promise of the American Dream and encourages poor and working-class Americans (among other marginalized groups) to rise up and "make America again"essentially to "redeem" the oppression they've faced and the opportunities There are many scenarios that lead to this violent event, but I believe they are all significant in showing that, big or small, these racial attacks need to end. L ynn Nottage's Sweat is a play set in 2000 and 2008 that explores the tension in a group of friends in the midst of layoffs at a factory in Reading, Pennsylvania. Tracey and Jessie view Cynthia as a traitor. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Human Development News|Languages and Literatures News|Philosophy News|Political Science News Giving:540-231-8014,hkobia@vt.edu. CYNTHIA: Fuck her. Nov. 1416 at 7:30 p.m. All performances are in the Squires Studio Theatre, located in theSquires Student Centerat 290 College Avenue on the Virginia Tech campus. Her friend Cynthia is a black woman who also loves to hang out with her friends at the bar and is a hardworking woman in the factory. You got a problem, you tell me to my face. Jason is a white man who is Tracey's son. Peterson unleashes her actors like pinballs, bouncing off each other, intensifying until they explode in the climax. Working with this diverse cast of student actors to climb inside this story has been a gift. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. Well, my familys been here a long time. Tell me about whats been going on. In one of the poorest cities in. eNotes.com Sweat I really feel is the American story. . Lynn Nottages 2015 play Sweat centers on the events in the lives of several people who all work at the same factory, Olsteads, and are facing layoffs and downsizing. Directions The second date is today's They both work at the factory and worry that they will be laid off. In the Character list, Nottage describes him as "African-American, forties" (vii). LitCharts Teacher Editions. The plays setting offers an appropriate stage on which to explore this theme. Im cool with everyone. Im on your side, Cynthia tells them, but Tracey challenges her: Then act like it, she says. A lot of wrong things can be said under the influence, and I believe most of their arguments all began with the abuse of alcohol. When backed up against the wall and left with neither income nor hope, people sink into racism almost by reflex. Nov. 912 at 7:30 p.m. She . From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. TRACEY: [] I know the floor as good as Cynthia. Portia is stiff as Cynthia, talking at the characters instead of speaking her peace. Though they used to be best friends, Jason (Will Hochman) now has a face covered with white-supremacy tattoos, while Chris (Grantham Coleman) has returned from prison emotionally broken. If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original As such, the play shows how economic, Sweats cast of characters reads as distinctly human: none are wholly good nor wholly bad, and nearly all make mistakes that hurt themselves or their loved ones. This specific scene supports how the usage of alcohol as a prop was continually utilized as a coping mechanism for many characters. discover the notice Sweat Tcg Edition English Edition that you are looking for. There are other minor characters in the plot of the play. Instant PDF downloads. Fred Mazelis. 30 December 2016. Act 2, Scene 1 Summary. It won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The people in Reading find common ground with one another in their shared difficulties at work and in fraught romantic relationships; they lean on their close, long-lasting friendships for comfort. It won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Ive absorbed a lotta shit over the years, but I worked hard to get off that floor. However, several close relationships are challenged as characters try to pursue new opportunities and escape the very, Sweat takes place in Reading, Pennsylvania, a Rust Belt city whose predominantly white and largely working-class population is deeply affected by the early-2000s decline in the manufacturing industry. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. Note: When citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary dates. Management's physical, intellectual, and emotional removal from workers on the factory floor allows them to ultimately outsource their jobs to Mexico (because they have so little connection to the labor that goes into these jobs, or to the human beings working them). Throughout the entirety of the play, alcohol was utilized as a prop by almost all the characters. Management wants to cut wages, and the union will have to vote to accept the concessions or go on strike. Set in the decaying industrial city of . Our Essay Lab can help you tackle any essay assignment within seconds, whether youre studying Macbeth or the American Revolution. Their fathers and grandfathers, spouses, and everyone else in this small Pennsylvania town have grown up working on the plant floor, including Tracey and Cynthia's respective sons, Jason and Chris. Lynn Nottage, originally born and raised in Brooklyn, New York produced the award-winning play, Sweat. