San Diego REP Announces The Cast & Creative Team Of SWEAT

San Diego Repertory Theatre (San Diego REP) announced today the cast and creative team for Lynn Nottage's Sweat, winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Best Play. Directed by REP artistic director Sam Woodhouse, Sweat will be the final show in The REP's 43rd season. Sweat will run April 18 - May 12, 2019, at San Diego REP's Lyceum Stage Theatre, with previews April 18 - 23, and press opening on Wednesday, April 24 at 7:00 p.m.

With humor and tremendous heart, this Pulitzer Prize-winning drama speaks directly to the unsettling changes in America. The setting is the steel town of Reading, Pennsylvania, one of the poorest communities in America. A group of close friends share everything: drinks, secrets and laughs. When rumors of layoffs shake up the factory where they work, the fragile bonds of their community begin to splinter and a horrific crime sends shockwaves across two generations. The neighborhood bar turns into a battleground where race, class, family and friendship clash.

Nottage went to Reading during the Great Recession to understand first-hand the impact of our country's economic decline. She perfectly captures the true stories of what happened to the American working-class who feel betrayed by the false promises of the American dream. Their struggle to reclaim what's lost, find redemption and redefine themselves in the 21st century are at the heart of Time Magazine's #1 Play of 2017.

Hailed by The New York Times as "Extraordinarily moving and surprisingly funny," and "Masterful, passionate and necessary" by Time Out New York, Sweat is a compelling portrait of pride and survival in the rust belt. Sweat marks the second Nottage play to be produced at The REP, following Intimate Apparel in 2006. An acclaimed writer, Nottage is the first and only female in history to win two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama; the first for Ruined in 2009, and Sweat in 2017.

"Sweat is one of my favorite kinds of theatre - a hyper, authentic story based on interviews with real people telling the intimate truths about their real tragedies and dreams," shared REP artistic director Sam Woodhouse. "The 'American dream' is one that I grew up with, believing that if I worked hard my future was without limits. To encounter a true story about the loss of that dream is a profound emotional experience."

The REP has assembled a powerhouse group of actors for Sweat including Monique Gaffney (Cynthia), Judy Bauerlein (Tracey), Jeffrey Jones (Stan), Antonio T.J. Johnson (Evan), Cortez Johnson (Chris), Steve Froelich (Jason), Markuz Rodriguez (Oscar), Hannah Logan (Jessie), and Matt Orduña (Brucie).

The creative team includes John Iacovelli (Scenic Design), Elisa Benzoni (Costume Design), Matthew Lescault-Wood (Sound Design/Audio Supervisor), Anne E. McMills (Lighting Design), Heather M. Brose (Stage Manager), Patrice Amon (Assistant Director), Shelley Orr (Dramaturg), Kimberly King (Assistant Dramaturg), Chelsea Smith (Production Manager) and Kim Heil (Casting Director).

Performances for Sweat run April 18 - May 12, 2019, in the Lyceum Stage Theatre in Horton Plaza. Tickets range from $25.00 to $69.00 and can be purchased in-person at the San Diego REP Box Office, by calling the box office at 619-544-1000, or online at sdrep.org