Virtual Tour [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". Nottage began to write the play in 2011 and set its events during two notable economic downturns: the 2000 to 2001 recession following the dot com bubble and the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009. Nottage's characters were based on personal research and interviews she conducted in Reading throughout 2011. Sweat I really feel is the American story. Download the entire Sweat study guide as a printable PDF! When the plant threatens to cut wages and lay off workers, the friends turn against each other as they struggle to stay afloat. [1] The action takes place in a fictional bar[6] in Reading, Pennsylvania.[7]. Though the play is brimming with these rich themes, the execution does not always succeed. Note: When citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary dates. (including. 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. 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. Sweat is a 2015 play by American playwright Lynn Nottage. North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Lead the Pack", How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sweat_(play)&oldid=1127802853, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia introduction cleanup from May 2022, Articles covered by WikiProject Wikify from May 2022, All articles covered by WikiProject Wikify, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 16 December 2022, at 19:00. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. 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. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Sweat switches between 2000 and 2008 as Lynn Nottage tells the story of a group of friends who work together on the factory floor. Youve always been cool. Although much of the . Scene 1 of Act 2 shows Jason and Chris returning to visit their mothers. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Im cool with everyone. When Cynthia is promoted, the difference of social status is directly introduced. Alumni, Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics, Theatre Department Performance: SWEAT by Lynn Nottage. But I stood on line, patiently waiting for a break. In a sense, Reading represents a broader diminishment of the American middle class, a sector of the population whose once-reliable sources of worksuch as in factories and millshave been in decline in recent years. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. Thrash rock music from the early millennium sets the mood and evokes tension. Sweat is a two-act play written by Lynn Nottage. When layoffs and picket lines begin to chip away at their trust, the friends find themselves pitted against each other in a fight to stay afloat. [] I betcha they wanted a minority. Stan seems to be the link between Oscar and the others, as the others treat Oscar like an outsider. Similarly, O'Keefe plays the barkeep as one-note and frequently flubs lines. CYNTHIA: More money. 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. Characters are saddened and enraged in the face of wage cuts, and conflicts erupt between them as they struggle to navigate their lives in the face of diminishing opportunities. Sweat by Lynn Nottage Directed by Matt J. Bannister TICKETS: www.ssstage.org November 1 - 23, 2019 Fridays & Saturdays @ 8pm Matinees: November 10 and 17 @ 2pm A play in a bar like none other. TRACEY: You want us to feel sorry for you? 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. 2023 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. [27], The play won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.[2]. She loves to hang out at the bar with her friends and she has a gruff kind of humor. Lynn Nottage's Sweat was published in 2015 and won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 2017. The sheer amount of time that characters spend together in the lived-in and comfortable bar after work emphasizes just how important a similar sense of familiarity and comfort is in their relationships with one another. 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). 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. 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. Filled with warm humor and tremendous heart, Sweat tells the story of a group of friends who have spent their lives sharing drinks, secrets, and laughs while working together on the factory floor. I feel that its a common problem in our society to portray immigrants as needy and that they get special treatment for their race. This showed me how the production was truly pointing out the racism that lies in our economy still today, whether its the advantages white men hold or the wages gaps between races and genders. At Donmar Warehouse, London, until 26 January. Tracey and Jessie view Cynthia as a traitor. Three best friends, Cynthia (Portia), Tracey (Mary Mara), and Jessie (Amy Pietz), pass the time at the bar joking and drinking to obliteration in order to survive the daily grind. The play takes place in a small town in Pennsylvania where there is one main line of work everyone goes into. Sweat examines the changing lives of factory workers in Reading, Pennsylvania, between the years of 2000 and 2008. Our Essay Lab can help you tackle any essay assignment within seconds, whether youre studying Macbeth or the American Revolution. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves at the best online prices at eBay! 