About the Show

JACK presents Jessica Goldschmidt and James Rutherford's exploration of the different ways men and women tackle the difficult work of feeling.

James and Jess are in a relationship. They both cry. She hits things more than he does, but he used to be a well-honed instrument of death. Jess found violence and rage in ballet, keening, and orgone therapy. James searched for compassion in martial arts, street fighting, and Mongolian wrestling. Apart, they asked four performers what it means to fight as men, to cry as women. Together, they’ve built a two-ring circus of gendered pain welling up with 'Sweat & Tears.'

Critic Reviews (2)

"‘Sweat & Tears’ will punch you in the gut and then lead you into a catharsis…Between the violent beauty of the actors' physicality and the depth of the text, it will have you on the edge of your seat…'Sweat & Tears' is directed beautifully by Goldschmidt and Rutherford, their use of space is invigorating, and the arc that they've created between the show's two halves is exciting…It's brilliantly performed and a must for fans of theatre that pushes the boundaries of narrative."
Read more

"'Sweat & Tears' places a binary before the audience and asks us to do some of the interpretive work and question our own adherence to social constructs...The women’s half contains more variation and so can be more opaque at times than the male half. Together, these halves add up to a work that is imagistic, physically impressive, at some points funny, and at all points challenging."
Read more

Trailer

Creative team