The way the content is organized, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. And this thoughtful, careful play only seldom acquires the distance-erasing passion of Ms. Nottages Ruined, the 2009 Pulitzer Prize winner about female casualties of the Congolese civil war. Jason shows up too, which initially alarms Oscar. In a moment of pain and frustration over their changing lives, Jason confronts Oscar at the bar. var addy_text8a2f2e70f3ae0d82a8dceea5de10147e = 'auditions' + '@' + 'aeofberkeley' + '.' + 'org';document.getElementById('cloak8a2f2e70f3ae0d82a8dceea5de10147e').innerHTML += ''+addy_text8a2f2e70f3ae0d82a8dceea5de10147e+'<\/a>'; Thus, the flier ominously suggests that the factory managers intend to lay-off their existing staff. I hope I was able to introduce you to more monologue material! addy8a2f2e70f3ae0d82a8dceea5de10147e = addy8a2f2e70f3ae0d82a8dceea5de10147e + 'aeofberkeley' + '.' + 'org'; PDF downloads of all 1725 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. For rehearsals and performances youll need a computer, a stable internet connection (at least 3 MBS upload speed), and a quiet performance space, preferably without windows. But I stood on line, patiently waiting for a break. We ask that you familiarize yourself with the story to prepare your audition. As the tension of the moment is described here, you expect the men to hit each other. All is well, until economic turmoil hits. Sweat Summary and Study Guide | SuperSummary Tracey goes outside to smoke a cigarette, and Oscar comes out to ask her about working at Olsteadshe recently saw a job posting at the local Latino Community Center. Chris Monologue from "Sweat" by Lynn Nottage - YouTube Instant downloads of all 1725 LitChart PDFs Oscar doesnt care, thougheveryone in Reading others him, so he feels no loyalty to them. She says that the U.S. plant has gotten too expensive to operate, and because of NAFTA, Olsteads can easily outsource labor to Mexico. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. Tracey bitterly wonders if Cynthia received the promotion because she is Black. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; The four men uneasily wait for the next moment, together yet divided. Filming yourself from a hand-held camera will be fine. Chris remembers his fingernails digging into his palms. Meanwhile, Oscar goes to work at Olsteads as a scab employee, eager to make more money than he does at the bar. Cmon. Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists. End: You go into the building, the walls are covered over with sheetrock, the wood painted gray, or some ungodly color, and it just makes me sad. Lynn Nottage's Sweat gives us characters filled with the good and the bad and asks us to reflect on our own views and the views of . You need JavaScript enabled to view it. The play instantly becomes a grim social drama about factory operators in the NAFTA era who may . Aspirations to another life may be common among these people, but such hopes are widely resented when they show signs of becoming reality. Its searing and human. 239 0 obj <> endobj And theyre right. The two women begin talking about recent changes at Olsteads: theres an open position for Warehouse Supervisor, and to Traceys surprise, Cynthia is thinking of going for the job. Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. TRACEY: [] I know the floor as good as Cynthia. CYNTHIA: That rumors been flying around for months. You can also copy the link and paste it in your browser. PDF Sweat play by lynn nottage pdf Jason and Chris meet one another at the local bar, where Oscar is now the manager. Though Chris initially attempts to calm Jason and prevent an eruption of violent anger, he joins Jason as he beats Oscar. Most of the plays action takes place in a local bar run by Stana former factory worker who was chronically disabled when he injured his leg in a machineand Oscar, a young Colombian American man who helps with stocking and cleaning. More heat. The play flashes back to January 2000. And while its trajectory is dark, even devastating, Sweat is damn funny, too: Ms. Nottage knows well that the natural reactions to the assaults of life faced by these particular people are a savage sense of humor, and, more damagingly, a swan dive into the comforts of alcohol and drugs. Review: Sweat Imagines the Local Bar as a Caldron, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/26/theater/sweat-review-broadway.html, From left, John Earl Jelks, Carlo Albn, Johanna Day, Michelle Wilson and Allison Wright in the play Sweat., From left, Johanna Day, Khris Davis, Carlo Albn and Will Pullen in Sweat.. That the people onstage are middle-class or lower-middle-class folks too rarely given ample time on American stages makes the play all the more vital a contribution to contemporary drama. Then, Cynthia, Tracey, and Jessie enter, and Brucie harasses Cynthia until she agrees to talk to him. One selected monologue from SWEAT (See links next to character name for link to monologues). He, too, worked in the factory, as did his father and grandfather, until an accident caused by a faulty machine almost cost him a leg. While they talk, Oscar comes into the bar to get his things from the back and say goodbye to Stan just as Tracey comes out of the bathroom. Tracey's Monologue from Sweat | StageAgent As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Ms. Nottages colloquial dialogue doesnt approach or even attempt his singing lyricism, but Jessie delivers a beautiful monologue about the life she might have led had she not, when still a teenager, started working in a factory. Chris agreeshe doesnt want to end up like Brucie. Lynn Nottages Sweat gives us characters filled with the good and the bad and asks us to reflect on our own views and the views of others. (Both Chris and Jason, not incidentally, also work at the plant, although Chris has higher aspirations.) Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. 255 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<4E7A45B1E121404A9924C6C88D9A82A6>]/Index[239 26]/Info 238 0 R/Length 81/Prev 701207/Root 240 0 R/Size 265/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream She tells Oscar that Olsteads isnt for you.. Our experts can deliver a Lynn Nottage's "Sweat" Play Production essay. Waking up, going to the factory, working all day, and coming home. Winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize. Shakespeare in the Woods 2023 Season Make sure to leave suggestions for other plays youd like to see on the blog and Ill see you at the next post! It aint his fault. The flier advertises a much lower wage than Tracey makes, and it does not mention union requirements or benefits. Changing the subject, Oscar notes the loud party in the bar, and, the counter. Sweat Summary - eNotes.com Sweat by Lynn Nottage marlenaeckel March 13, 2020 Drama, Medium, Men, Monologue, Short, Women Monologue, Monologues, Theater, Theatre What is it about? Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of Sweat by Lynn Nottage. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Sign up today to unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. The following month, Oscar tells Stan that hes taken on some temporary hours at Olsteads because it pays so well, but Stan warns him that doing so will anger the floor workers whove been locked out. MONOLOGUE: Sweat - YouTube In February, at the same bar, Jason, Chris, and Stan have a playful conversation about the motorcycle Jason wants to buy and about Chriss new girlfriend while Oscar listens in. Sweat is a two-act play written by Lynn Nottage. Sweat is located in Reading, Pennsylvania, one of Americas poorest cities with a poverty rate of over 40%. New York, NY, Escape To Margaritaville Ernestine Crump Crumbs from the Table of Joy 0 Start: Because mostly I feel rage. Besides, Oscar would need to be in the union and to know someone at the plant to get a job there. However, Brucie tells him its pointlessChris should follow his dreams and get an education instead. Click on the name of the character in that box. Then, Chris reveals that hes been accepted to Albright Colleges teaching program, which shocks Jasonthey both work on the floor at Olsteads, and Jason always assumed they would retire and open a business together. Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage spent two years visiting Reading, Pa., to research her new play. She is upset that her friend. I wanna say that. CYNTHIA: I didnt expect you to understand, babe. Tracey (Jasons mother), Cynthia (Chriss mother), and their friend Jessie are celebrating Traceys birthday at a local bar in Reading, Pennsylvania. Jessie tells Stan that, Jessie says shes sick of being stuck in the middle between, motorcycle. Scene 2 pans back to 2000. But to get to the heart of the matter: Sweat opens with scenes set in 2008, depicting a parole officer (Tyrone Wilson) in meetings with two ex-convicts, imprisoned for their involvement in the same crime, who have come through the system with deeply divergent results. Be angry, but dont make it about this(Points to the skin on the back of her hand) Look at me, Tracey. Mary Mara, left, as Tracey, and Portia as Cynthia in "Sweat," Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama at the Mark Taper Forum about a factory town in Pennsylvania. Im cool with everyone. Welcome to the Actors Ensemble of Berkeley website! Olstead is a prick. It makes meWhatever. Less work. TRACEY: Well, I got you beat by two. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Gain full access to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more! Im not prejudice, but thats how things are going these days. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. Ive absorbed a lotta shit over the years, but I worked hard to get off that floor. Chris asks about, more leadership opportunities for minority employees. Video submission deadline: Sunday, June 20, 11:59 p.m. Time commitment: Up to 15 hours directed rehearsing (max 5 rehearsals), 4-8 hours independent rehearsing, and two online readings, One contemporary monologue (90 seconds maximum). Stan is cynical about the disrespectful management at the plant, where generations of his family and he himself worked before he lost part of his leg in a work accident. New York, NY, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent 2020. Forget all that. 