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. Human Resources Ultimately, Sweat shows the interpersonal costs of raising ones station: when desperate people strive for more out of life, fellow desperate peopleeven, and especially, dear friendswill often respond with resentment rather than support. CHRIS: Dude, its just something I gotta do. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. Get professional help and free up your time for more important things. Call me selfish, I dont care, call me whatever you need to call me, but remember, one of us has to be left standing to fight. Lynn Nottage's Sweat is an unusual and rewarding play, depicting social reality not often seen in the American theater. AHRM NewsASPECT News|Awards and Honors|Bookshelf|Communication News|English News|History News IvyMoose is the largest stock of essay samples on lots of topics and for any discipline. Ive absorbed a lotta shit over the years, but I worked hard to get off that floor. 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. I hope a lot of people come to see it.. Peterson unleashes her actors like pinballs, bouncing off each other, intensifying until they explode in the climax. For online purchase, find ticket links here. Mara plays Tracey as a shrill woman who is looking for others to blame. Background. [7][11], After starting previews on October 18, 2016, Sweat opened Off-Broadway at The Public Theater on November 3, 2016. Although Cynthia breaks the rules by warning Tracey, Jessie, Chris, and Jason that a lockout is imminent, they begin to see her as a betrayer rather than a trusted member of their inner circle due to her position of authority over them. The second date is today's Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. Ed. This leads to a lock-out, scabs crossing the line to keep the firm going and an act of violence that explains the parole interviews. The BMCC Theatre Department invites you to enjoy the performance of SWEAT by Lynn Nottage, directed by Diane Dowling. To understand how we got here, Nottage takes us back to the year 2000. [4] The characters portrayed were associated with Trump's election campaign phrase of "the forgotten people". As an experienced parole officer, Evan has a strong understanding of the personal struggles Chris and Jason are going through. [7], The play has been described as "a powerful and emotional look at identity, race, economy, and humanity. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. you can use them for inspiration and simplify your student life. Job Opportunities Their whole lives have been on the factory line. Race was never the main theme in, Sweat by Lynn Nottage, but it helped move the story along and added greatly to some of the characters development. If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original There are other minor characters in the plot of the play. Director Lisa Peterson uses television screens to document major world events that led to the collapse of the American factory system, such as the financial crisis and bailout of 2008 and the election of George W. Bush in 2000, so that the audience can travel back to a precarious time not very different from 2018. Im not prejudice, but thats how things are going these days. The themes in Sweat are timeless, and the play is a microcosm of today's issues relating to poverty, race, and discrimination. She used these substances as coping mechanisms which also led her to say racist comments about her own friend. He learns that the cost of being hired is to become a scab when the others go out on strike. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Instant PDF downloads. Tracey and Jessie grow bitter. There are a group of friends that work for the steel factory. CYNTHIA: Fuck her. In 2000, we meet best friends Tracey, Cynthia, and Jessie. She cannot stand the way Reading has been changing over the years. samples are real essays written by real students who kindly donate their papers to us so that One of the major plot points in this ensemble driven piece is Cynthia's promotion to management at Olstead's factory. Who is the antagonist in the play Sweat by Lynn Nottage? Any deadline. The latter character gets the position, but soon the company moves jobs to Mexico. by Lynn Nottage. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. [5] Nottage herself even spoke at the strike, which is what made her realize she had to do more. The two men have not seen each other since the events that led to their incarceration. Enjoy live events at insider prices. 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. In addition to being a play on serious themes, "Sweat" is an an award . Not us. By clicking Receive Essay, you agree to our, Stereotypes inThe House on Mango Street Essay Example, Theme of Sexism in The Scarlet Letter Essay Sample, Argumentative Essay: The Dehumanization Of The Holocaust, Role of Social Class in Jane Eyre (Essay Sample), The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver Book Review, Essay Sample on Fahrenheit 451: The Frightening Analogy Between Societies, In Cold Blood and Criminal Justice Essay Example, Class Hierarchy inThe Great Gatsby Essay Example, Scrooge's Transformation in Dickens' A Christmas Carol Essay Sample, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. 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. 100% plagiarism free, Orders: 7 Ed. Sweat challenged my thinking and led me to analyze serious problems that still have not been solved. Beyond that, however, Mara doesn't project the character's humanity, which leads a character meant to propel the story to instead fall flat. 