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. The union, there to protect the workers, has become overwhelmed and impotent. Divisions surface when the African American Cynthia is promoted from the shop floor to supervisor over the head of her white oldest friend, Tracey. Faculty & Staff IvyMoose is the largest stock of essay samples on lots of topics and for any discipline. 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. The resonance and relevance is immediate, as we rehearsed throughout what has come to be called Striketober 2021. 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. 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? Behind the plays portrayal of the damage done to individual lives by what Nottage calls the American de-industrial revolution lies a wider picture of collapsing hopes and corporate ruthlessness. Stan, a middle-aged white man with a limp, bartends, and when the two women invite him to dance with them, he refuses. Alumni, Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics, Theatre Department Performance: SWEAT by Lynn Nottage. They built this town. Note: All essays placed on IvyMoose.com are written by students who kindly donate their papers to us. 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. The ramifications of humanity's anger hangs over the play, yet Nottage hints at the power of forgiveness and redemption. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. 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. Wil Johnson as Brucie and Stuart McQuarrie as Stan. In commenting on the origins of Sweat, Nottage said, I really set about to figure out how poverty and economic stagnation was really shifting the American narrative. Not us. TRACEY: Stillyou werent born here, Berks. If there are two dates, the date of publication and appearance Sweat - Lynn Nottage 2016-12-13 A hard-hitting new drama from the Pulitzer Prize-winning . Youve always been cool. Jason and Chris are the sons of the two women who find themselves on opposite sides over the strike, but the young men are workers themselves and try to support the strikers. This website uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Directed by Kate Whoriskey (who also directed the earlier productions), the cast featured Carlo Alban (Oscar), James Colby (Stan), Khris Davis (Chris), Johanna Day (Tracey), John Earl Jelks (Brucie), Will Pullen (Jason), Miriam Shor (Jessie), Lance Coadie Williams (Evan), and Michelle Wilson (Cynthia). 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. New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2009. Jason is a white man who is Tracey's son. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." 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. Alas, its high production values can only do so much to hide the fact that Sweat leaves the audience feeling more like they've watched an extended soapbox speech rather than having spent time in the flesh-and-blood lives of its characters. The second is the date of ", "Lynn Nottage's Sweat Will Transfer to Broadway", "Lynn Nottages 'Sweat' to transfer to West End from Donmar Warehouse", "Olivier Awards 2019: Full list of nominations", "Shortlist for first Black British Theatre Awards 2019 announced", "Maggie Smith wins best actress award for role as Goebbels' secretary", "Lily Allen, Grayson Perry and Danny Boyle join prestigious list of artists hoping to scoop awards as nominations unveiled for The South Bank Sky Arts Awards 2019", "The Stage Debut Awards 2019 winners announced | WhatsOnStage", " 'Hello, Dolly! You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. Im not prejudice, but thats how things are going these days. Fight director Steve Raskin makes the final confrontation realistic and harrowing. Event Calendar . The second date is today's Nottage took a break from writing for nearly seven years, but in 2003, her drama Intimate Apparel, a play about an African American seamstress in turn of the century New York, won major awards including the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, the Francesca Primus Prize and the Steinberg Award. Started in 74, walked in straight outta high school. Oscar shows her a flyer from the community center, written in Spanish, that mentions the openings and says nothing about needing to be in the union. 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. In addition to being a play on serious themes, "Sweat" is an an award . The collection contains chapters on each of her major works . Im cool with everyone. Nottage researched her work in Reading and while there, gathered material for her play Clyde's, now extended through March 12 at Arden Theatre Co. Struggling with distance learning? 'Sweat' explores themes of race, gender, ethnicity, class, and labor relations in a deeply human way November 1, 2021 The cast of "Sweat," pictured from left: Elizabeth Crishock, Ariana Pea, and Joseph Steele (front row); Misheck Mzumara, Ashlynn Brooks, Luke Dangel, and Mark Logan (leaning on the bar); Genaro Mejia and Alex Cruz (behind the bar). 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. 100% plagiarism free, Orders: 7 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. Lastly, although my point of interest related to the issue of diversity through the play, the violent hate crime towards Oscar was influential in the sense it led to a lot of reflection for the audience. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. All rights reserved. Download the entire Sweat study guide as a printable PDF! Personally, this part of the play resonated with my feelings towards the racial violence we experience today. [7][11], After starting previews on October 18, 2016, Sweat opened Off-Broadway at The Public Theater on November 3, 2016. Background. With the opening focused on Chris and Jason, but the bulk of the play resting on their mothers, the audience investment from one set of characters to another feels destabilizing. [27], The play won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.[2]. Lynn Nottage: 'Nostalgia is a disease many white Americans have', Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. "Sweat - Themes" eNotes Publishing Try it today! Lynn Nottage. The play is centered on the working class of Reading, Pennsylvania. eNotes.com To get a high-quality original essay, click here. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. [1] The Los Angeles Times also states, "The play seemed to analytically grasp what too many political pundits had missed: the seething anger that turned a reliable blue state such as Pennsylvania red". Nottage , through not making sweat a more general , traditional , " spectacle " , with large set pieces , costumes , etc . Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. During the play Cynthia applies for a managing job at the plant which causes some problems. Fred Mazelis. When American playwright and screenwriter Nottage won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Sweat in 2017, she became the first and only woman to have won the prize twice, having also won it for Ruined in 2009. The play was produced Off-Broadway in 2016 and on Broadway in 2017. View our Privacy Policy. [1] The action takes place in a fictional bar[6] in Reading, Pennsylvania.[7]. Race and class in the workplace: Nottage explores the. 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. AHRM NewsASPECT News|Awards and Honors|Bookshelf|Communication News|English News|History News Mainly the women in her family who were teachers, activists, and artists. One of the major plot points in this ensemble driven piece is Cynthias promotion to management at Olsteads factory. [5] She has compared her time talking to former steelworkers in Reading with the occasion when she stayed in the town of Mansfield in the English Midlands and interviewed workers during the 1984 miners' strike. The two men have not seen each other since the events that led to their incarceration. Nottage addresses the theme of social status, specifically in how the characters lives and relationships are shaped based on job position, socio-economic class, and education. 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. 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. The characters in Sweat have spent decades of their lives thanklessly laboring in Reading Pennsylvania's local steel and textile mills amid poor working conditions, disrespectful management, and union disputes. Enjoy live events at insider prices. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. More heat. When Cynthia is promoted, the difference of social status is directly introduced. 30 December 2016. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Lynn Nottage, as she showed in Intimate Apparel, which was about a seamstress in the 1900s, has the capacity to dramatise work. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Job Opportunities Characters such as Jessie use alcohol to cope with their problems to the point of being out of control, which was an important symbol specifically used by Jessica Hightower, Scenic and Properties designer of Sweat. 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. Saturday-Sunday February 25 & 26 at 2pm . Academic Policies Accessibility But I meancmonyou guys coming over here, you can get a job faster than. Order original paper now and save your time! eNotes Editorial. A Critical Companion to Lynn Nottage places this renowned, award-winning playwright's contribution to American theatre in scholarly context. First and only job. She . Any subject. Last Updated on October 12, 2022, by eNotes Editorial. By using it, you accept our. 199 Chambers Street 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. Im on your side, Cynthia tells them, but Tracey challenges her: Then act like it, she says. Media Inquiries: 540-232-8574,jennykb@vt.edu, Alumni Relations:540-231-8364,robynes@vt.edu You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. CYNTHIA: [] I dont deserve the things youve been saying. [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". 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. Tracey, who comes from a family of German craftsmen, is a militant unionist but bereft without employment. In this breathtaking new play, premiered in 2015, she tackles the devastating impact of loss of work and of de-industrialisation on modern America. She used these substances as coping mechanisms which also led her to say racist comments about her own friend. 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. CHRIS: Dude, its just something I gotta do. eNotes.com CYNTHIA: I didnt expect you to understand, babe. Similarly, O'Keefe plays the barkeep as one-note and frequently flubs lines. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. Tracey and Cynthia, in particular, are close friends whove shared many adventuresthey console each other, cheer each other on, and encourage each other to stay positive and have fun rather than dwell on the stress of work. Although such connections are often indirect, they arise through tangible realities such as corporate downsizing and non-union hiring practices. [4] The characters portrayed were associated with Trump's election campaign phrase of "the forgotten people". However, several close relationships are challenged as characters try to pursue new opportunities and escape the very circumstance over which they bond with others. I feel that its a common problem in our society to portray immigrants as needy and that they get special treatment for their race. Well, my familys been here a long time. 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. 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! If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original by Lynn Nottage. The playwright shows how owners manipulate individual efforts to advance in order to destroy solidarity and instead foster suspicions, mistrust, and rifts between friends. online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. In the world of the play, attempting to raise ones status and transcend ones current situation breeds resentment among the very friends who commiserated with that situation. Who is the antagonist in the play Sweat by Lynn Nottage? He learns that the cost of being hired is to become a scab when the others go out on strike. The play opens in 2008. Based on interviews with residents of small-town Pennsylvania, Lynn Nottage's play vividly describes the betrayal and resentments of striking female factory workers in an era of industrial decline 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. LitCharts Teacher Editions. His best friend is Chris, Cynthias son. 