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. Nottages characters were based on personal research and interviews she conducted in Reading throughout 2011. You appreciate Ms. Nottages insistence that we be able to trace exactly the sources of her characters unhappiness. Actors Ensemble of Berkeley is now accepting video auditions for an online workshop reading of SWEAT by Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage, directed by Tracy Baxter. The plays final scene returns to 2008. Started in 74, walked in straight outta high school. Undine Barnes Calles Fabulation or, The Re-Education of Undine 2 I come here from North Carolina at seven. The play opens in a Reading parole office in 2008, panning back and forth between Jason and Chris. This email address is being protected from spambots. They built the house that I live in. Well. Certainly I found myself squirming in my seat as I watched the forces of fate, or, to be more specific, the mechanics of 21st-century American capitalism, bear down on these characters with the brutal power of a jackhammer smashing through concrete. When the play reaches its climax, we feel so swept up in the fracturing lives of the people onstage that the distance between that world and the real one it reflects with such searing precision has all but collapsed. You hear from the old gang? Though it takes place in 2000 and 2008, and one of its characters swears he will never vote again, Sweat is the first work from a major American playwright to summon, with empathy and without judgment, the nationwide anxiety that helped put Donald J. Trump in the White House. Though the women are friendly with Stan, they do not acknowledge Oscar as he works in the background. No one saw that coming. Review: Lynn Nottage's 'Sweat' Examines Lives Unraveling by Industry's Both men have recently been released from jail, though the play does not immediately reveal why they were imprisoned. Finally, Jason breaks and admits that he recently ran into Chris, whom Jason tried to forget while he was in prison. Tracey brings up an overseer job opportunity at Olsteads and the rumor that management intends to promote someone off the factory floor. Since the twenties, okay? Brucie ends up begging Cynthia for another chance, but she stays strong with Tracey and Jessies support. I don't want this to be a big deal. Its a tragic story of everyday people struggling to pick up the pieces when their lives fall apart. before June 20 (sooner the better) and well set up a Zoom appointment or work to find other accommodations. Your computer should open a new tab with the monologue. These middle class, unionized, steelworkers have made plans to save money, go on vacations and then retire with a nice, healthy pension, but when rumors start flying that the company is considering layoffs, and flyers are hung to recruit non-union Latino workers for less money, the war between community and capitalism begins, and tensions start destroying not only jobs, but also relationships. The mood becomes tense, and Tracey and Cynthia get into a spat: Tracey clearly resents Cynthia for getting the promotion over her. We ask that you provide your own costumes (contemporary tee shirts, baseball caps, bandannas), makeup, and props (beer and shot glasses, cigarettes, keys). I got eyes. Chris and Jason rush off to Olsteads. He thinks Jason and Chris should move on and get out of Reading. With its large cast of precisely drawn characters most of whom, when not riled by fear about their dimming futures, are great company Sweat brims with the kind of ripe, richly imagined life associated with the work of the great August Wilson (a comparison I do not make lightly). A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. CYNTHIA: [] You know after everything. But, unbeknownst to them, their lives are about to be uprooted. Tracey and . Review: As blue collar jobs leave a Pennsylvania town, Lynn Nottage's Federal TaxID#946139640, since 04-1967. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama THE STORY: 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. Presiding over Traceys informal birthday party and the subsequent, less festive birthdays of Jessie and Cynthia is Stan (Jack Willis), the bartender, though not the owner of the bar. The shriveled, drug-addled figure of Cynthias estranged husband, Brucie (John Earl Jelks), looms as a possible prophecy of everyone elses fate. When Stan attempts to break up the fight, Jason accidentally hits him in the head with a baseball bat, causing a traumatic brain injury. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. Jason and Chris solemnly reflect that it is kind of Oscar to take care of Stan. Those traits are definitely on display in Sweat, which is directed by Kate Whoriskey and features a sturdy nine-member ensemble. You go into buildings, the walls are covered over with sheetrock, the wood painted gray, or some ungodly color, and it just makes me sad. Weve just come Start: Every since her father hung himse Start: But, a chaotic fight ensues. With the hard-drinking Jessie (Alison Wright), these women form a triumvirate that gathers regularly at their hangout to celebrate one anothers birthdays and swap workplace gossip and grievances. But I meancmonyou guys coming over here, you can get a job faster than. After what went down. Try it free. Jason is hurt that Chris didnt tell him until now, and hes adamant that Chris cant leave Olsteads because theyre supposed to be a team. So were Jasons mother, Tracey (Johanna Day), and Chriss mother, Cynthia (Michelle Wilson). New York, NY, Escape To Margaritaville College/University, Diverse Cast, Ensemble Cast, Mature Audiences, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre. Chris eventually becomes angry as well, and he joins Jason in beating Oscar. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Just as Jessie is vulnerably sharing her unrealized dreams of seeing the world as a young woman, Tracey bursts in. New York, NY, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent 2020. Cynthia spends her birthday alone in the bar, where she confides in Stan how stressed and guilty she feels about locking her friends (and her own son) out of the plant. For full extended monologue, please refer to clips or the script edition cited here: Nottage, Lynn, Sweat, Theatre Communications Group, 2017, p. 49. A new box will appear. So does the presence of Stans helper, Oscar (Carlo Albn), whose family comes from Colombia. Sweat is a two-act play written by Lynn Nottage. PDF SWEAT - Dramatists Play Service Jason panics and goes to leave, but he stops when Stan enters to wipe down tables. First and only job. SWEAT Broadway Reviews | Broadway World Gain full access to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more! [ .. ] Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. Jacking aint for softies! But they know they can always find somebody willing to get their hands sweaty. New York, NY, SM for Poor Yella Rednecks They also discuss Freddy Brunner, an acquaintance who recently burned his own house down. Their conversations with Evan suggest, however, that they participated in the same crime. Right? In April, Cynthia has gotten the promotion to Warehouse Supervisor, and she and her friends celebrate at the bar. Writing that cuts this close to the bone draws out the best in actors. Cynthia tells Tracey and Stan about how she recently kicked out her estranged husband, Brucie, againhes been abusing drugs ever since he was locked out of his job at a local textile mill. CYNTHIA: [] I dont deserve the things youve been saying. Youve always been cool. Just as Oscar goes to take some beer crates to the back, Oscar walks back in, looking uncomfortably at, Olsteads isnt Oscars faulthes only trying to make a living just like they are. It is foolish to underestimate the anger in places like these, as the most recent presidential election confirmed. The scene switches to Evans parole meeting with Chris, a black man whos struggling to integrate back into society since his release because hes ashamed of being a felon and consumed with remorse over what he did. Cynthia shares Chriss news about Albright, and Brucie disapproves of the tuition cost and of Chris leaving Olsteads. Tracey is a middle-aged white woman of German descent; she's Jason 's mother and Hank 's widow. New York, NY, SM for Poor Yella Rednecks Monologue - Tracey from Sweat - YouTube But a little more indirection would be more dramatically satisfying. Keenly observed and often surprisingly funnybut ultimately heartbreakingthe work traces the roots of a tragedy with both forensic psychological detail and embracing compassion. TRACEY: [] It was back when if you worked with your hands people respected you for it. sweat by lynn nottage dramatists play service inc. sweat.indd 1 1/2/2018 9:40:28 am STAN: Look. There will always be someone wholl step in, unless we say NO! Lynn Nottage Monologues | StageAgent Oscar, the often-ignored Colombian American busboy, escorts her to the bathroom. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. In September 2008, Jason, a man with white supremacist facial tattoos, meets with Evan, his African American parole officer. Tracey Character Analysis in Sweat | LitCharts Want interviews with fellow actors? (The unobtrusively on-target set is by John Lee Beatty, with costumes in the same vein by Jennifer Moeller.). Clearly, Tracey is acting out because she feels jealous of Cynthia and left behind by one of her oldest friends. Though Cynthia urges her friends to accept the concessions, the floor workers choose to strike. Review: 'Sweat' Imagines the Local Bar as a Caldron Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Scene 3. endstream endobj startxref Suddenly, they hear a drunken commotion from the bathroom, and Cynthia and, him out after his 21st birthday last October. Lynn Nottage explains how a broken city gets a turn onstage in her play "Sweat." There are rumors of imminent layoffs, though, which grow louder during the scenes set in 2000, along with. With the use of distinct dialog, actions, and belief structures for each of the characters, the characters (on paper and on stage) stand out as unique individuals that the audience can identify with. Shes is upset that Cynthia seems to be ignoring her and sucking up to management. 3) If you have trouble submitting or are unable to film yourself, dont worry. She attributes Cynthias selection to tokenism. Cynthia receives the promotion, and her change in status generates tension between her and Tracey. The way the content is organized, Tracey is a middle-aged white woman of German descent; shes. But this much-trafficked watering hole also exerts a dangerous gravitational force, the kind that holds people in place when they should be moving on. Instant PDF downloads. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. They get tax breaks or something. Also, a thank you to Theatre Bay Area for a grant of $2,500.00. As the strike progresses, the workers grow increasingly desperate. 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. TRACEY: Yeah? North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). "Sweat" is by no means a thinly dramatized op-ed piece. Cynthia (Kimberly Scott), the mother of Chris, has more pressing man trouble. He encourages both men to let go of their shame and self-blame and to meet up with each other to talk. Stan is now severely disabled with a traumatic brain injury; he struggles to hear or speak. Now, the company has posted a list of names on the front door, and Chris and Jason are in a hurry to go see it for themselves. From first moments to last, this . In the bar, Stan and Oscar stand by as Tracey, Chris, Jason, and Jessie angrily demand Cynthia to tell them whats going on. Its a paradox given beautiful life when Ms. Days Tracey, after angrily lecturing Oscar outside the bar, relents and gives him the cigarette he had asked for earlier; and when Tracey and Cynthia, now at loggerheads, share a memory of an eventful trip to Atlantic City. urges her friends to meet them halfway unless they want to lose their jobs entirely. This is particularly hypocritical given that Tracey went for the same job and likely would have taken the promotion if she had been offered it. She tells him that she and Tracey no longer speak after everything that happened. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights, (Points to the skin on the back of her hand). Subscribe! Since the twenties, okay? No thank you. During this conversation, Jessie wakes up and become belligerent when Stan wont serve her another drink. ISBN 978-1-55936-532-1 for edition reference. Cynthia and Tracey worry that Jessies problem with alcohol could get her fired. A month after this, Olsteads workers have rejected the deal they were offered, and the lockout goes forward. Jason and Chris speak separately to their parole officer, Evan. Refine any search. Tell me about whats been going on. Sweat Act 2, Scenes 1-3 - eNotes.com Oscar tells Tracey that him working at Olsteads isnt personal, but Tracey counters that to her, it is personal. TRACEY: Listen, that piece of paper youre holding is an insult, it dont mean anything, Olsteads isnt for you. Jason comments that Oscar is kind to take care of him, and Oscar replies that this is how things should be. The breakup of Jessies marriage has driven her to imbibe more than usual, although Tracey doesnt feel too sympathetic, having weathered her own failed marriage. (The Nafta treaty is invoked with four-letter opprobrium.). Sweat (Play) Plot & Characters | StageAgent Were a team, you cant leave!! Cynthias ex-husband Brucie warns his son, Chris, about his own struggles with the financial and emotional toll of another ongoing strike. LitCharts Teacher Editions. In the bar, Stan and Oscar look on as. STAN (Shouts): What the fuck do you want him to do? Sweat by Lynn Nottage - The Monologue Blog Girl, hes a loser. In 2000, Tracey and her best friends, Cynthia and Jessie, have worked at Olstead's Steel Tubing in Reading, Pennsylvania, for over 20 years. Nottage never tells us whos right or whos wrong, but always shows us whos human. Though it is steeped in social combustibility, Sweat often feels too conscientiously assembled, a point-counterpoint presentation in which every disaffected voice is allowed its how-I-got-this-way monologue. These scenes depict Tracey struggling with pill addiction, and Cynthia living in a small, cluttered, low-rent apartment. I believe the arts should be fun and I just want to help my fellow theatre lovers in the neverending quest to find the perfect monologue! We encourage both theatre veterans (non-AEA) and newcomers to audition. Thats all I need to know. In the foreground of these scenes, set in a bar favored by workers at the local metal tubing plant, are three middle-aged women, fast friends who together have put in more than 60 years working machines on the factory floor. A week later, Chris, Jason, and other union members protesting on the line get into a physical fight with the Latinx temp workers at Olsteads. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. Everyone complains about the factory, but the work it has provided for generations of Reading residents shapes the rhyme and reason of their shared world. Until the plays penultimate scene, Sweat keeps the nature of its climactic act of violence a secret, and the sense of mystery is underscored by questions posed and unanswered between mothers and sons, and the men and their parole officer, Evan (Lance Coadie Williams) in the 2008 scenes. Lynn Nottage explains how a broken city gets a turn onstage in her play Sweat., There are rumors of imminent layoffs, though, which grow louder during the scenes set in 2000, along with speculation that the entire plant might relocate to Mexico.