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%. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. 30 December 2016. The ramifications of humanity's anger hangs over the play, yet Nottage hints at the power of forgiveness and redemption. Were a team, you cant leave!! Already a member? Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. 5 pages at 400 words per page) Two hostile men sit in separate rooms with the same parole officer after being released from an eight-year prison sentence. Refine any search. Sweat. Download the entire Sweat study guide as a printable PDF! When Chris reveals that hell be leaving Olsteads to study teaching at Albright College, Jason is blindsidedhed hoped to work alongside his best friend for the foreseeable future and to eventually retire and open a business together. People of color are being persecuted by individuals in power because of the color of their skin, leaving them in fear for their life. Unfortunately, that kinetic energy is all on one level, high, so the audience feels distanced from the characters. Well, my familys been here a long 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? As coming from a Hispanic background and having family members come from Costa Rica to America, scenes centered around Oscar were important to me. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. Seeing the effects of job loss and the economic struggle these people were facing first hand is what truly inspired her work for the play Sweat. Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. 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. You got a problem, you tell me to my face. Stan, a middle-aged white man with a limp, bartends, and when the two women invite him to dance with them, he refuses. As mentioned earlier , when Nottage does use aspects of spectacle , it emphasizes these themes further , aspects like lighting . Print Word PDF. However, Sweats cast of characters is anything but empowered: rather than resist the hand theyve been dealt, they, The characters in Sweat have spent decades of their lives thanklessly laboring in Reading Pennsylvanias local steel and textile mills amid poor working conditions, disrespectful management, and union disputes. Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. It highlights serious problems in society such as racism, economic strain, drug abuse, and toxic relationships. This leads to a confrontation with Jason, egged on by his mother. This is highlighted by Brucie, who experienced a similar situation at a different mill. I hope that they will ask really tough conversations, not just of themselves but of the legislators and the people who are in power, she said. (including. Jason and Chris are involved in a fight with Oscar and serve time in prison. Jump-start your essay with our outlining tool to make sure you have all the main points of your essay covered. Based on extensive interviews with residents of the rustbelt town of Reading, Pennsylvania, it shows the anger and despair that helped fuel the election of Donald Trump. Give to BMCC Oscar now works there as the manager, and he takes care of Stan, who we find out has suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of the fight. Similarly, when Cynthia earns a promotion from floor worker to Warehouse Supervisor at Olsteads, Tracey becomes spiteful and downright crueleven though she, too, applied for the job. I cant think of any recent play that tells us so much, and so vividly, about the state of the union. SWEAT is a 2015 play by American playwright Lynn Nottage. Instant PDF downloads. eNotes.com, Inc. If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original But when characters begin to distance themselves from the status quo and pursue different opportunities, these relationships gradually disintegrate as those left behind feel resentful of their friends new paths. "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. As Warehouse Supervisor, Cynthia has a newfound insiders perspective into the management side of the plant. Pietz portrays Jessie as a lonely woman hiding in a glass of alcohol. 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. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child, Fabulation, or The Re-Education of Undine. Nottage , through not making sweat a more general , traditional , " spectacle " , with large set pieces , costumes , etc . Sweat was a meaningful production as there are many important themes to take away from the story. date the date you are citing the material. Tracey? Though her two friends clash throughout the play, Pietz appears to harbor most of the blows. Sweat is about the private toll of this great decline. The play opens in 2008, and we meet Jason and Chris as they individually speak to their parole officer, Evan. 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. Thrash rock music from the characters Diane Dowling recent play that tells us so,... Largest stock of essay samples on lots of topics and for any discipline here a long time become! A lonely woman hiding in a fight with Oscar and the others go out on strike being..., London, until 26 January production as there are many important themes to take away from the story a! I feel that its a common problem in our society to portray immigrants needy! Between the years, but I stood on line, patiently waiting for a break News|Awards and Honors|Bookshelf|Communication News|English News... 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