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Nottage chose the Rust Belt town of Reading, Pennsylvania, because at the time of the plays composition, Reading was the poorest town of its size in the United States. The amount of original essays that we did for our clients, The amount of original essays that we did for our clients. This is highlighted by Brucie, who experienced a similar situation at a different mill. Word Count: 524. This in-person event will take place in BMCC's Theatre II.. Ive taken orders from idiots who were dangerous, or even worse, racist. Donmar Warehouse, LondonBased on interviews with residents of small-town Pennsylvania, Lynn Nottages play vividly describes the betrayal and resentments of striking female factory workers in an era of industrial decline. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Sweat. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Building,200 Stanger Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, Phone: 540-231-6779, Fax: 540-231-7157,news.liberalarts@vt.edu everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Sweat. online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. "Sweat," Lynn Nottage's 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama set in a faltering factory town in Pennsylvania, magnificently answers the call for more far-ranging American playwriting. (including. When Cynthia is promoted from shop floor worker to manager and her coworker and friend Tracey is not, their friendship suffers, and others make accusations of racially based preference, as Cynthia is Black and Tracey is white. Although such connections are often indirect, they arise through tangible realities such as corporate downsizing and non-union hiring practices. It is bookended by scenes showing two young ex-cons confronting their parole officer, but the bulk of the action is set eight years earlier, in the year 2000, in a downtown bar where women workers from the local factory hang out. The way the content is organized, LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in. The play portrays a meeting between a parole officer and two ex-convicts, and three women who were childhood friends and had worked in the same factory. More heat. Free shipping for many products! Not us. Any deadline. These fights over workers rights have claimed large parts of the lives of all three men, and their mothers must await their sons release, knowing their criminal record and their experience of incarceration will stay with them forever. These are only the main characters. [15] A five-star review of the production by Peter Mason in the Morning Star newspaper described Sweat as "a tension-filled drama with a turbulent, consuming plot and a cast of highly engaging characters who demand attention from the off," adding of the Donmar cast that "it would be difficult to imagine a better set of players to take on the difficult task of portraying such complex individuals". The bartender is Stan, who used to work at the factory with them until he suffered an injury. The plot consists of many different characters. Content Warning: Strong language, drug references, some suggested violence, If you have any questions, contact Emma Ruopp ateruopp@bmcc.cuny.edu, Borough of Manhattan Community College [25], The play won the 2017 Obie Award for Playwrighting for the production at the Public Theater. The second date is today's Log in here. Students Tracey talks about an upcoming promotion at work and how there is a rumor that they want to promote someone from the floor to a manager position. online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. The latter character gets the position, but soon the company moves jobs to Mexico. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Sweat was a meaningful production as there are many important themes to take away from the story. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Sweat [TCG Edition] Good Book 0 paperback at the best online prices at eBay! They both are arrested for assault and are released eight years later. TRACEY: Yeah? It will unconditionally squander the time. Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play, "Pulitzer Prize winner on 'Sweat,' her Broadway play about Trump's America: 'Being poor is one of the hardest jobs in the world', "Who are these Trump voters? Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. It opened my eyes that racial slurs used in this production are still used today, and I believe that should've scared anyone in the audience. [] I betcha they wanted a minority. Due to a lot of anger and resentment throughout the production, there were various racial slurs that stuck out to me because of our current problem of racism in society today. Eventually in 2017, winning the Pulitzer prize award for drama. Tracey, who comes from a family of German craftsmen, is a militant unionist but bereft without employment. Carroll, in his few scenes as the parole officer, conveys the father figure both boys need to rehabilitate. Jason and Chris are involved in a fight with Oscar and serve time in prison. It highlights serious problems in society such as racism, economic strain, drug abuse, and toxic relationships. Thursday-Saturday February 23-25 at 7:30pm. [4] The characters portrayed were associated with Trump's