PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. 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. 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). This leads to a confrontation with Jason, egged on by his mother. Their whole lives have been on the factory line. Stan seems to be the link between Oscar and the others, as the others treat Oscar like an outsider. 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. 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. THEMEGUIDE KNOW BEFORE THE SHOW o Playwright Lynn Nottage was born in Brooklyn in 1964 and was educated at Brown University and the Yale School of Drama. Lynn Nottages 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. Free shipping for many products! Complete your free account to request a guide. TRACEY: You want us to feel sorry for you? Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Carroll, in his few scenes as the parole officer, conveys the father figure both boys need to rehabilitate. Struggling with distance learning? First and only job. Note: When citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary dates. [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 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 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! The volume covers Nottage's plays, productions, activism, and artistic collaborations to display the extraordinary breadth and depth of her work. Oscar is a Colombian American busboy at the bar. [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". Instant PDF downloads. Lynn Nottage, as she showed in Intimate Apparel, which was about a seamstress in the 1900s, has the capacity to dramatise work. Throughout the entirety of the play, alcohol was utilized as a prop by almost all the characters. 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. The resonance and relevance is immediate, as we rehearsed throughout what has come to be called Striketober 2021. 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. Our Essay Lab can help you tackle any essay assignment within seconds, whether youre studying Macbeth or the American Revolution. [5] Nottage herself even spoke at the strike, which is what made her realize she had to do more. The way the content is organized, LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in. This contributed to the story of the play, as we continually see different scenes centered around drinking, especially after work or on stressful days. Already a member? '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). . We are left hoping the characters will attempt to make amends as we see the effects of the conflict. The fact that everyone in Reading is trying to keep their heads above water seemingly makes them less encouraging rather than more so when their friends try to get ahead. The play was produced Off-Broadway in 2016 and on Broadway in 2017. The play thus shows how changes in statusbeing promoted at work, reaching a higher socioeconomic class, or pursuing higher educationcan create tension and resentment among people who are all struggling to make ends meet, driving a wedge between even the closest of friends. But I stood on line, patiently waiting for a break. [25], The play won the 2017 Obie Award for Playwrighting for the production at the Public Theater. 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. It won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Since the twenties, okay? New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2017. Pietz portrays Jessie as a lonely woman hiding in a glass of alcohol. Any subject. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Log in here. Give to BMCC It closed on December 18, 2016 to transfer to Broadway. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. 1 Mar. Well, my familys been here a long time. Stan tries to stop it but ends up getting hit. Portia is stiff as Cynthia, talking at the characters instead of speaking her peace. 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. This in-personevent will take place in BMCCs Theatre II. Nov. 912 at 7:30 p.m. CYNTHIA: I didnt expect you to understand, babe. Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Get professional help and free up your time for more important things. The second date is today's 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. She doesnt really believe a floor worker will get the promotion, but when Cynthia talks about applying, Tracey decides to as well. Alumni Stories|Faculty Stories|Student Stories|Philanthropy News|Academic News|Bookshelf|Media Mentions 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. Fight director Steve Raskin makes the final confrontation realistic and harrowing. In 2008, Chris and Jason both find themselves back at the bar to find some peace. 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. . [16] The production transferred to the West End's Guielgud Theatre, running from 7 June 2019 to 20 July. Everyone tries to stay positive, but as the strike goes on, they begin to get desperate. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Accessibility Tracey, who comes from a family of German craftsmen, is a militant unionist but bereft without employment. 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. The main themes in Sweat are race and class in the workplace, the effect of work life on the family, and economies and individuals. Enjoy live events at insider prices. Admissions The BMCC Theatre Department invites you to enjoy the performance of SWEAT by Lynn Nottage, directed by Diane Dowling. Sweat challenged my thinking and led me to analyze serious problems that still have not been solved. [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. [10] It said that the city was "synonymous with deindustrialisation", for the effects there of loss of heavy industry and related jobs.[10]. eNotes.com, Inc. Sweat is about the private toll of this great decline. 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. 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 Act 2, Scene 1 Summary. 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. o Nottage, Lynn. 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. 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 plays setting offers an appropriate stage on which to explore this theme. Wil Johnson as Brucie and Stuart McQuarrie as Stan. All university community members and visitors will need to display a parking permit, use theParkMobile app,pay a fee, or pay using an hourly meter to park on the Blacksburg campus unless otherwise noted by signage. Ive absorbed a lotta shit over the years, but I worked hard to get off that floor. ', 'Come From Away', and 'Anastasia' Lead 2017 Drama Desk Award Nominations", "2017 Tony Award Nominations: 'The Great Comet' and 'Hello, Dolly!' You're making the same sorry excuses that they do. The play is centered on the working class of Reading, Pennsylvania. It highlights serious problems in society such as racism, economic strain, drug abuse, and toxic relationships. It won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The last date is today's Nottage's characters were based on personal research and interviews she conducted in Reading throughout 2011. [8][12] The production began previews on Broadway at Studio 54 on March 4, 2017, before opening on March 26. This revealed that the play was not just about economic stress and angry intoxicated individuals, instead, it was about the extreme violence there is towards people of color. Complimentary and Deeply Discounted Shows. 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. 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