From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. 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. Human Resources Jump-start your essay with our outlining tool to make sure you have all the main points of your essay covered. That 2 year divide is important, because between its first production and its rise to mega-acclaim, Donald Trump won the presidency. Note: When citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary dates. Print Word PDF. They are released in 2008. Cynthia gets the promotion, and Tracey wonders if its just because Cynthia is Black. 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. Stan, a middle-aged white man with a limp, bartends, and when the two women invite him to dance with them, he refuses. 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. Registered About 3 Years Ago. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. These are only the main characters. "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. . The two men have not seen each other since the events that led to their incarceration. He finds out through his Latino network that the plant is hiring, which the owners have hidden from the other workers. [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. More vacation. As mentioned earlier , when Nottage does use aspects of spectacle , it emphasizes these themes further , aspects like lighting . In Sweat, Tracey was adamant that Cynthia only got the promotion because she's black and that Oscar could only get a job at the Warehouse out of pity. [8] Reviews of the play have described the characters as representing blue-collar workers who voted in Donald Trump as president. Im not prejudice, but thats how things are going these days. Try it today! Stan is severely injured, and the youths are arrested, convicted, and incarcerated. 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. 5 pages at 400 words per page) When backed up against the wall and left with neither income nor hope, people sink into racism almost by reflex. The second is the date of This contributed to the story of the play, as we continually see different scenes centered around drinking, especially after work or on stressful days. [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". One of the major plot points in this ensemble driven piece is Cynthias promotion to management at Olsteads factory. Sweat is a 2015 play by American playwright Lynn Nottage. The City University of New York Ive taken orders from idiots who were dangerous, or even worse, racist. But the sense of pride they've had over their work is being stripped away as the company begins to disassemble. 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. 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. [7][11], After starting previews on October 18, 2016, Sweat opened Off-Broadway at The Public Theater on November 3, 2016. Free shipping for many products! Management's physical, intellectual, and emotional removal from workers on the factory floor allows them to ultimately outsource their jobs to Mexico (because they have so little connection to the labor that goes into these jobs, or to the human beings working them). New York, NY 10007 Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2009. Find additional parking information here. But when . Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Building,200 Stanger Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, Phone: 540-231-6779, Fax: 540-231-7157,news.liberalarts@vt.edu 2023 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Tracey and Jessie grow bitter as their job security is threatened and their wages cut, while their friend Cynthia receives a promotion. 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. Their whole lives have been on the factory line. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. [1] It won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. I got eyes. You got a problem, you tell me to my face. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. Log in here. -Graham S. Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Background. (including. [1] The action takes place in a fictional bar[6] in Reading, Pennsylvania.[7]. The three friends' names are Tracy, Cynthia and Jessie. As coming from a Hispanic background and having family members come from Costa Rica to America, scenes centered around Oscar were important to me. 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 Faculty & Staff Not wanting to give up what theyve worked for, the floor workers vote against the deal and end up getting shut out. [16] The production transferred to the West End's Guielgud Theatre, running from 7 June 2019 to 20 July. This Study Guide consists of approximately 52pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - It highlights serious problems in society such as racism, economic strain, drug abuse, and toxic relationships. I dont think you get it, but if I walk away, Im giving up more than a job, Im giving up all that time I spent standing on line waiting for one damn opportunity. View our Privacy Policy. Similarly, O'Keefe plays the barkeep as one-note and frequently flubs lines. [27], The play won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.[2]. Tracey and Cynthia, in particular, are close friends whove shared many adventuresthey console each other, cheer each other on, and encourage each other to stay positive and have fun rather than dwell on the stress of work. Oscar reiterates how he was born here as well, yet Tracey was too blinded by the difference in ethnicity to see her wrongdoing. Nottage shifts in time, switching scenes and showing events of eight years earlier. However below, subsequent to you visit this web page, it will be thus enormously easy to acquire as without diculty as download . Tracey? 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. Personally, this part of the play resonated with my feelings towards the racial violence we experience today. The bartender is Stan, who used to work at the factory with them until he suffered an injury. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Nov. 912 at 7:30 p.m. eNotes.com A Critical Companion to Lynn Nottage places this renowned, award-winning playwright's contribution to American theatre in scholarly context. SWEAT is a 2015 play by American playwright Lynn Nottage. Since the twenties, okay? Saturday-Sunday February 25 & 26 at 2pm . Lynn Nottage, originally born and raised in Brooklyn, New York produced the award-winning play, Sweat. For example, after Cynthia was promoted to Warehouse Supervisor, Tracey was very upset which led her to drink and smoke. CYNTHIA: Why the hell not? North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Try it today! If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contactSusan Sanders prior to the event. Jessie, another worker at the factory, is not so happy with how her life has turned out and has some problems with alcohol abuse. The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by American playwright Lynn Nottage focuses on race, class, prejudice and friendship. . (212) 220-8000 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. 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. 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. I do. She has now become one of people working to undermine the union by hiring cheaper labor. Doheny Library: PS3564.O795 S94 2017 o Nottage, Lynn. Club members can see a different show every night of the week. 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. [4] The play was produced off-Broadway in 2016, and on-Broadway in 2017. Jason finds that Tracey has a significant pill addiction. 199 Chambers Street grounds " Sweat " , emphasizing it 's the everyday - nature of the plays themes . 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. School of Performing Arts News|Science, Technology, and Society News|Sociology News, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Ive taken orders from idiots who were dangerous, or even worse, racist example, after was. The main points of your essay with our outlining tool to make sure you have all the main of! Factory with them until he suffered an injury City University of New York Ive taken orders from who... 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