SWEAT

For the blue-collar workers in SWEAT, any joys and dreams–even the most basic, like job security and having a safe space where they can cut loose–must squeeze through the capitalistic machine. Cynthia is promoted from the factory floor to middle management, but not everyone’s happy especially her friend Tracey, who also applied. Adding to the tension, rumors swirl about layoffs and who might take their jobs. A meeting in a parole office sets up the narrative, and a boisterous bar sustains it until its violent end. SWEAT was based on research and dialogue that arose from Lynn Nottage embedding herself with the working-class community of Reading, Pennsylvania, exploring how marginalized people build community with one another and how they respond when that community is divided against itself. Nottage has won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama twice, including for this work.

This production includes adult themes, depictions of violence, and adult language–including racial and ethnic slurs. It is not appropriate for all audiences.

Creative Team

Directed by Darren Canady
Scenic & Costume Design by Rana Esfandiary
Lighting Design by Elliot Bowman
Dramaturgy by Jane Barnette
Stage Management by Connor L. Maloney

Cast

Evan - Alex Haynes
Jason - Caleb Jonathan Parish
Chris - ShonMichael Anderson
Stan - Casey Schenk
Oscar - Sergio L. Alicea Román
Tracey - Nicole Piekalkiewicz
Cynthia - Jordan Nevels
Jessie - Katelyn Arnold
Brucie - Myles Hollie