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. The employees work lives and decisions about organizing likewise affect their children. 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. Dor Arena Theatre at CSUB. I don't want this to be a big deal. The City University of New York I cant think of any recent play that tells us so much, and so vividly, about the state of the union. 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. '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). Although such connections are often indirect, they arise through tangible realities such as corporate downsizing and non-union hiring practices. publication in traditional print. She is on and off with her husband, Brucie, who is addicted to drugs. Ive taken orders from idiots who were dangerous, or even worse, racist. This is shown in many of the bar scenes. Teachers and parents! This leads to a confrontation with Jason, egged on by his mother. What statements does this play Sweatmake about racism and racial tension in the United States? The last date is today's The action takes place in a fictional bar in Reading, Pennsylvania. Reading, Pennsylvania is an industrial town with an emphasis on blue collar jobs. (including. Thursday-Saturday February 23-25 at 7:30pm. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Synopsis for SWEAT: SWEAT is a 2015 play by American playwright Lynn Nottage. 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! Stan tries to stop it but ends up getting hit. Sweat, Lynn Nottage's play about discrimination at the workplace and the effect of economic downturns, returns to Philadelphia, courtesy of the Old Academy Players. 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. 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. They are getting out of jail after a conflict they were both involved in. Alumni, Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics, Theatre Department Performance: SWEAT by Lynn Nottage. date the date you are citing the material. Human Resources Struggling with distance learning? Emilio Sosa's costumes reflect the clothing one would wear to unwind after a day sweating on the line. All of the floor workers at Olsteads feel replaceable and worry about their job security, so Cynthias bump in pay and benefits comes off as a slap in the face to her coworkersone that drives a wedge between her and Tracey especially. 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. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. As an experienced parole officer, Evan has a strong understanding of the personal struggles Chris and Jason are going through. you can use them for inspiration and simplify your student life. However, several close relationships are challenged as characters try to pursue new opportunities and escape the very circumstance over which they bond with others. [7][11], After starting previews on October 18, 2016, Sweat opened Off-Broadway at The Public Theater on November 3, 2016. I also hope that they will understand the power of art and be more willing to engage with storytelling.. 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. 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. New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2009. Less work. 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. Jason Doheny Library: PS3564.O795 S94 2017 o Nottage, Lynn. The ramifications of humanity's anger hangs over the play, yet Nottage hints at the power of forgiveness and redemption. . The play opens in 2008. "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. Text-only Version, Information for: The play alternates between the same characters in 2000 and 2008, a plot structure that allows the audience to see how these choice pan out over timeand the shame and guilt that characters feel in response to their actions, even eight years later. Last Updated on October 12, 2022, by eNotes Editorial. IvyMoose is the largest stock of essay samples on lots of topics and for any discipline. 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. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. Tracey and Jessie view Cynthia as a traitor. [4] The play was produced off-Broadway in 2016, and on-Broadway in 2017. CHRIS: Dude, its just something I gotta do. Sweat I really feel is the American story. Beyond that, however, Mara doesn't project the character's humanity, which leads a character meant to propel the story to instead fall flat. Library Lynn Nottage's Sweat is an unusual and rewarding play, depicting social reality not often seen in the American theater. 100% plagiarism free, Orders: 7 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. CHRIS: Cmon. 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. 30 December 2016. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. Free shipping for many products! Nottage's characters were based on personal research and interviews she conducted in Reading throughout 2011. Although much of the . Pietz portrays Jessie as a lonely woman hiding in a glass of alcohol. CYNTHIA: More money. The plot consists of many different characters. Thus, these essays are of lower quality than ones written by experts. 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). 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. An immediate divide is created between Cynthia and her friends. By using it, you accept our. Oscar is a Colombian American busboy at the bar. 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. When backed up against the wall and left with neither income nor hope, people sink into racism almost by reflex. Scene 1 of Act 2 shows Jason and Chris returning to visit their mothers. Club members can see a different show every night of the week. The action takes place in a fictional bar in Reading, Pennsylvania. There are a group of friends that work for the steel factory. Ruined. Jason finds that Tracey has a significant pill addiction. 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. publication in traditional print. Oscar and his coworker Stan (the bartender at the bar where the characters all hang out) are attacked in a demonstration. 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. Tracey and Jessie grow bitter as their job security is threatened and their wages cut, while their friend Cynthia receives a promotion. Media Inquiries: 540-232-8574,jennykb@vt.edu, Alumni Relations:540-231-8364,robynes@vt.edu Who is the antagonist in the play Sweat by Lynn Nottage? eNotes.com Mara plays Tracey as a shrill woman who is looking for others to blame. -Graham S. Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. After the lockout goes forward, Cynthias friendship with Tracey completely disintegratesand when the play jumps forward from 2000 to 2008, its revealed that theyve never reconciled. Nov. 912 at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. 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. 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%. 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. Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Building,200 Stanger Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, Phone: 540-231-6779, Fax: 540-231-7157,news.liberalarts@vt.edu Already a member? Wil Johnson as Brucie and Stuart McQuarrie as Stan. by Lynn Nottage. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. 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. Not wanting to give up what theyve worked for, the floor workers vote against the deal and end up getting shut out. Complete your free account to request a guide. Whether its the discussion that Oscar doesnt deserve a job or him being attacked, they are all just as equally painful and wrong. They are best friends and joke around together. [7], The play has been described as "a powerful and emotional look at identity, race, economy, and humanity. After what went down. TRACEY: Well, I got you beat by two. 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. 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. TRACEY: Stillyou werent born here, Berks. Ed. But I meancmonyou guys coming over here, you can get a job faster than. Tracey? They built the house that I live in. Stan, a middle-aged white man with a limp, bartends, and when the two women invite him to dance with them, he refuses. But the sense of pride they've had over their work is being stripped away as the company begins to disassemble. 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. 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). 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. It highlights serious problems in society such as racism, economic strain, drug abuse, and toxic relationships. Download the entire Sweat study guide as a printable PDF! 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. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. 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. CYNTHIA: I didnt expect you to understand, babe. 2023
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