Though they used to be best friends, Jason (Will Hochman) now has a face covered with white-supremacy tattoos, while Chris (Grantham Coleman) has returned from prison emotionally broken. [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". At the beginning of 2000, every character is either part of the working class or experiencing the repercussions of union strikes. [27], The play won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.[2]. [] I betcha they wanted a minority. 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. When backed up against the wall and left with neither income nor hope, people sink into racism almost by reflex. To get a high-quality original essay, click here. School of Performing Arts News|Science, Technology, and Society News|Sociology News, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences They all work together and love to hang out at the local bar. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. First and only job. As an experienced parole officer, Evan has a strong understanding of the personal struggles Chris and Jason are going through. However below, subsequent to you visit this web page, it will be thus enormously easy to acquire as without diculty as download . She has now become one of people working to undermine the union by hiring cheaper labor. The last date is today's It highlights serious problems in society such as racism, economic strain, drug abuse, and toxic relationships. The play, however, takes place pre-Trump. I do. Struggling with distance learning? you can use them for inspiration and simplify your student life. [17], The play was nominated for the 2017 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Play and Outstanding Fight Choreography. Since the twenties, okay? 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. No matter if it was during Jessies birthday celebration, Traceys birthday celebration, or just a casual hangout at Stans bar. The themes in Sweat are timeless, and the play is a microcosm of today's issues relating to poverty, race, and discrimination. Ive got twenty-four years on the floor. Lynn Nottage's Sweat was published in 2015 and won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 2017. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. The play was produced Off-Broadway in 2016 and on Broadway in 2017. Mainly the women in her family who were teachers, activists, and artists. 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 discover the notice Sweat Tcg Edition English Edition that you are looking for. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. 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. 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. TRACEY: You want us to feel sorry for you? 2023 . Get professional help and free up your time for more important things. 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. Jump-start your essay with our outlining tool to make sure you have all the main points of your essay covered. 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. There are many scenarios that lead to this violent event, but I believe they are all significant in showing that, big or small, these racial attacks need to end. It won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Tracey and Jessie view Cynthia as a traitor. This showed me how the production was truly pointing out the racism that lies in our economy still today, whether its the advantages white men hold or the wages gaps between races and genders. Free shipping for many products! The employees work lives and decisions about organizing likewise affect their children. 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. More vacation. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. The ramifications of humanity's anger hangs over the play, yet Nottage hints at the power of forgiveness and redemption. 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. Thrash rock music from the early millennium sets the mood and evokes tension. Jump-start your essay with our outlining tool to make sure you have all the main points of your essay covered. samples are real essays written by real students who kindly donate their papers to us so that I hope a lot of people come to see it.. John Earl Jelks is heartbreaking as Chris's father, a maddened drug addict who has lost the respect of his family. Jessie, another worker at the factory, is not so happy with how her life has turned out and has some problems with alcohol abuse. It won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Variety described Nottage as going into "the heart of working-class America". 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. 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. I also hope that they will understand the power of art and be more willing to engage with storytelling.. Tracy is a middle aged white woman. Ive absorbed a lotta shit over the years, but I worked hard to get off that floor. [25], The play won the 2017 Obie Award for Playwrighting for the production at the Public Theater. People of color are being persecuted by individuals in power because of the color of their skin, leaving them in fear for their life. In addition to being a play on serious themes, "Sweat" is an an award . 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. We are left hoping the characters will attempt to make amends as we see the effects of the conflict. 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. 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. Instant PDF downloads. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Though her two friends clash throughout the play, Pietz appears to harbor most of the blows. 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. 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. Chris gets involved in the fight. Started in 74, walked in straight outta high school. Lead the Pack", How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sweat_(play)&oldid=1127802853, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia introduction cleanup from May 2022, Articles covered by WikiProject Wikify from May 2022, All articles covered by WikiProject Wikify, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 16 December 2022, at 19:00. eNotes.com "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. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. However, several close relationships are challenged as characters try to pursue new opportunities and escape the very circumstance over which they bond with others. The collection contains chapters on each of her major works . date the date you are citing the material. eNotes.com When the plant threatens to cut wages and lay off workers, the friends turn against each other as they struggle to stay afloat. 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. date the date you are citing the material. Cynthia gets the promotion, and Tracey wonders if its just because Cynthia is Black. A Critical Companion to Lynn Nottage places this renowned, award-winning playwright's contribution to American theatre in scholarly context. The bartender is Stan, who used to work at the factory with them until he suffered an injury. As coming from a Hispanic background and having family members come from Costa Rica to America, scenes centered around Oscar were important to me. 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. Already a member? Im on your side, Cynthia tells them, but Tracey challenges her: Then act like it, she says. His best friend is Chris, Cynthias son. Oscar and his coworker Stan (the bartender at the bar where the characters all hang out) are attacked in a demonstration. Note: All essays placed on IvyMoose.com are written by students who kindly donate their papers to us. JASON: Shit, I just kinda thought wed retire and open a franchise together. 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. Before this, her inspiration came from her family. Sweat is about the private toll of this great decline. The union, there to protect the workers, has become overwhelmed and impotent. 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. Instant PDF downloads. 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. Who is the antagonist in the play Sweat by Lynn Nottage? Tracey's attempts to be alluring do not convince Stan, so they stop dancing as. [2] The play premiered at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2015; it was produced Off-Broadway in 2016 and on Broadway in 2017. This in-person event will take place in BMCC's Theatre II.. 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 was a meaningful production as there are many important themes to take away from the story. 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. 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. 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. Tell me about whats been going on. Be angry, but dont make it about this(Points to the skin on the back of her hand) Look at me, Tracey. In the Character list, Nottage describes him as "African-American, forties" (vii). [1] The action takes place in a fictional bar[6] in Reading, Pennsylvania.[7]. This is highlighted by Brucie, who experienced a similar situation at a different mill. Sweat. 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. Though the play is brimming with these rich themes, the execution does not always succeed. Filled with warm humor and tremendous heart, 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. The latter character gets the position, but soon the company moves jobs to Mexico. It closed on December 18, 2016 to transfer to Broadway. Jason finds that Tracey has a significant pill addiction. She used these substances as coping mechanisms which also led her to say racist comments about her own friend. The plays setting offers an appropriate stage on which to explore this theme. American playwright lynn nottage won the 2017 pulitzer prize for drama for. 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