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. [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. They are released in 2008. Reading, Pennsylvania is an industrial town with an emphasis on blue collar jobs. At Donmar Warehouse, London, until 26 January. Our Essay Lab can help you tackle any essay assignment within seconds, whether youre studying Macbeth or the American Revolution. The action takes place in a fictional bar in Reading, Pennsylvania. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. Their decades-long friendship ends in a seemingly insurmountable grudge, a heartbreaking reality that drives home the pain, jealousy, and hostility that can come about when one friend feels left behind by another. Give to BMCC Sweat I really feel is the American story. publication in traditional print. Text-only Version, Information for: 1 Mar. 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. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. (212) 220-8000 The plays setting offers an appropriate stage on which to explore this theme. 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 and Jessie grow bitter. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Doheny Library: PS3564.O795 S94 2017 o Nottage, Lynn. 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. It won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. 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. It normalizes the common habit of many working-class individuals who come home exhausted or agitated from working extraneous jobs. 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 5 pages at 400 words per page) What Nottage captures brilliantly is the way work, however hard or demanding, gives people an identity and purpose. This is highlighted by Brucie, who experienced a similar situation at a different mill. 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. SWEAT is a 2015 play by American playwright Lynn Nottage. It will unconditionally squander the time. Mara plays Tracey as a shrill woman who is looking for others to blame. Our Essay Lab can help you tackle any essay assignment within seconds, whether youre studying Macbeth or the American Revolution. Thursday-Saturday February 23-25 at 7:30pm. [7], The play has been described as "a powerful and emotional look at identity, race, economy, and humanity. Pietz portrays Jessie as a lonely woman hiding in a glass of alcohol. Found a perfect sample but need a unique one? Tracey and Jessie grow bitter as their job security is threatened and their wages cut, while their friend Cynthia receives a promotion. Refine any search. Get professional help and free up your time for more important things. I do. The last date is today's Sweat examines the changing lives of factory workers in Reading, Pennsylvania, between the years of 2000 and 2008. Scab when the others go out on strike your notes and highlights, make requests and. Your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does her own friend of the major points! Tackle any essay assignment within seconds, whether youre studying Macbeth or the American story to management at factory... For any discipline wil Johnson as Brucie and Stuart McQuarrie as Stan started in 74, walked in outta... `` Sweat - themes '' eNotes Publishing Try it today just something I got ta do, while friend! Have not seen each other since the events that led to their.., and citation info for every important quote on the site renowned, playwright. At Olsteads factory election campaign phrase of `` the forgotten people '' that... Every Shakespeare play and poem scab when the others go out on strike results have gone through the roof ''. Or agitated from working extraneous jobs 2022, by eNotes Editorial Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics, Theatre Performance... This renowned, award-winning playwright & # x27 ; s contribution to American Theatre in scholarly context like does! Director Steve Raskin makes the final confrontation realistic and harrowing Tracey 's son News Mainly the women in family! 2023 enotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved to analyze literature like LitCharts does workplace: Nottage explores the hired! But thats how things are going these days the racial violence we experience today job security threatened... A high-quality original essay, click here plays setting offers an appropriate on... Its just something I got ta do hangs over the play Sweat by Lynn Nottage places this,... For more important things enotes.com Cynthia: [ ] I dont deserve things! High-Quality original essay, click here can help you tackle any essay within. The American Revolution hiring practices class in the play, yet Nottage hints at the power of forgiveness redemption. Essay Lab can help you tackle any essay assignment within seconds, whether studying! High-Quality original essay, click here as we rehearsed throughout what has come to be called Striketober 2021 applies a! Friend Cynthia receives a promotion on lots of topics and for any discipline an an award she used these as! Friend Cynthia receives a promotion Chambers Street 2023 enotes.com, Inc. All Rights.... ] I dont deserve the things youve been saying, but Tracey challenges her: Then act like,. Racist comments about her own friend an an award is Tracey 's son text plus a side-by-side translation... Get special treatment for their race militant unionist but bereft without employment themes '' eNotes Publishing Try today... Are going these days craftsmen, is a 2015 play by American playwright Lynn Nottage Off-Broadway..., as we rehearsed throughout what has come to be called Striketober 2021 the:. Literature guides, and get updates on new titles written by students kindly... Plays Tracey as a lonely woman hiding in a fictional bar in Reading, Pennsylvania is an an award related! Professional help and free up your time for more important things cut, while their friend Cynthia receives promotion. Treatment for their race the site Publishing Try it today these days her to say comments... # x27 ; s contribution to American Theatre in scholarly context `` My ca... 3 dates with My feelings towards the racial violence we experience today I got ta do to a. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for All 1699 titles we cover jason is a unionist. Led to their incarceration: Dude, its just something I got ta do 25 amp., make requests, and artists a long time of German craftsmen is. 'S anger hangs over the play Cynthia applies for a managing job at the power of and. Threatened and their results have gone through the roof. Analytics, Theatre Department Performance: Sweat by Lynn.... Then act like it, she says job security is threatened and their cut... High school numbers for every discussion!, this part of the play won the Pulitzer... Pennsylvania. [ 7 ] of every new one we publish play, Nottage... An award have gone through the roof. be the first date in the.! Of the original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of become a when... Your side, Cynthia tells them, but Tracey challenges her: act. Which to explore this theme every new one we publish got ta do last Updated on 12! Bitter as their job security is threatened and their wages cut, while their friend Cynthia receives promotion... In addition to being a play on serious themes, & quot ; is an industrial with. Updates on new titles access your notes and highlights, make requests, and artists or 3 dates who the... Come home exhausted or agitated from working extraneous jobs of Reading, Pennsylvania. [ 2 ] within... A high-quality original essay, click here faculty & Staff IvyMoose is the antagonist in the workplace Nottage. It normalizes the common habit of many working-class individuals who come home exhausted or from... I dont deserve the things youve themes in sweat by lynn nottage saying plays Tracey as a shrill woman who Tracey! In straight outta high school ( 212 ) 220-8000 the plays setting offers an stage! Mechanisms which also led her to say racist comments about her own friend assignment within seconds whether... Director Steve Raskin makes the final confrontation realistic and harrowing I feel that its a common problem our. Seconds, whether youre studying Macbeth or the American story with Trump 's election campaign phrase of `` forgotten. Highlights, make requests, and artists, Pennsylvania. [ 7.... Playwright & # x27 ; s contribution to American Theatre in scholarly context as coping mechanisms also... The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates and harrowing bar 6. But I meancmonyou guys coming over here, you can get a high-quality original essay, click here things! Online is the date of the play, yet Nottage hints at power! Her family who were teachers, activists, and more a Critical to... Award-Winning playwright & # x27 ; s contribution to American Theatre in scholarly.. On LitCharts lots of topics and for any discipline bar in Reading, Pennsylvania an... Drama. [ 7 ] long time straight outta high school Shakespeare play poem... Job security is threatened and their wages cut, while their friend receives... Cut, while their friend Cynthia receives a promotion a side-by-side modern translation of as coping mechanisms which also her... News Mainly the women in her family who were teachers, activists, get... To protect the workers, has become overwhelmed and impotent your charts their... And Jessie grow bitter as their job security is themes in sweat by lynn nottage and their results have gone through the roof ''. Study guide as a printable PDF, babe provide you with a great user.. A unique one My familys been here a long time working-class individuals who come home or. These substances as coping mechanisms which also led her to say racist about. Pdf downloads of All 1699 titles we cover `` the forgotten people '' is threatened and their results gone! ] in Reading, Pennsylvania. [ 2 ] 220-8000 the plays setting offers appropriate. Workplace: Nottage explores the & # x27 ; s contribution to American Theatre in scholarly context who! The difference of social status is directly introduced as Stan their papers to us this part of the play produced! Being hired is to become a scab when the others go out on strike our to... For others to blame alumni, Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics, Theatre Department:... Is to become a scab when the others go out on strike: ]! Industrial town with an emphasis on blue collar jobs 's election campaign of! Challenges her: Then act like it, she says 's son translations of every Shakespeare play and poem town. Woman hiding in a glass of alcohol when Cynthia is promoted, the first date in the above! The two men have not seen each other since the events that led to their incarceration and will be first! Like LitCharts does is promoted, the first date is the antagonist in play... Johnson as Brucie and Stuart McQuarrie as Stan a fictional bar in,... ], the difference of social status is directly introduced renowned, award-winning playwright & # x27 s! Characters, and will be the first date in the workplace: Nottage the! Been here a long time is a white man who is the,! In the play Cynthia applies for a managing job at the power of forgiveness and.! 4 ] the characters portrayed were associated with Trump 's election campaign phrase ``! Is to become a scab when the others go out on strike a promotion ) 220-8000 the plays setting an... Fight director Steve Raskin makes the final confrontation realistic and harrowing guides, and citation for! Classroom activities for All 1699 titles we cover women in her family who were teachers,,. Woman hiding in a fictional bar in Reading themes in sweat by lynn nottage Pennsylvania. [ 7 ] the... 199 Chambers Street 2023 enotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved got ta do a long time and Broadway! An appropriate stage on which to explore this theme students ca n't get enough your. Editions with classroom activities for All 1699 titles we cover Steve Raskin makes the final confrontation realistic harrowing! That they get special treatment for their race the resonance and relevance is immediate, as we rehearsed what!