Critically-acclaimed. Pennsylvania-inspired.

Issue 23: Lynn Nottage's Sweat

Hello Friend,

What a privilege it is to produce Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Sweat so close to its place of origin and inspiration. This is the second most produced play in our country this year – and with good reason, given the resonant and complex portrayal of Americans struggling to get by, the overwhelming divisiveness of our present moment and our need to find common ground. Given our proximity to Reading, and our continued focus on community investment, Nottage specifically advocated for us to secure the rights to produce her play – a responsibility we take to heart. This play fuels us to draw our communities that much closer, forging connections to better know one another. It feels like an invitation to listen, not for a response, but for understanding.

Warm wishes,

Marcie Bramucci,
Director of Community Investment

Inside Sweat and Reading, PA

The conversations we have had and the links we have made around this play feel like we are close on playwright Lynn Nottage’s trail. She conducted intensive research in Reading, PA in the wake of the recession (early 2000s), mining the community for the harsh realities at hand. (In fact, Nottage’s artist-led, first-hand research is a model that informed and shaped the creation of our own New Play Frontiers development process).

In our journey so far, we have activated our Reading connections and networks, finding our way into the world Nottage reflects. We already knew that we enjoy close geographic proximity to Reading, though it has been especially meaningful (and delightful) to learn just how many among us have direct links to Reading — former and current residents, as well as relatives, colleagues, and friends. We have grown our networks through personal connections.

In the second week of rehearsal, we made the pilgrimage to and through Reading. We walked along Penn Street — past the Sneaker Villa, we convened at Mi Casa Su Casa for coffee with Juan, a young entrepreneur who is committed to Reading's future.

We visited the Berks History Center for further context on the various industries fueling Reading’s economy in its heyday and how those shifts continue to play out.

With the full cast packed into our People’s Light shuttle van, we zipped through the city’s streets – past Reading High, glimpsing the iconic “Pagoda,” around Albright’s campus – with Rick (a docent from BHC, pictured above) illuminating aspects of the city along the way.

We lunched at Mike’s Sandwich Shop, located a block away from a remaining steel factory, and gathered insight from a 30+ year steel working veteran, the uncle of a former People’s Light colleague. We affectionately call him “Uncle John” now, too.

And of course, we dropped in and shared a toast with the new owner of Mike’s Tavern, the bar where Nottage drew much inspiration for her play.

Along the way we made contact with some of the individuals who spoke with Nottage a handful of years ago through her research, but conversations today are threaded with a steady and strong momentum toward stabilization and transition – a city on the brink of a new future. While the characters in the play struggle for survival, we were fortunate to meet with residents who are invested in Reading’s resurgence – recognizing the significant challenges that remain and the struggle that lies ahead.

As director Elena Araoz explains, “Even when things get really bad, everyone is trying to reimagine their future. Even when we’re down, we have the power to redefine ourselves.”

The cast of Sweat includes returning actors Akeem Davis (All My Sons, Mark Twain: Sacred Cows Make the Best Hamburgers), Bowman Wright (The Mountaintop), William Zielinski (Row After Row, The Trip to Bountiful, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, The Merchant of Venice), and Teri Lamm (Romeo & Juliet: A Requiem, Morning’s at Seven, The Matchmaker). New to People’s Light are Dakota Granados as Oscar, David Kenner as Jason, Brandon Pierce as Chris, Monica Steuer as Tracey, and Lisa Strum as Cynthia.

Photos by Paola Nogueras.

Roman Tatarowicz (Bach at Leipzig, How to Write a New Book for the Bible, Sleeping Beauty: A Musical Panto) returns as set designer. New York-based designer Harry Nadal designs costumes. María-Cristina Fusté designs lights and Nathan Leigh is sound designer. Paul Dennhardt serves as Fight Director aided by Caitlyn Herzlinger as Assistant Fight Director. Melanie Julian (Project Dawn) returns as Dialect Coach. Wendy Blackburn Eastland stage manages and Company Member Gina Pisasale dramaturgs the production.

Surrounding Sweat

In the spirit of forging local connections, we invite you to check out these opportunities to discuss and engage more fully with the production.

I Am Coatesville Steel

Come early to enjoy the lobby display, which features the "I Am Coatesville Steel" exhibit. The project captures portraits of steel workers from neighboring Coatesville through the lens of contemporary artists, and is accompanied by a documentary film.

Learn more about the exhibit.

Thursday AfterWORDS

Stick around for informal post-performance conversations after Thursday evening performances.

January 24th; January 31st, February 7th, February 14th

Open Caption Performances

At these performances, an LED screen near the stage displays dialogue in real-time, simultaneous with live speech and action. No other aspect of the performance is altered.

February 6 at 2 & 7:30pm, February 7 at 7:30pm, February 8 at 7:30pm, February 9 at 2 & 7:30pm, February 10 at 2pm

Dramaturg's Corner

Resident Dramaturg Gina Pisasale hosts NYC-based actor Dakota Granados (Oscar in Sweat) as her guest for Scoop, a casual conversation at 6pm before each Wednesday evening performance.

Gina invites you to meet Dakota, enjoy light snacks, and get a behind-the-scenes look into the making of this production while discussing the background of the play with an intimate group of theatre lovers like you. You can call 610.644.3500 to add Scoop to your tickets, or purchase separately online for just $5.

Gina sat down with Dakota to learn about his recent appearances on stage, experience rehearsing for Sweat – and of course, bruised elbows.

G: What has been the best part of the rehearsal process so far?

