INTERVIEW: New Zoom production of Lynn Nottage’s ‘Sweat’ timelier than ever
Image: Sweat, by Lynn Nottage, receives a new production, this time on Zoom and directed by Brandon Walker. Image courtesy of The Seeing Place Theater / Provided by Kampfire PR with permission.
The Seeing Place Theater has brought new life to a modern classic. The company is set to stage Zoom performances of Lynn Nottage’s celebrated play Sweat, Feb. 27-28 (with streaming continuing until March 3). The show, which played Broadway a few years ago, explores issues of class, race, friendship, unionization and equity, and its important themes are as pertinent as ever.
Brandon Walker, producing artistic director of The Seeing Place Theater, directs this new production of Sweat. Here’s how the company described the plot: A group of friends has worked hard for the local factory and enjoyed their friendships at the local bar, but their life is turned upside down when the company they all work for starts announcing layoffs and labor troubles. These longtime colleagues may have their friendship tested when some people start losing their job.
The cast and crew for Sweat are committed to diversity and include such talented performers as Miguel Fana, Lori Kee, Logan Keeler, Juanes Montoya, David Nikolas, Justin Phillips, Philipe D. Preston, Joy Sudduth and Eileen Weisinger. Walker pulls double duty as sound designer, and they are joined by scenic and costume designer Erin Cronican, who also serves as The Seeing Place Theater’s executive artistic director and producer.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Walker. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
How challenging is it to stage a play on Zoom?
In what we do, my focus as a director is in creating the life of the piece by understanding the human behavior that drives all of the characters. I work one on one with the actors to create a living framework and to help the actors connect to their characters. Once we’ve determined that, we turn our attention towards the style of the piece.
This particular play is rather realistic in nature, so there is not much we can do in terms of playing with the form of presentation. Online productions pose different challenges than live productions, mostly in terms of use of space. If three people are on Zoom, they can seem to be in the same moment. Onstage, you can separate the three people into different moments using lighting and space. You can isolate online as well, but it’s more difficult and can create confusion.
As such, a sense of public privacy in storytelling is not quite as easy to attain online. This changes the way you approach material on some level. I have not found it to be an interruption, but it is something that needs to be addressed in order to maintain a cohesive experience for the audience. The situation is much more delicate on Zoom than on a stage, and it requires great care on everyone’s part to sustain it. Otherwise, it can easily devolve into people just talking in Hollywood squares.
Was there any doubt that Sweat could be adapted for a virtual audience?
Always. There is always doubt in any creative effort. If you are sure about what you are doing, it is likely stale. The world is constantly moving forward, and new ideas have to be included whether you are in person or online. To know how things are going to go and if they are going to work requires that you are repeating old ideas that worked before. While there is some validity to building upon what works artistically, it is always new (or at least should be) the moment that new artists, new moments in time, and new technologies are introduced.
That said, because of the conversational nature of the piece, producing it online allows for a unique focus on the words and the actor’s interpretation, which is a core part of our mission. So we knew it would likely find an appreciative audience.
What do you like about Lynn Nottage’s play? Did you see the Broadway premiere?
I appreciate Lynn Nottage’s writing and how relatable it is, this story in particular. My mother has spent her life doing hard labor. Her body has fallen apart over time. Her employer always finds new ways to take advantage of her, to secure their bottom line. She has had to jump through hoops to hold onto any retirement at all. I have known people who have been locked out, who have been on strike. I have seen them devolve into desperation. I have vowed to rise above these issues and thus have followed a less secure path as an artist.
I am half-Black, and I have dealt with discrimination on both sides all my life. I understand the kind of jealousy that comes from people within a marginalized community trying to rise above. I relate to just about every character in this play very personally. I unfortunately did not get to see the Broadway production. The cost to see such shows is insurmountable in my life, which is a large part of why The Seeing Place offers its productions at ticket prices that anyone can afford.
Do you feel the play takes on even more urgency and resonance after the events of this past year?
Absolutely. This play revolves around the struggles between the haves and the have-nots, and in times of economic turmoil, the lower class feels the largest hit. Furthermore, the conversation around race is much louder in the public sphere than when this play was initially written, so there are some cultural nuances that will hopefully be easier to understand and relate to for the larger public now.
What do you love best about The Seeing Place Theater?
I love that we at The Seeing Place have developed a creative space in New York where we all learn and grow together, and I hope that continues to be visible to audiences. I also appreciate our growing social drive and political bent. With that said, we set out to be more anthropologic than morally-driven. We have come to ask questions and raise awareness around issues facing people in the here and now. We do not ignore the mainstream, but we try more and more to focus our attention around under-represented voices. I think it is rare for a company to approach theatre this way, without getting into statements of what should and should not be.
As such, we only set out to better understand what is happening in our world — and then share our ideas with our audiences. We engage in discussion and have been able lately to give back to organizations that offer support to those in need. In this way, we have developed a very inspiring community, and I am humbled and grateful to play my part in it.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Sweat, written by Lynn Nottage and directed by Brandon Walker, will play Feb. 27-28 on Zoom and then be available to stream through March 3, courtesy of The Seeing Place Theater. Click here for more information and tickets.