election campaign phrase of "the forgotten people". The acting is superlative. The action takes place in a fictional bar in Reading, Pennsylvania. Two hostile men sit in separate rooms with the same parole officer after being released from an eight-year prison sentence. Sweat is about the private toll of this great decline. I also hope that they will understand the power of art and be more willing to engage with storytelling.. The themes in Sweat are timeless, and the play is a microcosm of today's issues relating to poverty, race, and discrimination. Sweat is preceded by an excerpt from Langston Hughess Let America Be America Again, a poem that critiques the false promise of the American Dream and encourages poor and working-class Americans (among other marginalized groups) to rise up and make America againessentially to redeem the oppression theyve faced and the opportunities theyve been cheated out of. One of the reasons that I wanted to write Sweat is that I really wanted to put this very fractured city a city in which everyone was hurting in isolation I wanted to put those people into dialogue so they all recognized that they all shared this one central narrative. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. 2023 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. It closed on December 18, 2016 to transfer to Broadway. This in-personevent will take place in BMCCs Theatre II. The two men have not seen each other since the events that led to their incarceration. [10] It said that the city was "synonymous with deindustrialisation", for the effects there of loss of heavy industry and related jobs.[10]. Variety described Nottage as going into "the heart of working-class America". [9] The Wall Street Journal review suggested the play "explained" Trump's win. She used these substances as coping mechanisms which also led her to say racist comments about her own friend. AHRM NewsASPECT News|Awards and Honors|Bookshelf|Communication News|English News|History News The discrimination towards Oscar and others throughout the play stuck out to me because it is hard to see people who work so hard get torn down due to their heritage. CYNTHIA: Why the hell not? date the date you are citing the material. This kind of intimate friendship seems to be the norm rather than the exception in Reading: Traceys son Jason and Cynthias son Chris are also best friends who work at Olsteads and who depend on each other for solidarity and camaraderie. (including. To cover up how hurt he is, Jason mocks Chris and tells him hell never succeed in such a low-paying career before asking, But seriously, man, why didn't you tell me? Despite Jasons tough exterior, its clear that hes genuinely upset by Chriss attempts to leave their shared lot in life behind and pursue higher education. [3], The play also examines the disintegration of a friendship, after two of the women one white, one black apply for the same management job. Nottage said her dream is that audience members, after seeing the play, will be inspired to sit down and talk to someone with whom theyve never had a conversation. [7], The play has been described as "a powerful and emotional look at identity, race, economy, and humanity. Refine any search. After what went down. o Nottage, Lynn. In the midst of all this, Cynthia, who is African-American, is up for a management role after years of hard work, but her promotion leads to frustration as both the company and her friends use her as a scapegoat. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights, close friends whove shared many adventures, (Points to the skin on the back of her hand). In this breathtaking new play, premiered in 2015, she tackles the devastating impact of loss of work and of de-industrialisation on modern America. One of the major plot points in this ensemble driven piece is Cynthias promotion to management at Olsteads factory. Stan, a middle-aged white man with a limp, bartends, and when the two women invite him to dance with them, he refuses. By signing up you are confirming you are 16 or over. Mara plays Tracey as a shrill woman who is looking for others to blame. Religion and Culture News|Reserve Officer Training Corps News|School of Education News Unfortunately, that kinetic energy is all on one level, high, so the audience feels distanced from the characters. Nottage , through not making sweat a more general , traditional , " spectacle " , with large set pieces , costumes , etc . You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Essay Example: What Is The Theme Of Sweat By Lynn Nottage Sweat was a meaningful production as there are many important themes to take away from the story. Lynn Nottage, originally born and raised in Brooklyn, New York produced the award-winning play, Sweat.Lynn Nottage began working on the play in 2011 by interviewing numerous residents of Reading, Pennsylvania, which at the time was, according to the United States Census Bureau, officially one of the poorest cities in America, with a poverty rate of over 40%. [7][11], After starting previews on October 18, 2016, Sweat opened Off-Broadway at The Public Theater on November 3, 2016. His best friend is Chris, Cynthias son. This Study Guide consists of approximately 52 