Not wanting to give up what theyve worked for, the floor workers vote against the deal and end up getting shut out. Well, my familys been here a long time. 100% plagiarism free, Orders: 7 Jump-start your essay with our outlining tool to make sure you have all the main points of your essay covered. Refine any search. The play takes place in a small town in Pennsylvania where there is one main line of work everyone goes into. It won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. CYNTHIA: [] You know after everything. The play portrays a meeting between a parole officer and two ex-convicts, and three women who were childhood . You're making the same sorry excuses that they do. His best friend is Chris, Cynthias son. I cant think of any recent play that tells us so much, and so vividly, about the state of the union. The collection contains chapters on each of her major works . "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. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Sweat is preceded by an excerpt from Langston Hughess 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 againessentially to redeem the oppression theyve faced and the opportunities theyve been cheated out of. 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 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. Lynn Nottage, originally born and raised in Brooklyn, New York produced the award-winning play, Sweat.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, with a poverty rate of over 40%. The main themes in Sweat are race and class in the workplace, the effect of work life on the family, and economies and individuals. 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. In light of these background economic trends, the play has a distinctive atmosphere of precarity. ', 'Come From Away', and 'Anastasia' Lead 2017 Drama Desk Award Nominations", "2017 Tony Award Nominations: 'The Great Comet' and 'Hello, Dolly!' Not us. Whether its the discussion that Oscar doesnt deserve a job or him being attacked, they are all just as equally painful and wrong. Download the entire Sweat study guide as a printable PDF! 2023 . CYNTHIA: Ive stood on that line, same line since I was nineteen. publication in traditional print. This in-personevent will take place in BMCCs Theatre II. College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Alliance for Social, Political, Ethical, and Cultural Thought, Department of Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management, Department of Human Development and Family Science, Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, Department of Science, Technology, and Society, School of Public and International Affairs, Center for European Union, Transatlantic, and Trans-European Space Studies, Center for Refugee, Migrant, and Displacement Studies, Kellogg Center for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, News Stories on International Initiatives, Sweat explores themes of race, gender, ethnicity, class, and labor relations in a deeply human way, Winning words: Cara Daggett, Thomas Gardner, and Madeline Eberhardt honored with Phi Beta Kappa awards, William Price honored with emeritus status, A career and technical education alumnus reflects on his experiences in the School of Education, School of Education doctoral student receives prestigious internship, The Virginia Tech chapter of Omicron Tau Theta initiates eight new members, Heidi Anne Mesmer helps teachers decode reading instruction, Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech supports students with disabilities across the region, School of Communication senior awarded inaugural Tech Sideline Endowed Scholarship, Cybersecurity expert offers safety tips for online holiday shopping, A new map reconstructs the social landscapes of Southwest Virginia prior to European arrival, Alumni Industry Leader Spotlight: Sofiat Abdulrazaaq, Nobelist Karen OBrien delivers lecture about climate change and society, Alumnus Kevin Roberts named next president of the Heritage Foundation, Tokyo Olympics a once-in-a-lifetime experience for School of Communication alumna, Michael Hughes honored with emeritus status, Researchers reflections offer insights on collaboration, Cadet chosen to highlight the colors at the Virginia game, Ending programs for gifted students wont create equity for rural youth, https://www.youtube.com/embed/YcReO9WfWeQ, Lights, gingerbread, eggnog some holiday sights and tastes have global roots, Virginia Tech School of Education nurtures STEM potential in the Mississippi Delta, Student-athletes excel on and off the court. 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. Oscar reiterates how he was born here as well, yet Tracey was too blinded by the difference in ethnicity to see her wrongdoing. Source: www.asolorep.org. She has now become one of people working to undermine the union by hiring cheaper labor. Moving up the corporate ladder results in a loss of friendships and social exclusion. 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. Log in here. 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. by Lynn Nottage. This is shown in many of the bar scenes. However, several close relationships are challenged as characters try to pursue new opportunities and escape the very circumstance over which they bond with others. Teachers and parents! Two hostile men sit in separate rooms with the same parole officer after being released from an eight-year prison sentence. We see how the plant uses ethnicity to divide workers in the case of Oscar, who is Latino. In this breathtaking new play, premiered in 2015, she tackles the devastating impact of loss of work and of de-industrialisation on modern America. Cmon. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. Both mother and son are shocked to see the other's transformation, wrought by painful experiences of the past eight years. Thursday-Saturday February 23-25 at 7:30pm. 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. The volume covers Nottage's plays, productions, activism, and artistic collaborations to display the extraordinary breadth and depth of her work. eNotes.com [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. . Chris finds Cynthia living in a small, rundown, messy apartment . Were a team, you cant leave!! Jason and Chris are involved in a fight with Oscar and serve time in prison. Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play, "Pulitzer Prize winner on 'Sweat,' her Broadway play about Trump's America: 'Being poor is one of the hardest jobs in the world', "Who are these Trump voters? They are best friends and joke around together. The themes in Sweat are timeless, and the play is a microcosm of today's issues relating to poverty, race, and discrimination. 5 pages at 400 words per page) Job Opportunities 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. For example, after Cynthia was promoted to Warehouse Supervisor, Tracey was very upset which led her to drink and smoke. As mentioned earlier , when Nottage does use aspects of spectacle , it emphasizes these themes further , aspects like lighting . Order original paper now and save your time! Sweat is about the private toll of this great decline. Who is the antagonist in the play Sweat by Lynn Nottage? Lynn Nottage's Sweat was published in 2015 and won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 2017. Management wants to cut wages, and the union will have to vote to accept the concessions or go on strike. By showing how people, Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs CYNTHIA: I didnt expect you to understand, babe. The resonance and relevance is immediate, as we rehearsed throughout what has come to be called Striketober 2021. What statements does this play Sweatmake about racism and racial tension in the United States? The. Tracey and Jessie grow bitter as their job security is threatened and their wages cut, while their friend Cynthia receives a promotion. 