(LogOut/ When Oscar returns, she hurls racial slurs and goes to lunge at him, but Stan holds her back. He tells her that hes in a rehab program, which doesnt impress Cynthia. Eventually, everyone but Tracey shows up, and Cynthia and Jessie reminisce about their early days at the factory. 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. Just as Jessie is vulnerably sharing her unrealized dreams of seeing the world as a young woman, Tracey bursts in. Join the StageAgent community The issues this drama raises painfully timely ones, I hardly need add surface organically from the circumstances. After a long work shift at Olsteads mill, three middle-aged female friendsan African American woman named Tracey, an Italian American woman named Jessie, and a German American woman named Cynthiahang out at Stans bar. Tracey brings up an overseer job opportunity at Olsteads and the rumor that management intends to promote someone off the factory floor. Waking up, going to the factory, working all day, and coming home. Shes is upset that Cynthia seems to be ignoring her and sucking up to management. Talk to Olstead, his cronies. Olstead is a prick. And theyre right. Their conversations with Evan suggest, however, that they participated in the same crime. Well. At the same time, Chris goes to Cynthias apartment, where hell be staying. Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage spent two years visiting Reading, Pa., to research her new play. Writing that cuts this close to the bone draws out the best in actors. She says that the U.S. plant has gotten too expensive to operate, and because of NAFTA, Olsteads can easily outsource labor to Mexico. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Monologue - Tracey from Sweat - YouTube Tracey's monologue to Cynthia from Lynn Nottage's Sweat Tracey's monologue to Cynthia from Lynn Nottage's Sweat. The way the content is organized, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. 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. Tell me about whats been going on. Some of these, such as Traceys speech about the devaluing of manual labor, have a poignant lyricism. Soon they are out of work and replaced by those who will work for less. In 2000, Tracey and her best friends, Cynthia and Jessie, have worked at Olstead's Steel Tubing in Reading, Pennsylvania, for over 20 years. 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. In the plays opening scene, Chris tells his parole officer about his first encounter with Jason after theyve been released from prison. Anger. 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. Sweat, the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Lynn Nottage, gives stellar examples of successful characterization. Tracey, a middle-aged white woman who works at the local Olstead's Steel Tubing plant, is adamant that German immigrants like her grandparents built Reading from the ground up and made it what it is today. Finally, Jason breaks and admits that he recently ran into Chris, whom Jason tried to forget while he was in prison. 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. Undine Barnes Calles Fabulation or, The Re-Education of Undine 2 I come here from North Carolina at seven. Cynthia tells Tracey and Stan about how she recently kicked out her estranged husband, Brucie, againhe's been abusing drugs ever since he was locked out of his job at a local textile mill. Start: Yeah? Brucie and the other employees refuse to give into concessions on their retirement benefits. However, Brucie tells him its pointlessChris should follow his dreams and get an education instead. In September 2008, Jason, a man with white supremacist facial tattoos, meets with Evan, his African American parole officer. 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. This poignant play takes a look at the de-industrial revolution through the lens of a history play, but also delves into the issues of today: the economy, immigration, race-relations in America, and politics. Chris shares that Jason is out too, and Cynthia angrily reflects that Jason is the one who got Chris into trouble. 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. There will always be someone wholl step in, unless we say NO! I dont know why. There is a rich eloquence in his inarticulateness that this well-spoken play could use more of. [ .. ] Sure, it looks awfully cozy and welcoming, and you can see why its denizens regard it as a second home. Welcome to the Actors Ensemble of Berkeley website! However, Tracey is adamant that German immigrants like her own grandparents built the town. Shakespeare in the Woods 2023 Season Cynthia (Kimberly Scott), the mother of Chris, has more pressing man trouble. They also discuss Freddy Brunner, an acquaintance who recently burned his own house down. But a little more indirection would be more dramatically satisfying. Nobodys going anywhere. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. College/University, Diverse Cast, Ensemble Cast, Mature Audiences, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre. The play flashes forward to October 2008, a couple of weeks after Jason and Chriss parole meetings. View more posts. Complex matters of race, class and culture are handled with impeccable deftness. Jason shows up too, which initially alarms Oscar. CYNTHIA: I didnt expect you to understand, babe. But now, theres nothing on Penn. Yeah, yeah, yeah. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." 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. It makes mewhatever. STAN: Look. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. But, unbeknownst to them, their lives are about to be uprooted. Though Cynthia and Tracey make light of such rumors, Stan is adamant that because of NAFTA, steel workers jobs could easily be outsourced to Mexico. Sweat Character Tracey Gender Female Age Range Adult, Mature Adult Style Dramatic Act/Scene Act One, Scene Five Time & Place April 2000, Outside a bar Length Long Time Period Contemporary Show Type Play Tags worker working class memory nostalgia family legacy emotional Context Tracey is outside the bar smoking. Oscar plays a handheld video game behind the bar. Cynthia begs everyone to stop yelling, but she eventually reveals that Olsteads is going to renegotiate the floor workers contracts: in order to save jobs, there will be a 60-percent pay cut and concessions on benefits. The plot of Sweat shifts between the present year of 2008 and an extended flashback to the year 2000. 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. Anyone can read what you share. Huh? At the same time, all the characters in Sweat are given to elaborate passages of exposition, laying out the histories of their families, their employers, their city. Cynthias ex-husband Brucie warns his son, Chris, about his own struggles with the financial and emotional toll of another ongoing strike. As Tracey privately muses over the citys changing landscape, feeling nostalgia for the days when people were honored for working with their hands, Oscar shows her a Spanish-language job posting for Olsteads. Cynthia sits alone in the bar, fantasizing about going on a . New York, NY, SM for Poor Yella Rednecks Tracey comes into the bar while Oscar is in the back, and she tells Stan about how lost and humiliated she feels without a job. CHRIS: Dude, its just something I gotta do. She attributes Cynthias selection to tokenism. Our experts can deliver a Lynn Nottage's "Sweat" Play Production essay. The bar that is the principal location for Sweat, Lynn Nottages bracingly topical portrait of American dreams deferred in working-class Pennsylvania, is a place where friendships go to die. In the bar, Stan and Oscar stand by as Tracey, Chris, Jason, and Jessie angrily demand Cynthia to tell them whats going on. Returning to 2000, the play shows how Cynthias promotion has pitted her against her friends. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. 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. 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.. Complete your free account to request a guide. Oscar, the often-ignored Colombian American busboy, escorts her to the bathroom. These scenes depict Tracey struggling with pill addiction, and Cynthia living in a small, cluttered, low-rent apartment. to save jobs, and Olsteads will lock them out if they dont accept. Brucie, whose union has been locked out of the citys other plant for two months after the union balked at draconian pay cuts, has been hitting something harder than the bottle. 4) New to auditioning? Lynn Nottage explains how a broken city gets a turn onstage in her play "Sweat.". The parolees are Jason (Will Pullen) and Chris (Khris Davis), and they were once the closest of friends. %PDF-1.4 % CYNTHIA: [] I dont deserve the things youve been saying. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. tailored to your instructions. Actors Ensemble is an all-volunteer company. 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). 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. After some urging from Cynthia, Tracey also agrees to apply (albeit with some misgivings). Sweat examines the changing lives of factory workers in Reading, Pennsylvania, between the years of 2000 and 2008. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1725 titles we cover. 264 0 obj <>stream Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. (including. (The unobtrusively on-target set is by John Lee Beatty, with costumes in the same vein by Jennifer Moeller.). Lynn Nottage explains how a broken city gets a turn onstage in her play Sweat.. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. (The Nafta treaty is invoked with four-letter opprobrium.). Well, my familys been here a long time. The production team was the same as the Public Theater's, with the following change made to the cast: JESSIE .. Alison Wright 5 Meanwhile, Oscar goes to work at Olsteads as a scab employee, eager to make more money than he does at the bar. So were Jasons mother, Tracey (Johanna Day), and Chriss mother, Cynthia (Michelle Wilson). Through their barroom conversation, the women reveal that Jason has no future plans beyond factory work, and Chris has been accepted to college. They get tax breaks or something. 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. Lynn Nottage, Tracey is outside the bar smoking. Suddenly, they hear a drunken commotion from the bathroom, and Cynthia and, him out after his 21st birthday last October. Box 663 - Berkeley - California - 94701 Our Answering Service: (510) 649-5999 . If he was here I wouldnt stop you. New York, NY, Escape To Margaritaville New York, NY, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent 2020. Their steel mill, Olsteads, is making some changes and the blood, sweat and tears, not to mention the generations of loyalty these workers have shown, dont seem to amount to much. He apparently did so due to the stress of his failed marriage, debt, and rumors of cutbacks at Olsteads Steel Tubing (the mill where Tracey, Cynthia, and Jessie also work). 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. Youve always been cool. Chapter-by-chapter summaries and multiple sections of expert analysis, The ultimate resource for assignments, engaging lessons, and lively book discussions. Stan enters the room, wiping down tables just as Oscar did in the plays early scenes. In Reading, Pennsylvania a group of factory workers are living their lives. JASON: [] But seriously, man, why didnt you tell me? 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. Aspirations to another life may be common among these people, but such hopes are widely resented when they show signs of becoming reality. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. The play examines the intersecting stories of workers on strike, three female friends who work together in a plant, and the generational differences between these workers and their sons, Chris and Jason. Thats all I need to know. Sweat is the first, properly muscular play of the Trump era, directly addressing the political and cultural bedrock of his presidency: Nottage has already won the 2016 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. More vacation. All is well, until economic turmoil hits. 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. On the national news, George Bush, the Republican presidential candidate, is traveling in the Midwest. The mood becomes tense, and Tracey and Cynthia get into a spat: Tracey clearly resents Cynthia for getting the promotion over her. CHRIS: Cmon. So did Stan (James Colby), the bartender, but he lost his job after a leg-maiming accident. The play flashes back to July 2000. If you don't have a resume, just put down whatever experience you feel might be applicable. The play also examines the ways working class Americans are often pitted against one another in their struggles for a better life. 3) If you have trouble submitting or are unable to film yourself, dont worry. I do. Be angry, but dont make it about this(Points to the skin on the back of her hand) Look at me, Tracey. The plot briefly shifts forward to 2008 with separate scenes of Jason and Chris visiting their mothers. JASON: Shit, I just kinda thought wed retire and open a franchise together. A new box will appear. It was awarded the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the 2017 Obie Award for Playwrighting, and three 2017 Tony Award nominations, including Best Play. 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. dpsinfo@broadwaylicensing.com. More trouble comes when rumors of layoffs begin swirling, and Cynthia finds herself caught between her duties as a manager and her sympathy with her friends in the union. Thus, the play foreshadows the human toll of the factorys forthcoming lay-offs. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. MONOLOGUE: Sweat Cliff Rooks 32 subscribers Subscribe 1.6K views 5 years ago This is a monologue from the play "Sweat" by Lynn Nottage We reimagined cable. 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. For full extended monologue, please refer to clips or the script edition cited here: Nottage, Lynn, Sweat, Theatre Communications Group, 2017, p. 49. passionate and necessarya masterful depiction of the forces that divide and conquer usSWEAT communicates its points with minimal fuss and maximum grit. 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. You could wake up tomorrow and all your jobs are in Mexico, whatever, its this NAFTA bullshit. 