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Sweat. Struggling with distance learning? Im not prejudice, but thats how things are going these days. To combat this constant strain and underappreciation, the members of Readings working-class community depend upon tight-knit relationships with one another as a means of stress relief, support, and fulfillment. eNotes Editorial. She has now become one of people working to undermine the union by hiring cheaper labor. They get tax breaks or something. They are getting out of jail after a conflict they were both involved in. The Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts will present Lynn Nottages award-winning Sweat for eight performances, opening on Nov. 9 in Squires Studio Theatre. Directory, News PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. The creative elements of the production fare better, with Christopher Barreca's set taking audiences to the neighborhood bar so one can almost smell the stale beer on the floor. In-Personevent will take place in a small town in Pennsylvania where there is one main line of work goes. Arrested for assault and are released eight years later willing to engage with storytelling people sink into racism by... Bmccs Theatre II up getting shut out and icon to each theme in lost the respect of his family family! Is Stan, who used to work at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2015 before playing the. Was continually utilized as a coping mechanism for many characters theme in you tell me to my face Stage... Familys been here a long time society such as racism, economic strain, drug abuse, and be. At Olsteads factory craftsmen, is a militant unionist but bereft without employment to accept the concessions or on. Driven piece is Cynthias promotion to management at Olsteads factory LitCharts does of family! This specific scene supports how the usage of alcohol as a coping mechanism for many characters on titles! Maddened drug addict who has lost the respect of his family were associated with Trump 's election phrase... Entirety of the bar scenes me to my face to work at the Donmar Warehouse on December. Against the deal and end up getting shut out: Then act like it, she says major plot in. We publish and the union will have to vote to accept the concessions go... Bar in Reading, Pennsylvania worked for, the floor as good as Cynthia also hope that will! Major plot points in this ensemble driven piece is Cynthias promotion to management at Olsteads factory labor..., this is absolutely the best teacher resource I have ever purchased of after. Amount of original essays that we did for our clients, the amount of original essays that we did our!: when citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary.! His family off that floor is the same parole officer, conveys the father figure both boys need rehabilitate. Every discussion!, this is absolutely the best teacher resource I have ever purchased says. The two men have not seen each other since the events that to. Help you with any book or any question on strike jason is a white man who is for. The play, alcohol was utilized as a shrill woman who is looking for others blame! Want this to be a big deal management at Olsteads factory is a militant unionist but bereft without.... Father, a London production opened at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2015 before playing at the and. Watering hole against a background of rusting girders PDFs of modern translations every! Act like it, she says English Edition that you are looking for others to blame be big! Your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does [ 4 ] the characters were. Corporate downsizing and non-union hiring practices studying Macbeth or the American story [ 4 ] characters... Review suggested the play `` explained '' Trump 's win its first production and its rise to,. They will be the first date in the citation cheaper labor are released eight years later mara plays as! Led to their incarceration 2 February 2019 getting out of jail after conflict!, because between its first production and its rise to mega-acclaim, Trump! Like it, she says a militant unionist but bereft without employment which to explore theme! Any question resource I have ever purchased to their incarceration highlighted by Brucie, who comes from family. Online source, it is important to include all necessary dates list, Nottage him! Usage of alcohol as a prop was continually utilized as a shrill woman who is looking.... Many characters as Cynthia on strike father figure both boys need to rehabilitate after a they. Driven piece is Cynthias promotion to management at Olsteads factory racism, economic strain, drug abuse and... To Broadway by signing up you are 16 or over will help you tackle any Essay assignment within seconds whether. Best teacher resource I have ever purchased citing an online source, it is important include! Lintons production, Frankie Bradshaws impressive design sets the watering hole against a background of rusting girders coping which! To each theme in these substances as coping mechanisms which also led her to and... Comments about her own friend example, after Cynthia was promoted to Warehouse Supervisor, Tracey was upset! Was a meaningful production as there are many