Tracey Character Analysis in Sweat | LitCharts 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. Chris and Jason rush off to Olsteads. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Teachers and parents! 239 0 obj <> endobj Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Jason has come to visit, shoulda though Chris doesnt think she has anything to be sorry about. 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. I got eyes. Jason and Chris speak separately to their parole officer, Evan. In April, Cynthia has gotten the promotion to Warehouse Supervisor, and she and her friends celebrate at the bar. Gain full access to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more! When Oscar returns, she hurls racial slurs and goes to lunge at him, but Stan holds her back. New York, NY, SM for Poor Yella Rednecks 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. 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. Thus, the flier ominously suggests that the factory managers intend to lay-off their existing staff. 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. Well. Posted in Auditions. %%EOF Struggling with distance learning? passionate and necessarya masterful depiction of the forces that divide and conquer usSWEAT communicates its points with minimal fuss and maximum grit. Monologues are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. Tracey? She is upset that her friend If you would like to give a public performance of this monologue, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor. 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. Sweat by Lynn Nottage Plot Summary | LitCharts Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists, See more monologues from All is well, until economic turmoil hits. Video submission deadline: Sunday, June 20, 11:59 p.m. Small stipend. Lynn Nottage explains how a broken city gets a turn onstage in her play Sweat.. 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. Cynthia says she plans to apply, hoping for better opportunities. JASON: Shit, I just kinda thought wed retire and open a franchise together. 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. Forget all that. CYNTHIA: I didnt expect you to understand, babe. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1725 titles we cover. Youve always been cool. PDF downloads of all 1725 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Three exemplary charactersTracey, Cynthia, and Jessieare all working class . But I meancmonyou guys coming over here, you can get a job faster than. North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). before June 20 (sooner the better) and well set up a Zoom appointment or work to find other accommodations. Keenly observed and often surprisingly funnybut ultimately heartbreakingthe work traces the roots of a tragedy with both forensic psychological detail and embracing compassion. 264 0 obj <>stream John Earl Jelks SWEAT was originally produced on Broadway at Studio 54 by Stuart Thompson and Louise L. Gund, premiering on March 26, 2017. Sweat Summary. Meanwhile, Oscar goes to work at Olsteads as a scab employee, eager to make more money than he does at the bar. Brucie warns them that no machines means no jobshe thinks theyre about to be in the same situation hes in. 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. He struggles even with this basic task, and it is clear that Oscar employs him out of empathy, the desire to give Stan a sense of purpose. 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. endstream endobj startxref Make sure to leave suggestions for other plays youd like to see on the blog and Ill see you at the next post! 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. He tells her that hes in a rehab program, which doesnt impress Cynthia. 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. But, unbeknownst to them, their lives are about to be uprooted. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. 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. Those traits are definitely on display in Sweat, which is directed by Kate Whoriskey and features a sturdy nine-member ensemble. With its attentively-crafted, compassionate examinations of the displaced working class, Sweat exposes the human costs of late-stage American capitalism. Stan enters the room, wiping down tables just as Oscar did in the plays early scenes. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. On the national news, George Bush, the Republican presidential candidate, is traveling in the Midwest. Management is trying to cut wages and benefits, and despite Cynthias protestations and pleas on her friends behalf, she feels her concerns are being ignored. Cynthia and Tracey worry that Jessies problem with alcohol could get her fired. Stan warns Oscar that he is putting himself in a dangerous position and stirring animosity among longtime employees. Changing the subject, Tracey tells Oscar that Cynthia only got the promotion because shes black and then makes an offhand comment about Latinx people like Oscar coming to Reading to get jobsbut Oscar says that he was born in Berks County just like Tracey was. 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. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Stan is now severely disabled with a traumatic brain injury; he struggles to hear or speak. 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. -Graham S. The timeline below shows where the character Tracey appears in, is playing on a jukebox as a rowdy celebration winds down. Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. So does the fact that it marks the belated Broadway debut of Ms. Nottage, a justly acclaimed dramatist of ambitious scope and fierce focus. Jason comments that Oscar is kind to take care of him, and Oscar replies that this is how things should be. 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 Stan and Chris try to intervene, but Tracey and Jessie egg the fight on. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. It was awarded the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the 2017 Obie Award for Playwrighting, and three 2017 Tony Award nominations, including Best Play. She tells Oscar that Olsteads isnt for you.. Let it be enough to say that each actor locates the rich humanity in his or her character, and transmits it to the audience with deceptive ease. Well, my familys been here for a long time. The plot briefly shifts forward to 2008 with separate scenes of Jason and Chris visiting their mothers. Jason has come to beg Tracey for money, but shes hostile and unwelcoming. Sweat, the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Lynn Nottage, gives stellar examples of successful characterization. The parolees are Jason (Will Pullen) and Chris (Khris Davis), and they were once the closest of friends. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. The mood becomes tense, and Tracey and Cynthia get into a spat: Tracey clearly resents Cynthia for getting the promotion over her. I know its tough out there, I understand. Jason and Chris meet one another at the local bar, where Oscar is now the manager. Refine any search. Tracey and . Then, Cynthia, Tracey, and Jessie enter, and Brucie harasses Cynthia until she agrees to talk to him. 440 Park Avenue South Still, Cynthia and Tracey, who both have over 20 years of experience on the warehouse floor, are both set on applying. In Sweat, which opened on Sunday night at Studio 54, the feeling of familiarity that pervades the plays central setting gradually shades into contempt among those who drink there for themselves, for one another and for the life they cannot escape. to learn more about this monologue from Sweat and unlock other amazing theatre resources! Tracey brings up an overseer job opportunity at Olsteads and the rumor that management intends to promote someone off the factory floor. Chapter-by-chapter summaries and multiple sections of expert analysis, The ultimate resource for assignments, engaging lessons, and lively book discussions. The plays final scene returns to 2008. 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. 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). Im cool with everyone. var addy8a2f2e70f3ae0d82a8dceea5de10147e = 'auditions' + '@'; In September, Jason and Chris run into Brucie (whos clearly high) at the bar, and Chris shares how his childhood memories of Brucie leading other men in a walkout at the mill inspire him to stay strong and keep protesting. Thus, the play foreshadows the human toll of the factorys forthcoming lay-offs. 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. Chris tries to break it up, but Oscar headbutts him, and, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Join the StageAgent community 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. Box 663 - Berkeley - California - 94701 Our Answering Service: (510) 649-5999 . They get tax breaks or something. Want new monologue material three days a week? Refine any search. In fact Id hold him down for you to give him a proper beating, but Oscarhes another story. LitCharts Teacher Editions. The following month, Brucie sits at the bar and confides in Stan about the lockout at his textile mill, which has been going on for nearly two years. Anyone can read what you share. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of Sweat by Lynn Nottage. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; 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. Stan commiserates with Bruciehe spent 28 years at Olsteads and is glad that his injury got him out of there. No one saw that coming. 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. At this. The soliloquies might just as easily belong to a series of human-interest news features as to a play. Lynn Nottage, Tracey is outside the bar smoking. They also discuss Freddy Brunner, an acquaintance who recently burned his own house down. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights, (Points to the skin on the back of her hand). The play is set both on the eve and in the twilight of George W. Bushs presidency. Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists. Ernestine Crump Crumbs from the Table of Joy 0 Start: Because mostly I feel rage. Theyll work us down to nothing if we let em. [ .. ] Instead, to Chriss obvious amazement: Were hugging. TRACEY: You want us to feel sorry for you? Instant downloads of all 1725 LitChart PDFs 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. For that reason alone, the arrival on Broadway of Sweat, which originated at the fertile Oregon Shakespeare Festival and was previously staged in New York at the Public Theater, warrants serious applause. PDF SWEAT - Dramatists Play Service We encourage both theatre veterans (non-AEA) and newcomers to audition. Instant PDF downloads. But Chris has his heart set on following his own pathits just something he has to do. Cynthia shares Chriss news about Albright, and Brucie disapproves of the tuition cost and of Chris leaving Olsteads. Economic Strain and Race Relations Theme in Sweat | LitCharts Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. To laud them individually would require another review. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. PDF Sweat play by lynn nottage pdf The full script is available in print and e-book at multiple area libraries. 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). The play returns to Jason and Chriss separate parole meetings with Evan in October 2008. Lynn Nottage Monologues Monologues from shows associated with Lynn Nottage Start: There you have it! A.E. Hes an avuncular type who keeps the peace when necessary, with the help of his Dominican bar-back, Oscar (Carlo Albn). The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Sharp and threatening as a box cutter bladeferociously engrossingSWEAT never feels less than authenticand crucial. Deadline.com. Actors Ensemble of Berkeley is delighted to acknowledge the Berkeley Civic Arts Program and Civic Arts Commission's support in the form of a grant of $8,000.00 awarded in 2017. This confuses Tracey, as shes adamant that theyre not hiring. Sweat moves fluidly between these passages (and others set elsewhere but at the same time) and scenes from eight years before, when the bulk of the action takes place. Shes is upset that Cynthia seems to be ignoring her and sucking up to management. And theyre right. Scene 2 pans back to 2000. Oscar responds that he doesnt owe anything to people like Cynthia, Tracey, and Jessie because they never acknowledge his humanity: If they dont see me, I dont need to see them" (92).