This Study Guide consists of approximately 52pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - 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. I feel that its a common problem in our society to portray immigrants as needy and that they get special treatment for their race. 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. Moving up the corporate ladder results in a loss of friendships and social exclusion. Stan is severely injured, and the youths are arrested, convicted, and incarcerated. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. 2023 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. By using it, you accept our. Human Development News|Languages and Literatures News|Philosophy News|Political Science News 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 - Summary" eNotes Publishing 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. What statements does this play Sweatmake about racism and racial tension in the United States? In Lynette Lintons production, Frankie Bradshaws impressive design sets the watering hole against a background of rusting girders. 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. Club members can see a different show every night of the week. No matter if it was during Jessies birthday celebration, Traceys birthday celebration, or just a casual hangout at Stans bar. Some characters use racial slurs towards Latinos and show him that he isn't welcome in the Olstead factory. Thats all I need to know. Variety described Nottage as going into "the heart of working-class America". They both work at the factory and worry that they will be laid off. [8] Reviews of the play have described the characters as representing blue-collar workers who voted in Donald Trump as president. 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. View our Privacy Policy. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs Nottage , through not making sweat a more general , traditional , " spectacle " , with large set pieces , costumes , etc . . eNotes Editorial. Management wants to cut wages, and the union will have to vote to accept the concessions or go on strike. Last Updated on October 12, 2022, by eNotes Editorial. In addition to being a play on serious themes, "Sweat" is an an award . Tickets will be available at the door in the Squires Student Center beginning one hour prior to the performance. Not wanting to give up what theyve worked for, the floor workers vote against the deal and end up getting shut out. The latter character gets the position, but soon the company moves jobs to Mexico. Carroll, in his few scenes as the parole officer, conveys the father figure both boys need to rehabilitate. 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. They get tax breaks or something. Struggling with distance learning? However, several close relationships are challenged as characters try to pursue new opportunities and escape the very circumstance over which they bond with others. They are getting out of jail after a conflict they were both involved in. 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. As Warehouse Supervisor, Cynthia has a newfound insiders perspective into the management side of the plant. Unfortunately, that kinetic energy is all on one level, high, so the audience feels distanced from the characters. Virtual Tour They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. -Graham S. Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. By clicking Receive Essay, you agree to our, Stereotypes inThe House on Mango Street Essay Example, Theme of Sexism in The Scarlet Letter Essay Sample, Argumentative Essay: The Dehumanization Of The Holocaust, Role of Social Class in Jane Eyre (Essay Sample), The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver Book Review, Essay Sample on Fahrenheit 451: The Frightening Analogy Between Societies, In Cold Blood and Criminal Justice Essay Example, Class Hierarchy inThe Great Gatsby Essay Example, Scrooge's Transformation in Dickens' A Christmas Carol Essay Sample, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. [14], A London production opened at the Donmar Warehouse on 7 December 2018, running until 2 February 2019. Reviews focused on the similarities between the portrayal of the industrial working class in a Rust Belt town, and that being a significant area and demographic in the 2016 United States presidential election. Sweat I really feel is the American story. Lynn Nottage: 'Nostalgia is a disease many white Americans have', Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Thrash rock music from the early millennium sets the mood and evokes tension. You're making the same sorry excuses that they do. Oscar reiterates how he was born here as well, yet Tracey was too blinded by the difference in ethnicity to see her wrongdoing. That 2 year divide is important, because between its first production and its rise to mega-acclaim, Donald Trump won the presidency. eNotes.com In the Character list, Nottage describes him as "African-American, forties" (vii). [] Im not prejudice, I say, you are who you are, you know? The play takes place in a small town in Pennsylvania where there is one main line of work everyone goes into. 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 He used to work at the plant but he was injured from a factory accident. The last date is today's Ive absorbed a lotta shit over the years, but I worked hard to get off that floor. 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. Chris gets involved in the fight. 100% plagiarism free, Orders: 7 Free shipping for many products! The themes in Sweat are timeless, and the play is a microcosm of today's issues relating to poverty, race, and discrimination. Any subject. . Tracey? PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Centered on the working class of Reading, Pennsylvania, 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. Lynn Nottages 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. Tracy is a middle aged white woman. 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. you can use them for inspiration and simplify your student life. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. 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. 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. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. It highlights serious problems in society such as racism, economic strain, drug abuse, and toxic relationships. New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2017. Alas, its high production values can only do so much to hide the fact that Sweat leaves the audience feeling more like they've watched an extended soapbox speech rather than having spent time in the flesh-and-blood lives of its characters. Two hostile men sit in separate rooms with the same parole officer after being released from an eight-year prison sentence. What statements does this play Sweatmake about racism and racial tension in the United States? She explored the effects on residents of the loss of heavy industry and the changing ethnic composition of the city. Saturday-Sunday February 25 & 26 at 2pm . Though the play is brimming with these rich themes, the execution does not always succeed. Sweat dissects the insidiousness of privilege and entitlement, reminding audiences that there's always someone on a lower plane to blame for your troubles, and there will always be someone who stands to profit from your loss. The New Yorker said the play was "the first theatrical landmark of the Trump era". Religion and Culture News|Reserve Officer Training Corps News|School of Education News The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by American playwright Lynn Nottage focuses on race, class, prejudice and friendship. "[9], The play's political context has also been noted. 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. publication in traditional print. [27], The play won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.[2]. 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. [9] The Wall Street Journal review suggested the play "explained" Trump's win. 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