Lynn Nottage’s 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, Sweat, is an explicit critique of Donald Trump’s America. Set in Pennsylvania, the play tells the story of steelworkers in a precarious conflict. Fighting with their managers over wage cuts, the workers risk losing their jobs to a Mexican plant—thanks to the North American Free Trade Agreement that was renegotiated by President Trump. As a result, Cynthia, a long-time employee who has finally been made a supervisor, experiences resentment from her closest friends and colleagues. ”Sweat gives a voice to the people, highlighting lives, dreams and experiences of the ordinary person with such nuance and complexity,” says Jade Lewis, who directs this production at the Royal Exchange Theatre. —Jeanne Malle