Each scene of Sweat opens with a mixture of local and national current events (in place of setting descriptions). Scene 1 opens with the details, “Outside it’s 72 degrees F. In the news: The 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly convenes. […] Reading residents sample fresh apple cider at the Annual Fall Festival on Old Dry Road Farm” (5).

Scene 1 takes place in the year 2008. Jason—a 29-year-old White man of German descent—and Chris—a 29-year-old African American man—meet separately with the same parole officer, Evan. Both Jason and Chris have been in prison for eight years, and participated in the same crime. The scene also suggests that both men used to be close friends, and have grown apart over their years in prison. Since both men have recently moved back to their hometown of Reading, Pennsylvania, they must now revisit their feelings about this crime.

Though te scene does not reveal what they did to end up in prison, both Jason and Chris mention that they ran into one another and felt strong, difficult-to-articulate emotions. Chris significantly mentions that Jason now has Aryan Brotherhood tattoos and looks “old, like a man.