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. Forget all that. I know its tough out there, I understand. Nottages characters were based on personal research and interviews she conducted in Reading throughout 2011. A couple of weeks later, Jessie waits alone at the barTracey, Cynthia, Jason, and Chris are all late to her birthday celebration. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1725 titles we cover. Scene 2 pans back to 2000. Struggling with distance learning? JASON: [] All Im saying is that he needs to understand the price of that dinner hes putting on his table. Waking up, going to the factory, working all day, and coming home. CYNTHIA: [] You know after everything. On July 4, Chris and Jason run into Brucie at the bar, and they tell him that Olsteads moved three mills out of the factory over the holiday weekend. He advises them to take any concessions that are offered to prevent a lockout from happening. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Design a site like this with WordPress.com, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), The Assembled Parties by RichardGreenberg, Follow The Monologue Blog on WordPress.com. Lynn Nottage Monologues Monologues from shows associated with Lynn Nottage Start: There you have it! But they are passages that turn those delivering these monologues into social case studies, a status that the bluntly drawn performances do not always combat. Then, Cynthia, Tracey, and Jessie enter, and Brucie harasses Cynthia until she agrees to talk to him. TRACEY: [] It was back when if you worked with your hands people respected you for it. During this conversation, Jessie wakes up and become belligerent when Stan wont serve her another drink. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. You can also copy the link and paste it in your browser. L ynn Nottage's 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. STAN (Shouts): What the fuck do you want him to do? 440 Park Avenue South From first moments to last, this . (Both Chris and Jason, not incidentally, also work at the plant, although Chris has higher aspirations.) Jessie tells Stan that, Jessie says shes sick of being stuck in the middle between, motorcycle. 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. She is upset that her friend. Oscar doesnt care, thougheveryone in Reading others him, so he feels no loyalty to them. Instead, to Chriss obvious amazement: Were hugging. Started in 74, walked in straight outta high school. Click on the name of the character in that box. STAN: Okay, you keep telling yourself that, but you saw what happened over at Clemmons Technologies. Chris asks about, more leadership opportunities for minority employees. Tracey Sweat 1 All monologues are property and copyright of their owners. %%EOF hbbd``b`Y $+A H0@caqA,7 $&$$1&F: O ! Upgrade to PRO Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists. Buy new (amazon), new (dramatists play service) or used. She tells him that she and Tracey no longer speak after everything that happened. I hope I was able to introduce you to more monologue material! You dont know what its been like to walk in my shoes. New York, NY 10016 Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. It makes meWhatever. 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. Girl, hes a loser. Lynn Nottage (born November 2, 1964) is an American playwright whose work often focuses on the experience of working-class people, particularly working-class people who are Black.She has received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice: in 2009 for her play Ruined, and in 2017 for her play Sweat.She was the first (and remains the only) woman to have won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama two times. 0 Sweat is best at its muddiest, when love and hate, and the urges to strike out and to comfort, teeter in precipitous balance. Jason has come to beg Tracey for money, but shes hostile and unwelcoming. Jason panics and goes to leave, but he stops when Stan enters to wipe down tables. Mediation becomes increasingly necessary when Cynthia applies for and, to everyones surprise, wins a promotion to management, causing a painful rift with Tracey, who had also applied and resents being supervised by a former equal. Refine any search. Cmon. Jacking aint for softies! But they know they can always find somebody willing to get their hands sweaty. Shakespeare in the Woods 2023 Season Its a tragic story of everyday people struggling to pick up the pieces when their lives fall apart. The way the content is organized, Tracey is a middle-aged white woman of German descent; shes. Right? PERFORMANCE FEE: $130 per performance. Video submission deadline: Sunday, June 20, 11:59 p.m. Small stipend. They built the house that I live in. His former friend, the African-American Chris (Tramell Tillman), by contrast, has discovered the