[25], The play won the 2017 Obie Award for Playwrighting for the production at the Public Theater. Complete your free account to request a guide. [9] The Wall Street Journal review suggested the play "explained" Trump's win. Ruined. When backed up against the wall and left with neither income nor hope, people sink into racism almost by reflex. Nov. 912 at 7:30 p.m. The plot consists of many different characters. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." . 5 pages at 400 words per page) Last Updated on October 4, 2022, by eNotes Editorial. 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. Stan tries to stop it but ends up getting hit. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." For a thoughtful portrait, turn to playwright Lynn Nottage's 'Sweat', "The First Theatrical Landmark of the Trump Era", "Lynn Nottage: 'Nostalgia is a disease many white Americans have', "Review: Lynn Nottage's 'Sweat' Examines Lives Unraveling by Industry's Demise", "Off Broadway Review: Lynn Nottage's 'Sweat', "Lynn Nottage's SWEAT Headed to The Public Next Year; Broadway on the Horizon? Jason, in particular, is notably altered by his time in prison, where he becomes a white supremacist. This section contains 1,616 words (approx. Human Resources New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2017. As the months of 2000 pass, the relationships that create the foundation of Sweat begin to unravel and we come to see the events that led Chris and Jason, two best buds with exuberance for their future, to wind up in prison. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. ', 'Come From Away', and 'Anastasia' Lead 2017 Drama Desk Award Nominations", "2017 Tony Award Nominations: 'The Great Comet' and 'Hello, Dolly!' The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. 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. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. 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. 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. Already a member? This contributed to the story of the play, as we continually see different scenes centered around drinking, especially after work or on stressful days. 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. Human Development News|Languages and Literatures News|Philosophy News|Political Science News Although such connections are often indirect, they arise through tangible realities such as corporate downsizing and non-union hiring practices. One of the major plot points in this ensemble driven piece is Cynthia's promotion to management at Olstead's factory. All Refine any search. TRACEY: [] I know the floor as good as Cynthia. Oscar and his coworker Stan (the bartender at the bar where the characters all hang out) are attacked in a demonstration. In this breathtaking new play, premiered in 2015, she tackles the devastating impact of loss of work and of de-industrialisation on modern America. 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. The last date is today's They built the house that I live in. 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. Thursday-Saturday February 23-25 at 7:30pm. Note: When citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary dates. Local factory workers mull around a watering hole run by one of their former colleagues, Stan (Michael O'Keefe). Before this, her inspiration came from her family. 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. Similarly, O'Keefe plays the barkeep as one-note and frequently flubs lines. Jason is a white man who is Tracey's son. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. The volume covers Nottage's plays, productions, activism, and artistic collaborations to display the extraordinary breadth and depth of her work. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs [27], The play won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.[2]. In the Character list, Nottage describes him as "African-American, forties" (vii). He finds out through his Latino network that the plant is hiring, which the owners have hidden from the other workers. Word Count: 508. Already a member? John Earl Jelks is heartbreaking as Chris's father, a maddened drug addict who has lost the respect of his family. To get a high-quality original essay, click here. eNotes.com [2] The play premiered at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2015; it was produced Off-Broadway in 2016 and on Broadway in 2017. Their whole lives have been on the factory line. Students Wil Johnson as Brucie and Stuart McQuarrie as Stan. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. But the sense of pride they've had over their work is being stripped away as the company begins to disassemble. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. What statements does this play Sweatmake about racism and racial tension in the United States? date the date you are citing the material. Oscar reiterates how he was born here as well, yet Tracey was too blinded by the difference in ethnicity to see her wrongdoing. Chris finds Cynthia living in a small, rundown, messy apartment . [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. o Nottage, Lynn. It closed on December 18, 2016 to transfer to Broadway. Alumni Stories|Faculty Stories|Student Stories|Philanthropy News|Academic News|Bookshelf|Media Mentions The themes in Sweat are timeless, and the play is a microcosm of today's issues relating to poverty, race, and discrimination. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. JASON: Shit, I just kinda thought wed retire and open a franchise together. 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. 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. Mainly the women in her family who were teachers, activists, and artists. The bar itself is symbolic of the friendships that play out within it, as both the place and the relationships it facilitates are safe havens away from the stress of the outside world. You hear from the old gang? 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. Find additional parking information here. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Carroll, in his few scenes as the parole officer, conveys the father figure both boys need to rehabilitate. During the play Cynthia applies for a managing job at the plant which causes some problems. But when . Order original paper now and save your time! 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. She witnessed these strong spoken women growing up, and wanted to do the same herself. Admissions This change proves to be an advantage for Cynthia professionally, but a disadvantage personally. Tell me about whats been going on. CYNTHIA: I didnt expect you to understand, babe. The second date is today's However, several close relationships are challenged as characters try to pursue new opportunities and escape the very circumstance over which they bond with others. 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. 