Akron has been chosen to welcome the nationally renowned Public Theatre Mobile Unit for a free staging of Sweat in Kenmore’s Masonic Temple on Oct. 2, 2018, thanks to a collaborative effort by ArtsNow, the Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance, KenMore Kreative and Victory Lodge.

This fall, the Public Theater Mobile Unit is set to produce an 18-stop tour of Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Sweat, traveling through a variety of Northeastern Ohio cities, including Akron’s Kenmore neighborhood. The Public Theater Mobile Unit strives to break down economic and geographic barriers across the United States with their mobile theater by staging free professional theater productions in neighborhoods.

“Welcoming the Public Theater is a testament to our local artists and a reflection of the emerging arts scene in Kenmore. Summit County’s theater community is an invaluable part of the arts and culture ecosystem serving our community. There is an authenticity in our communities that is appealing and will be essential to moving us forward as a region,” said Nicole Mullet, Executive Director of ArtsNow.

Sweat tells the story of a group of friends who have spent their lives sharing drinks, secrets, and laughs while working together on a factory floor. Until layoffs and picket lines begin to chip away at their trust, the friends find themselves pitted against each other in the hard fight to stay afloat. (This play is recommended for ages 16+.)

“Kenmore is a neighborhood full of hard-working people for whom the themes of Sweat are very real,” shared Tina Boyes, Executive Director of Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance. “As our community reinvents itself, art like this forces us to talk about who we are and where we’ve been, and I’m grateful to The Public Theater and ArtsNow for making the conversation possible.”

Each tour stop is designed to be supported by tailored artistic engagement activities designed to amplify the voices of local communities in the Rust Belt and Midwest, in order to powerfully connect their stories to a larger national narrative.

On Oct. 8, 2018, from 6:00 PM -9:00 PM, the Public Theater Mobile Unit will be at Kenmore’s Masonic Temple located at 1009 Kenmore Boulevard, Akron, OH 44314. While tickets are free, seats are limited and can be reserved by visiting sweatkenmore.eventbrite.com.