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. [4] The play was produced off-Broadway in 2016, and on-Broadway in 2017. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs You hear from the old gang? Tensions rise as Cynthias new position pits her against her friends. I got eyes. At the beginning of 2000, every character is either part of the working class or experiencing the repercussions of union strikes. 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. The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by American playwright Lynn Nottage focuses on race, class, prejudice and friendship. The amount of original essays that we did for our clients, The amount of original essays that we did for our clients. Doheny Library: PS3564.O795 S94 2017 o Nottage, Lynn. When Chris reveals that hell be leaving Olsteads to study teaching at Albright College, Jason is blindsidedhed hoped to work alongside his best friend for the foreseeable future and to eventually retire and open a business together. 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. Sweat I really feel is the American story. Word Count: 508. Academic Policies Last Updated on October 4, 2022, by eNotes Editorial. TRACEY: You want us to feel sorry for you? Stay abreast of discount offers for great theater, on Broadway or in select cities. First and only job. Sweat is a 2015 play by American playwright Lynn Nottage. In addition to being a play on serious themes, "Sweat" is an an award . "Sweat - Themes" eNotes Publishing Note: When citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary dates. The second is the date of By signing up you are confirming you are 16 or over. There are other minor characters in the plot of the play. This Study Guide consists of approximately 52pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - Nottage's characters were based on personal research and interviews she conducted in Reading throughout 2011. Oscar now works there as the manager, and he takes care of Stan, who we find out has suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of the fight. Their decades-long friendship ends in a seemingly insurmountable grudge, a heartbreaking reality that drives home the pain, jealousy, and hostility that can come about when one friend feels left behind by another. Tracy is a middle aged white woman. Stan tries to stop it but ends up getting hit. She cannot stand the way Reading has been changing over the years. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. 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. A Critical Companion to Lynn Nottage places this renowned, award-winning playwright's contribution to American theatre in scholarly context. [8] Reviews of the play have described the characters as representing blue-collar workers who voted in Donald Trump as president. All of the floor workers at Olsteads feel replaceable and worry about their job security, so Cynthias bump in pay and benefits comes off as a slap in the face to her coworkersone that drives a wedge between her and Tracey especially. Sweat challenged my thinking and led me to analyze serious problems that still have not been solved. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. 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. 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. If there are two dates, the date of publication and appearance What statements does this play Sweatmake about racism and racial tension in the United States? Sweat - Lynn Nottage 2016-12-13 A hard-hitting new drama from the Pulitzer Prize-winning . The kind but stalwart officer (Kevin T. Carroll) hopes a reunion between the two will help heal their wounds. Cynthia gets the promotion, and Tracey wonders if its just because Cynthia is Black. [7], The play has been described as "a powerful and emotional look at identity, race, economy, and humanity. The plot consists of many different characters. Started in 74, walked in straight outta high school. The play opens in 2008. The last date is today's In the Character list, Nottage describes him as "African-American, forties" (vii). -Graham S. Below you will find the important quotes in, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Pietz portrays Jessie as a lonely woman hiding in a glass of alcohol. More heat. Sweat. Nov. 912 at 7:30 p.m. Find additional parking information here. Saturday-Sunday February 25 & 26 at 2pm . It normalizes the common habit of many working-class individuals who come home exhausted or agitated from working extraneous jobs. Stan, a middle-aged white man with a limp, bartends, and when the two women invite him to dance with them, he refuses. Their whole lives have been on the factory line. 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. Synopsis for SWEAT: SWEAT is a 2015 play by American playwright Lynn Nottage. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Wil Johnson as Brucie and Stuart McQuarrie as Stan. In 2000, we meet best friends Tracey, Cynthia, and Jessie. No matter if it was during Jessies birthday celebration, Traceys birthday celebration, or just a casual hangout at Stans bar. 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! Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Fight director Steve Raskin makes the final confrontation realistic and harrowing. 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. Any deadline. The New Yorker said the play was "the first theatrical landmark of the Trump era". JASON: [] But seriously, man, why didnt you tell me? She has created exactly the ensemble piece she set out to create empathetic, searching, searing, honest, and full of humanity and I found exactly the same qualities in this cast as we have worked together. CHRIS: Dude, its just something I gotta do. They built this town. (including. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. date the date you are citing the material. The acting is superlative. [27], The play won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.[2]. Throughout the entirety of the play, alcohol was utilized as a prop by almost all the characters. This leads to a lock-out, scabs crossing the line to keep the firm going and an act of violence that explains the parole interviews. Who is the antagonist in the play Sweat by Lynn Nottage? This website uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. 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. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." One of the major plot points in this ensemble driven piece is Cynthia's promotion to management at Olstead's factory. 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. Tracey? 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. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Building,200 Stanger Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, Phone: 540-231-6779, Fax: 540-231-7157,news.liberalarts@vt.edu Local factory workers mull around a watering hole run by one of their former colleagues, Stan (Michael O'Keefe). In Lynette Lintons production, Frankie Bradshaws impressive design sets the watering hole against a background of rusting girders. 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. By eNotes Editorial and devices was published in 2015 and won the Pulitzer Prize-winning casual hangout at Stans.... Outta high school and won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for drama in 2017, about private!, we meet best friends Tracey, Cynthia, and on-Broadway in 2017 to you. Thinking and led me to analyze literature like LitCharts does new Yorker said the play themes in sweat by lynn nottage place in Theatre! 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