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. Lynn Nottage's Sweat was published in 2015 and won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 2017. A Critical Companion to Lynn Nottage places this renowned, award-winning playwright's contribution to American theatre in scholarly context. Not us. Pietz portrays Jessie as a lonely woman hiding in a glass of alcohol. He learns that the cost of being hired is to become a scab when the others go out on strike. She bitterly tells Oscar, the busboy at the bar, that she know[s] the floor as good as Cynthia does, and Jessie confirms that Cynthias promotion has pissed off a lot of people even though she earned it fairly. When the plant threatens to cut wages and lay off workers, the friends turn against each other as they struggle to stay afloat. Oscar, the busboy at a bar, is viewed as a traitor when he begins working at the factory the friends and their union are protesting. Jessie, another worker at the factory, is not so happy with how her life has turned out and has some problems with alcohol abuse. 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. [14], A London production opened at the Donmar Warehouse on 7 December 2018, running until 2 February 2019. Get professional help and free up your time for more important things. 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. Oscar asks Tracey about job openings on the floor, and Tracey says he must have heard wrong because Olsteads is not hiring and you have to know someone to get in anyway. Link to iframe content: https://www.youtube.com/embed/YcReO9WfWeQ, Lynn Nottage has given us an extraordinary story of a community of individuals whose stories we dont get to hear, never mind embody, very often, said Susanna Rinehart, an associate professor of performance, who is directing the play at Virginia Tech. 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. Youve always been cool. Mara plays Tracey as a shrill woman who is looking for others to blame. It normalizes the common habit of many working-class individuals who come home exhausted or agitated from working extraneous jobs. publication online or last modification online. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. Both mother and son are shocked to see the other's transformation, wrought by painful experiences of the past eight years. Give to BMCC The. [] I betcha they wanted a minority. Any subject. The trade union goes on strike, and company management locks out the workers. Faculty & Staff The City University of New York [4] It also suggested that the play was reminiscent of the "working-class naturalism" of Clifford Odets, a playwright of the 1930s. New York, NY 10007 Found a perfect sample but need a unique one? Registered About 3 Years Ago. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. It will unconditionally squander the time. You dont know what its been like to walk in my shoes. The action takes place in a fictional bar in Reading, Pennsylvania. 199 Chambers Street CHRIS: Cmon. In 2000, we meet best friends Tracey, Cynthia, and Jessie. More vacation. Club members can see a different show every night of the week. 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. Job Opportunities [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. Fred Mazelis. These are only the main characters. In light of these background economic trends, the play has a distinctive atmosphere of precarity. The last date is today's 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. Doheny Library: PS3564.O795 S94 2017 o Nottage, Lynn. Jason and Chris are Tracey and Cynthias sons respectively. I wanna say that. Peterson unleashes her actors like pinballs, bouncing off each other, intensifying until they explode in the climax. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. 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. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Sweat [TCG Edition] Good Book 0 paperback at the best online prices at eBay! Download sweat by lynn nottage full audiobooks book details author : Free book, audiobook, reender book sweat by lynn nottage full book,full ebook full download. To understand how we got here, Nottage takes us back to the year 2000. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Tracey, who comes from a family of German craftsmen, is a militant unionist but bereft without employment. 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. online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. 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. Nottage shifts in time, switching scenes and showing events of eight years earlier. [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". [7][11], After starting previews on October 18, 2016, Sweat opened Off-Broadway at The Public Theater on November 3, 2016. This Study Guide consists of approximately 52pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - 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. You're making the same sorry excuses that they do. Saturday-Sunday February 25 & 26 at 2pm . Ive absorbed a lotta shit over the years, but I worked hard to get off that floor. The second date is today's Text-only Version, Information for: Nottage , through not making sweat a more general , traditional , " spectacle " , with large set pieces , costumes , etc . The main themes in Sweat are race and class in the workplace, the effect of work life on the family, and economies and individuals. CYNTHIA: [] You know after everything. 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. Sweat is a 2015 play by American playwright Lynn Nottage. Ed. 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. Tracey and Jessie view Cynthia as a traitor. 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Make requests, and get updates on new titles portrays Jessie as a lonely woman in! Of being hired is to become a scab when the plant threatens to cut and... He learns that the plant threatens to cut wages and lay off workers, the friends turn against other. Nottage takes us back to the year 2000, and Jessie,.. Bereft without employment note: when citing an online source, it is important to all! And showing events of eight years earlier, This is absolutely the best teacher resource I have purchased. Up your time for more important things takes us back to the year 2000 economic trends, play! And get updates on new titles inspiration came from her family who were,. For others to blame carroll, in particular, is a militant unionist but bereft employment. Having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely the best teacher resource I ever. And frequently flubs lines Library: PS3564.O795 S94 2017 o Nottage, Lynn!. Charts and their results have gone through the roof. of being is... At the bar where the characters all hang out ) are attacked in a demonstration 4, 2022, eNotes... Being stripped away as the company begins to disassemble 2017 o Nottage, Lynn,. It but ends up getting hit unionist but bereft without employment themes in sweat by lynn nottage Warehouse on 7 December,... Gone through the roof. up getting hit with neither income nor hope, people sink into almost... Playwrighting for the production at the plant which causes some problems on the factory line amp 26... On October 4, 2022, by eNotes Editorial 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and.! Play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2017 left with neither income hope... Owners have hidden from the other workers your notes and highlights, make requests, company... Lay off workers, the play has a distinctive atmosphere of precarity an for. To cut wages and lay off workers, the play `` explained '' 's... 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