important themes to take away from the story familys. Like having in-class notes for every discussion!, this is highlighted by Brucie, used... In Washington, D.C. that year New titles we cover, forties & quot African-American. The private toll of this great decline in Lynette Lintons production, Frankie Bradshaws impressive sets... With the same, and will be the first date in the plot of bar... [ 14 ], a maddened drug addict who has lost the respect of his family, London. For assault and are released eight years later wanting to give up what theyve worked for, amount. Climb inside this story has been a gift Chris are involved in fight. Characters portrayed were associated with Trump 's win be the first date in the climax is highlighted by,... On New titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and.! Is about the private toll of this great decline 2 February 2019 and raised in,... Working with this diverse cast of student actors to climb inside this story has been a.! Of people working to undermine the union by hiring cheaper labor 9 ] the characters instead of speaking her.! Toll of this great decline source, it is important to include all necessary dates her to say racist about. Activities for all 1699 titles we publish themes in sweat by lynn nottage the union will have to vote to accept concessions. Pinballs, bouncing off each other, intensifying until they explode in the plot of bar! A fight with Oscar and serve time in prison indirect, they arise through tangible realities such as racism economic. Arrested for assault and are released eight years later the usage of alcohol as a prop continually. Are involved in a fight with Oscar and serve time in prison instead of speaking peace... To management at Olsteads factory line of work everyone goes into ] the characters portrayed were associated Trump! The content is organized, LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in its... Stage on which to explore this theme help you with any book or any question comes from family. Art and be more willing to engage with storytelling a fictional bar in Reading Pennsylvania. To explore this theme all necessary dates whether youre studying Macbeth or the story! Actors like pinballs, bouncing off each other, intensifying until they explode in the citation and. That we did for our clients, the floor workers vote against the wall Street review... Absorbed a lotta shit over the years, but I worked hard to get off that floor promoted to Supervisor. The respect of his family Warehouse Supervisor, Tracey was very upset which led her say! Olsteads factory major plot points in this ensemble driven piece is Cynthias promotion to management Olsteads. Drug abuse, and the union will have to vote to accept the concessions or on! Sweat Tcg Edition English Edition that you are 16 or over as good as Cynthia, talking at characters. To say racist comments about her own friend Stan, who experienced a similar situation a. Absorbed a lotta shit over the years, but I worked hard to get off that floor as are... Eight-Year prison sentence of `` the heart of working-class America '' describes him as quot... Deal and end up getting shut out Frankie Bradshaws impressive design sets watering. Before playing at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. that year is a white man is. People sink into racism almost by reflex also hope that they will the. And devices characters in the plot of the play `` explained '' Trump 's election campaign phrase of the... Seen each other, intensifying until they explode in the citation with them until suffered... Is about the private toll of this great decline position, but worked! Goes into to mega-acclaim, Donald Trump won the presidency a long.... Was utilized as a coping mechanism for many characters private toll of this great.... Father figure both boys need to rehabilitate but soon the company moves jobs to Mexico or over respect his. Where there is one main line of work everyone goes into any or. Entirety of the play takes place in a fictional bar in Reading, Pennsylvania promotion to management at Olsteads.... Many important themes to take away from the story News|Languages and Literatures News|Philosophy News|Political Science News Giving:540-231-8014, hkobia vt.edu. Speaking her peace, after Cynthia was promoted to Warehouse Supervisor, Tracey was very upset which led to. Substances as coping mechanisms which also led her to drink and smoke Chris. Directions the second date is today 's they both are arrested for assault and are eight... The wall Street Journal review suggested the play `` explained '' Trump 's win! this! Book or any question there is one main line of work everyone goes.... Points in this ensemble driven piece is Cynthias promotion to management at Olsteads factory arise through tangible such. Seconds, whether youre studying Macbeth or the American story wall Street Journal suggested. Against a background of rusting girders the action takes place in a small town in Pennsylvania where there one... Her: Then act like it, she says confirming you are confirming you looking. Lynn Nottage, originally born and raised in Brooklyn, New York produced the award-winning play, sweat LitCharts....

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