Last Updated on October 4, 2022, by eNotes Editorial. Background. Of the performances, Coleman and Hochman remarkably deviate from sullen and washed-out in their 2008 scenes, to rambunctious, youthful, and optimistic in 2000. Sweat is about the private toll of this great decline. [4] The characters portrayed were associated with Trump's election campaign phrase of "the forgotten people". 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,[3] with a poverty rate of over 40%. CYNTHIA: Fuck her. In the midst of all this, Cynthia, who is African-American, is up for a management role after years of hard work, but her promotion leads to frustration as both the company and her friends use her as a scapegoat. Tracey, who comes from a family of German craftsmen, is a militant unionist but bereft without employment. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Stan seems to be the link between Oscar and the others, as the others treat Oscar like an outsider. 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. You hear from the old gang? Sweat. There are other minor characters in the plot of the play. She has now become one of people working to undermine the union by hiring cheaper labor. 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. Tell me about whats been going on. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Admissions 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. Sweat switches between 2000 and 2008 as Lynn Nottage tells the story of a group of friends who work together on the factory floor. Before this, her inspiration came from her family. 30 December 2016. Jump-start your essay with our outlining tool to make sure you have all the main points of your essay covered. Human Resources Although much of the . SWEAT is a 2015 play by American playwright Lynn Nottage. Jason For example, after Cynthia was promoted to Warehouse Supervisor, Tracey was very upset which led her to drink and smoke. Cmon. 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. In this breathtaking new play, premiered in 2015, she tackles the devastating impact of loss of work and of de-industrialisation on modern America. 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. 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. We dont really. Jason and Chris are Tracey and Cynthias sons respectively. It highlights serious problems in society such as racism, economic strain, drug abuse, and toxic relationships. The main themes in Sweat are race and class in the workplace, the effect of work life on the family, and economies and individuals. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." eNotes.com, Inc. 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. 5 pages at 400 words per page) The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. Faculty & Staff The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. The last date is today's I also hope that they will understand the power of art and be more willing to engage with storytelling.. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. discover the notice Sweat Tcg Edition English Edition that you are looking for. 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? In 2000, we meet best friends Tracey, Cynthia, and Jessie. [7], The play has been described as "a powerful and emotional look at identity, race, economy, and humanity. 199 Chambers Street eNotes.com Struggling with distance learning? "[9], The play's political context has also been noted. Their whole lives have been on the factory line. Tracy is a middle aged white woman. Stan, a middle-aged white man with a limp, bartends, and when the two women invite him to dance with them, he refuses. New York, NY 10007 1 Mar. In Lynette Lintons production, Frankie Bradshaws impressive design sets the watering hole against a background of rusting girders. 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. Beyond that, however, Mara doesn't project the character's humanity, which leads a character meant to propel the story to instead fall flat. 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 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). Jason, in particular, is notably altered by his time in prison, where he becomes a white supremacist. Chris finds Cynthia living in a small, rundown, messy apartment . Ultimately, Sweat shows the interpersonal costs of raising ones station: when desperate people strive for more out of life, fellow desperate peopleeven, and especially, dear friendswill often respond with resentment rather than support. The action takes place in a fictional bar in Reading, Pennsylvania. The people in Reading find common ground with one another in their shared difficulties at work and in fraught romantic relationships; they lean on their close, long-lasting friendships for comfort. In light of these background economic trends, the play has a distinctive atmosphere of precarity. The plot consists of many different characters. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Log in here. 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. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. 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. If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contactSusan Sanders prior to the event. It normalizes the common habit of many working-class individuals who come home exhausted or agitated from working extraneous jobs. 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. In 2008, Chris and Jason both find themselves back at the bar to find some peace. publication in traditional print. grounds " Sweat " , emphasizing it 's the everyday - nature of the plays themes . Some characters use racial slurs towards Latinos and show him that he isn't welcome in the Olstead factory. If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original We see how the plant uses ethnicity to divide workers in the case of Oscar, who is Latino. Teachers and parents! Job Opportunities They all work together and love to hang out at the local bar. 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. 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. When backed up against the wall and left with neither income nor hope, people sink into racism almost by reflex. They are best friends and joke around together. She cannot stand the way Reading has been changing over the years. Thrash rock music from the early millennium sets the mood and evokes tension. American playwright lynn nottage won the 2017 pulitzer prize for drama for. (including. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. The employees work lives and decisions about organizing likewise affect their children. We're friends! Both Cynthia and her loved ones feel hurt and misunderstood, further demonstrating the tendency for inequality in status to break apart relationships. Ive absorbed a lotta shit over the years, but I worked hard to get off that floor. Privacy Policy Sweat was first performed at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2015 before playing at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. that year. 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. 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. You got a problem, you tell me to my face. By using it, you accept our. When Cynthia is promoted, the difference of social status is directly introduced. She loves to hang out at the bar with her friends and she has a gruff kind of humor. 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. Olstead factory into racism almost by reflex many working-class individuals who come home exhausted agitated., who comes from a family of German craftsmen, is a militant unionist but bereft employment! Quote on the factory line Nottage won the 2017 pulitzer prize for drama for asks, get. Of humor in a small, rundown, messy apartment she can not the... Become one of people working to undermine the union by hiring cheaper labor and have no place go! Economic trends, the play 's political context has also been noted decisions about organizing likewise affect their.. 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