D: For one, this cast and creative team is top notch. It’s kinda like playing tennis - watching them forces me to make uncontrollable sounds with my mouth, which to them is probably annoying... but I just can’t help it, they are just that good. For two, working with Paul [Dennhardt, Fight Director] and Elena [Araoz, Director] again is a lesson in humanity, as these guys constantly bring you to life in extraordinary ways. They have a very keen eye on what decisions humans make on a day to day basis. And they also like to throw me against stuff a lot which is fun, I’m their stunt man, and I’m sure my elbows will hate me for it later on. But I’m happy to do it. I think the way to a man’s heart is a punch in the face.

Read more on our website.

More Access

People's Light is wheelchair accessible, service animal-friendly, and we offer assistive listening devices and large print programs at every performance.

This week, Nadira Beard and Kathryn Moroney (our new Director of Education & Civic Practice) lead an intimate mini-residency drawing on scenes from The Heidi Chronicles for high schoolers at the Agnes Irwin School in Bryn Mawr.

Julianna Zinkel tackles Kash Goins' 74 Seconds... To Judgment at the Arden through 3/3.

Greg Wood takes us to the heartland, performing as "Charlie" in Bridges of Madison County at Philadelphia Theatre Company, 2/8-3/3.

Mary Elizabeth "MB" Scallen portrays a variety of real-life trailblazing women in the cabaret-style Broads, written and directed by Jen Childs for 1812 Productions, 2/13-24.

Catch a special limited-run engagement of A Fierce Kind of Love remounted at FringeArts March 1-3. Directed by David Bradley, featuring performances by Marcia Saunders and Cathy Simpson, and produced by the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, the play cracks open the untold story of the Intellectual Disability Rights Movement in Pennsylvania.

Enjoy the final mix of the song "These Northern Winds" by Zak Berkman, performed by Pearl Rhein from Such Things as Vampires.

For her 12th year, Susan McKey rejoins the National Constitution Center's Freedom Rising this season, which introduces visitors to the Center.

Stage Manager extraordinaire Audrey Brown recently closed Damascus, a new psychological thriller at Florida Rep.

Peter DeLaurier embarked on some new play development workshops this fall, first with University of Pennsylvania on The Puppeteer With the Palsy Performs Scenes From Shakespeare by Cary Mazer; then at The Arden with noted Philadelphia author, Lorene Cary, on her play My General Tubman.

Congrats to Tom Teti and the team of Tommy & Me at the Media Theatre, who received many accolades from the Broadway World awards this year - including a Best Actor award for Tom.

Reviews are in for the new adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway, in which Aubie Merrylees appears as an ensemble member (and an understudy). Peter Travers from Rolling Stone writes, "Brimming with humor, generous heart and gritty provocation, 'To Kill a Mockingbird' is as timely as it is timeless."

Cinderella: A Musical Panto marked our 15th original Holiday Panto (whoo hoo!), and remains a crowd favorite.

From The Philadelphia Inquirer:

"With spectacular theatricality, the holiday show brings everyone together, leaving children gape-mouthed in wonder even as this topsy-turvy fairy tale prompts adults to recall a time when everything was new and magical."

From an audience member:

“Saw the relaxed performance of Cinderella with my teen today and we both absolutely loved it!!! Awesome, awesome play for all ages 💖"

Thank you to our generous Panto audiences who collaboratively contributed $21,190.74 in support of future Relaxed Performances...including a $30 gift from an 8-year-old patron, who saved up 20 weeks of allowance to share the Panto experience with other young people. Here is her thoughtful note, which melted my heart and more than made our collective day!

Thank you, Violet, and all of our Panto audience members who helped to support this important work. We were able to welcome a FULL HOUSE and entirely sold out our most recent relaxed and ASL interpreted performance of Cinderella in December. Our next RP is set for 3/31 at 2pm for Nina Simone: Four Women. More info on relaxed performances on our website.

On the front lines at People's Light.

Written by Leigh Jackson, Director of Patron Experience

You’ve probably seen Camille O’Connor even if you haven’t met her – a tall young woman, walkie-talkie in hand, as she dashes through the lobby.

She unlocks doors, checks the supplies of playbills, converses with the Stage Manager, answers questions, reassures patrons, checks bathrooms, opens the registers. She does whatever needs to be done so that all goes just right for our patrons.

Camille is our new Front of House Manager, although she’s been with People’s Light in various capacities for two years, ever since she arrived from Pasadena, California, where she grew up. A dancer whose talents led her to membership in the corps of the Pasadena Civic Ballet Company, Camille earned a degree in Fine Arts, with a minor in art history, at UCLA and headed East soon after to look for new opportunities.

She found one at People’s Light.

“I was lucky,” she said. “People’s Light is such a well-renowned theatre, but it feels very homey.”

Camille will supervise what we call the Front of House staff, which includes the people who take your tickets and find your seats, as well as the people who sell you food, drinks and merchandise before the curtain rises and in the brief intermission between acts. There’s not much time, so every single usher, volunteer, and concessionaire needs to know their cues well.

That means making sure the Front of House staff is well-trained and ready for any issues that might come their way. One day, that could mean helping a patron find a seat. On another day, it could mean explaining an unfamiliar new bathroom policy.

Front of House staff “is the first in line,” Camille says. “We’re the first people patrons go to if anything is wrong. But we’re also the first people who get to hear how much patrons enjoyed their theater experience.”

Among her favorite shows in the last two years are Lights Out, Skeleton Crew and Such Things As Vampires.

“I really like the productions that start conversations,” she says.

Back in California, Camille considered a career in photography or video. But now that she’s Front of House Manager at People’s Light, she has a new goal: “I want to create the ultimate experience for each and every patron.”