Oscar is a Colombian American busboy at the bar. 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. online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. Similarly, O'Keefe plays the barkeep as one-note and frequently flubs lines. At Donmar Warehouse, London, until 26 January. 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. Lynn Nottage, originally born and raised in Brooklyn, New York produced the award-winning play, Sweat. Jason 1 Mar. She doesnt really believe a floor worker will get the promotion, but when Cynthia talks about applying, Tracey decides to as well. It won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. CYNTHIA: [] I dont deserve the things youve been saying. [27], The play won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.[2]. The BMCC Theatre Department invites you to enjoy the performance of SWEAT by Lynn Nottage, directed by Diane Dowling. 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. She has created exactly the ensemble piece she set out to create empathetic, searching, searing, honest, and full of humanity and I found exactly the same qualities in this cast as we have worked together. There are still many labels today in the workforce and I believe Sweat did a good job portraying them, although sometimes it was hard to watch. 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 publication in traditional print. The trade union goes on strike, and company management locks out the workers. These are only the main characters. Tracey and Jessie grow bitter as their job security is threatened and their wages cut, while their friend Cynthia receives a promotion. In 2000, we meet best friends Tracey, Cynthia, and Jessie. The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by American playwright Lynn Nottage focuses on race, class, prejudice and friendship. Stan tries to stop it but ends up getting hit. 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. 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. No matter if it was during Jessies birthday celebration, Traceys birthday celebration, or just a casual hangout at Stans bar. Personally, this part of the play resonated with my feelings towards the racial violence we experience today. Tensions rise as Cynthias new position pits her against her friends. 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. 1 Mar. By showing how people, Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs Registered About 3 Years Ago. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Martha Plimpton as Tracey and Clare Perkins as Cynthia suggest a lifetime of friendship, tragically sundered; Patrick Gibson and Osy Ikhile show the heavy prices paid by their respective offspring; and Stuart McQuarrie as the pacifying bartender and Leanne Best as a boozy dreamer reveal how everyone is blighted by a company towns decline. [25], The play won the 2017 Obie Award for Playwrighting for the production at the Public Theater. Instant PDF downloads. As mentioned earlier , when Nottage does use aspects of spectacle , it emphasizes these themes further , aspects like lighting . Sweat is about the private toll of this great decline. 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. Jason, in particular, is notably altered by his time in prison, where he becomes a white supremacist. 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. 199 Chambers Street Local factory workers mull around a watering hole run by one of their former colleagues, Stan (Michael O'Keefe). You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. 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 second is the date of 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. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." At the beginning of 2000, every character is either part of the working class or experiencing the repercussions of union strikes. Dor Arena Theatre at CSUB. A Critical Companion to Lynn Nottage places this renowned, award-winning playwright's contribution to American theatre in scholarly context. [] Im not prejudice, I say, you are who you are, you know? 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. What statements does this play Sweatmake about racism and racial tension in the United States? Of the performances, Coleman and Hochman remarkably deviate from sullen and washed-out in their 2008 scenes, to rambunctious, youthful, and optimistic in 2000. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. Do you know what its like, she asks, to get up and have no place to go? For the equally tough Cynthia, work is a means of advancement and her union card is a symbol of racial acceptance. Text-only Version, Information for: The amount of original essays that we did for our clients, The amount of original essays that we did for our clients. 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. 2023 . Two hostile men sit in separate rooms with the same parole officer after being released from an eight-year prison sentence. [10] It said that the city was "synonymous with deindustrialisation", for the effects there of loss of heavy industry and related jobs.[10]. In one of the poorest cities in. Nottage has said that she was particularly influenced by a New York Times article reporting on the city specifically, and by the Occupy Wall Street movement more generally. 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. "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. 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. 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. Jason and Chris are Tracey and Cynthias sons respectively. Lynn Nottage, as she showed in Intimate Apparel, which was about a seamstress in the 1900s, has the capacity to dramatise work. Race and class in the workplace: Nottage explores the. The ramifications of humanity's anger hangs over the play, yet Nottage hints at the power of forgiveness and redemption. 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? The play opens in 2008, and we meet Jason and Chris as they individually speak to their parole officer, Evan. [26], Sweat received three 2017 Tony Award nominations: Best Play and Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play for both Johanna Day and Michelle Wilson. Sweat. As coming from a Hispanic background and having family members come from Costa Rica to America, scenes centered around Oscar were important to me. T he main themes in Sweat are race and class in the workplace, the effect of work life on the family, and economies and individuals. She cannot stand the way Reading has been changing over the years. [4] The play was produced off-Broadway in 2016, and on-Broadway in 2017. You're making the same sorry excuses that they do. Everyone tries to stay positive, but as the strike goes on, they begin to get desperate. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. Media Inquiries: 540-232-8574,jennykb@vt.edu, Alumni Relations:540-231-8364,robynes@vt.edu SWEAT is a 2015 play by American playwright Lynn Nottage. TRACEY: [] I know the floor as good as Cynthia. Themes and Colors LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Sweat, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. 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. Stan seems to be the link between Oscar and the others, as the others treat Oscar like an outsider. 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. We dont really. The City University of New York eNotes Editorial. [] I betcha they wanted a minority. Although much of the . If there are two dates, the date of publication and appearance [9] The Wall Street Journal review suggested the play "explained" Trump's win. SWEAT is a 2015 play by American playwright Lynn Nottage. I don't want this to be a big deal. The main themes in Sweat are race and class in the workplace, the effect of work life on the family, and economies and individuals. Try it today! Cmon. Complete your free account to request a guide. 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. We are left hoping the characters will attempt to make amends as we see the effects of the conflict. ", "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! '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). 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. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Privacy Policy Get professional help and free up your time for more important things. Centered on the working class of Reading, Pennsylvania, 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. Unfortunately, that kinetic energy is all on one level, high, so the audience feels distanced from the characters. Background. He finds out through his Latino network that the plant is hiring, which the owners have hidden from the other workers. She explored the effects on residents of the loss of heavy industry and the changing ethnic composition of the city. This review of Lynn Nottage's "Sweat," which opened on Broadway Sunday with the same cast, first appeared in November with the opening of the original Public Theater production. Religion and Culture News|Reserve Officer Training Corps News|School of Education News This contributed to the story of the play, as we continually see different scenes centered around drinking, especially after work or on stressful days. Im not prejudice, but thats how things are going these days. It closed on December 18, 2016 to transfer to Broadway. 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. Saturday-Sunday February 25 & 26 at 2pm . Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. (including. Nottage's characters were based on personal research and interviews she conducted in Reading throughout 2011. 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. 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%. Were a team, you cant leave!! Sweat was first performed at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2015 before playing at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. that year. Superlatively acted Leanne Best, Martha Plimpton and Clare Perkins in Sweat at Donmar Warehouse, London. Working with this diverse cast of student actors to climb inside this story has been a gift. You hear from the old gang? Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Sweat, now playing at the Mark Taper Forum, exposes the collapse of the American working class in the new millennium.When backed up against the wall and . Carroll, in his few scenes as the parole officer, conveys the father figure both boys need to rehabilitate. The play is centered on the working class of Reading, Pennsylvania. 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. I wanna say that. Find additional parking information here. You can order a custom paper by our expert writers. However, several close relationships are challenged as characters try to pursue new opportunities and escape the very circumstance over which they bond with others. Sweat is a two-act play written by Lynn Nottage. 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. Log in here. This is highlighted by Brucie, who experienced a similar situation at a different mill. Variety described Nottage as going into "the heart of working-class America". grounds " Sweat " , emphasizing it 's the everyday - nature of the plays themes . TRACEY: Stillyou werent born here, Berks. Instant PDF downloads. The plays setting offers an appropriate stage on which to explore this theme. Tempted by the opportunity to finally work at the factory, where he will receive higher wages than at the bar, Oscar crosses the picket line. [5] Nottage herself even spoke at the strike, which is what made her realize she had to do more. publication online or last modification online. If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original Jason and Chris are involved in a fight with Oscar and serve time in prison. He learns that the cost of being hired is to become a scab when the others go out on strike. Oscar reiterates how he was born here as well, yet Tracey was too blinded by the difference in ethnicity to see her wrongdoing. Lynn Nottage: 'Nostalgia is a disease many white Americans have', Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. The themes in Sweat are timeless, and the play is a microcosm of today's issues relating to poverty, race, and discrimination. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. He used to work at the plant but he was injured from a factory accident. As an experienced parole officer, Evan has a strong understanding of the personal struggles Chris and Jason are going through. [16] The production transferred to the West End's Guielgud Theatre, running from 7 June 2019 to 20 July. Event Calendar 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. Less work. Not wanting to give up what theyve worked for, the floor workers vote against the deal and end up getting shut out. Give to BMCC Youve always been cool. 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. 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. You 'll be able to access your notes and highlights as an parole! Highlighted by Brucie, who experienced a similar situation at a different mill to work at strike... Is to become a scab when the others go out on strike, which the owners have from! Card is a symbol of racial acceptance nature of the city up what theyve worked for, play... 2016 to transfer to Broadway her friends you know what its like, she asks, to get up have. 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