sustaining solace of religion, and hopes to get his life back on track by taking up the college studies he was forced to abandon. Tracey's rude behavior toward Cynthia is driving a wedge in their decades-long friendship. Less work. Sign up today to unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. He went through hell when his plant locked him out, I understand, but I cant have it. "They white,". Jason is uncooperative when Evan asks him simple questions about his living situation and employment, and their tense interactions culminate in an argument wherein Jason yells racial slurs at Evan. Stan warns Oscar that he is putting himself in a dangerous position and stirring animosity among longtime employees. Winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize. A drunken Jessie is passed out at a table while Tracey and Cynthia dance; theyre clearly close with each other and with Stan, the bartender with whom they engage in flirtatious banter. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Instant downloads of all 1725 LitChart PDFs Jason asks where his mom is, but Jessie doesnt know; Jason reassures her that, Berks County, Pennsylvania, experiences a 111-percent rise in power shutoffs. But, a chaotic fight ensues. 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. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Your computer should open a new tab with the monologue. Hugging. Clearly, Tracey is acting out because she feels jealous of Cynthia and left behind by one of her oldest friends. Stan is now severely disabled with a traumatic brain injury; he struggles to hear or speak. Though Cynthia urges her friends to accept the concessions, the floor workers choose to strike. Oscar tells Tracey that him working at Olsteads isnt personal, but Tracey counters that to her, it is personal. New York, NY, SM for Poor Yella Rednecks Thats when Ms. Nottages characters, and the cast members who embody them, emerge in their full tragic humanity. the tech bubble has recently burst, causing a record 617-point drop in the Dow Jones. 239 0 obj <> endobj Thank you for checking out my post! John Earl Jelks SWEAT was originally produced on Broadway at Studio 54 by Stuart Thompson and Louise L. Gund, premiering on March 26, 2017. 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. Keenly observed and often surprisingly funnybut ultimately heartbreakingthe work traces the roots of a tragedy with both forensic psychological detail and embracing compassion. Ms. Whoriskey and Ms. Nottage drew on interviews with residents of Reading, Pa., ranked among the poorest cities in America, as part of their research for the play. addy8a2f2e70f3ae0d82a8dceea5de10147e = addy8a2f2e70f3ae0d82a8dceea5de10147e + 'aeofberkeley' + '.' + 'org'; I wanna say that. * Live TV from. In Reading, Pennsylvania a group of factory workers are living their lives. 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. Jason and Chris solemnly reflect that it is kind of Oscar to take care of Stan. Review: Lynn Nottages Sweat Examines Lives Unraveling by Industrys Demise, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/17/theater/review-lynn-nottages-sweat-examines-lives-unraveling-by-industrys-demise.html. Tracey? The characters in this play dont have money or options and the walls are closing in fast, so for the SWEAT monologues were looking for raw yet vulnerable portrayals. TRACEY: Well, I got you beat by two. 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. So does the presence of Stans helper, Oscar (Carlo Albn), whose family comes from Colombia. [2] The play premiered at the Oregon Well, my familys been here for a long time. That includes not only Reading, Pa., the steel town where the play is set, but also a beleaguered part of the United States in which jobs are under siege and identity is fraying. To laud them individually would require another review. TRACEY: You want us to feel sorry for you? The play instantly becomes a grim social drama about factory operators in the NAFTA era who may . Jason has come to visit, shoulda though Chris doesnt think she has anything to be sorry about. Stan commiserates with Bruciehe spent 28 years at Olsteads and is glad that his injury got him out of there. In the bar, Stan and Oscar look on as. hb```d`~1!Ru|G/Vgk`#k[-85?J.YI{fU4/xu.13bj78a$B3x+J%Rn-p]?ORZf4(sH#6Y. CYNTHIA: [] let me tell you something, once he started messing with that dope, I dont recognize the man. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Guide written by Nemuna Ceesay Jason and Chris meet one another at the local bar, where Oscar is now the manager. However, we pay actors a small stipend for expenses and a portion of performance donations in accordance with AB5. Gain full access to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more!
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