Sweat (TCG Edition)

Lynn Nottage

• Publisher: Theatre Communications Group
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781559368544
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: American Drama
• Index: Literature

• World premiere at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in the summer of 2015, with a subsequent production produced by Arena Stage in Washington DC• Highly anticipated New York production coming this Fall, directed by Kate Whoriskey ( Ruined )• Glowing review of OSF production in NY Times• Likely contender for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama• Made "The List," an initiative begun by The Kilroys to promote women playwrights in the national theatre scene by listing the most highly recommended plays in the country by industry elites• Significant play in the context of recent American history, specifically dealing with the financial crisis of 2008; has the same contextual relevance as the major 2016 Academy Award-nominated film, The Big Short -- indicating a market for this topic.• Would appeal to the academic sector, for both Theatre and American History courses• Nottage is one of the most highly regarded contemporary American playwrights from the past decade:• Nottage's previous work Ruined earned her the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama• Nottage has received Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellowships• Her play By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, which premiered in 2011, received rave reviews from the critics and was nominated for the 2012 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Play

ACT ONE

SCENE 1

September 29, 2008

Outside it’s 72°F.

In the news: The 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly convenes. The Dow Jones Industrial Average falls 778.68 points, marking the largest single-day decline in stock market history. Reading residents sample fresh apple cider at the Annual Fall Festival on Old Dry Road Farm.

Music. Lights up.

Parole office. Spare. Institutional.

Jason (white American, twenty-nine), hair closely shorn. He has a black eye and white supremacist tattoos inked across his face. Evan (African-American, forties), comfortably puffy.

EVAN: So, you got a job?

JASON: Yeah.

EVAN: I’m not gonna run down everything. You know the drill.

JASON: Yeah.

EVAN: So, you’re making pretzels?

JASON: Yeah.

(A moment.)

EVAN: Soft?

JASON: Yeah.

EVAN: Living at the same address?

JASON: Yeah.

EVAN: The mission?

JASON: Yeah, finally got a bed downstairs.

EVAN: That’s real good. I hear that shelter’s pretty clean.

JASON: Yeah, but fucking guys steal. Can’t have nice stuff. But, um, Father Hunt lets me keep my turtles.

(Jason fidgets. Evan assesses.)

EVAN: So. You gonna tell me what happened?

JASON: What?

EVAN: I know you don’t wanna be here. I don’t wanna be here either.

JASON: Yeah, whatever.

EVAN: Don’t whatever me. I’m not one of your stupid friends, let’s be clear about that.

JASON: Whatever.

EVAN: Try me! I’m not playing fucking games. I’ll knock you clear into tomorrow, understood? But, fortunately for you, I don’t have to, you know why? Because I got this pen, and you know what this pen does?

JASON: Yeah—

EVAN: It writes. And, you know what it’s gonna write if you don’t give me more than one- or two-syllable answers? It’s gonna write that you’re belligerent, defiant, reluctant to observe protocol. You understand those words, Jason?

JASON: Yeah.

EVAN (Voice slowly crescendos): It’s gonna write that you have issues with authority that may prove too challenging. This pen could make things very difficult for you, young man. And you know what happens to young men that don’t cooperate? . . . Huh? . . . Huh?

JASON: You asking me?

EVAN: Whatcha think I’m asking—myself? Of course I’m asking you, moron! You want me to ask again?

JASON: No. I don’t need you to ask again.

EVAN: Very good. A sentence. We’re making some progress here. So, what happened?

JASON: I mean . . . I didn’t do shit.

EVAN: So you didn’t do shit, but someone did . . . do shit.

JASON: Uh—

EVAN: And, you gave yourself a black eye and busted lip?

(A moment.)

What happened?

JASON: I got sucker-punched.

EVAN: Cuz—?

JASON: I dunno.

EVAN: Some guy just comes up and hits ya. And you, you didn’t do nothing?

JASON: Nah. Not really. I was in the bathroom at Loco’s.

EVAN: Loco’s?

JASON: Yeah, Loco’s.

EVAN: I’m sorry? Loco’s?

JASON: I can’t go to Loco’s?

EVAN: We’ve talked about Loco’s. Go on.

JASON: This big fucking biker dude, I don’t know ’em, like steps up behind me. He’s like you were looking at my girl. I am so, like, dude, I don’t even know who the fuck your girl is. And he’s wearing these huge rings, both fucking hands, like medieval biker knight.

EVAN: Hmm.

JASON: And . . . then he hits me hard, so hard that I swear to God I see stars. Like Bam! My whole face goes numb. Sparky had to pull ’em off of me.

EVAN: Just because you looked at his girl.

JASON: I didn’t look at his girl, that’s why it’s so fucked up.

EVAN: And if I ask you to piss in this cup, what’s it gonna tell me?

JASON: You don’t gotta believe me, but I’m telling ya the // truth.

EVAN: Okay. There’s the cup.

JASON: What?

EVAN: What do you mean, what?

JASON: C’mon.

EVAN: The cup, pick it up.

JASON: I just got a job. What do you want?

EVAN: I don’t want anything from you, but the state does and it’s my unfortunate job to ensure that you comply.

JASON: Are we gonna do this?

EVAN: Pick it up.

JASON: You are a fucking asshole. Fuck you, nigga!

(A moment. Evan, stone, stares long and hard at Jason.)

(Less committed) Fuck you!

EVAN: Pick it up!

JASON: I ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Special Thanks
• Production History
• Characters
• Setting
• Act One
• Act Two
• About the Author