Making the Silenced Heard

 Lynn Nottage is known for making "the invisible person visible," and this is quite apparent in Sweat. Within the first few seconds of the play, we are introduced to characters that feel very real. They all display their own flaws, particularly how we find out Jason and Chris went to prison. We later get introduced to other characters like Cynthia, Tracie, and Jessie who are all unhappy with their jobs, among others who got laid off due to outsourcing. Most of these characters also belong to minority groups, with Chris, Brucie, and Cynthia being black, Oscar being of Hispanic origins, and Stan being disabled. Nottage shows how their circumstances make finding jobs and obtaining secure lifestyles is extremely difficult due to generational racism. Personally, I do think enabling visibility is extremely important. As a minority myself, it is very difficult to get voices like mine heard. It could even be compared with what is happening with Palestine and Israel today. Israel has been suppressing the voices of those being tormented by genocide and flooding the internet with fake propaganda to garner global support. To die without a voice is a depressing thought. With the internet being so easily accessible, I urge everyone to try to use their voice to make a change, whether big or small. We will be the leaders of the world one day, so it is equally important to fight today as well as for tomorrow.