Corey McLeod, director and writer of “Sweat,” now showing at Dinkytown’s Varsity Theater, spent hundreds of hours researching his work by interviewing prostitutes in South Africa. After directing a show by the same name in Cape Town several years ago, he decided to adapt the show to a Twin Cities locale.

Thus, “Sweat” tells the story of sex workers at a local Lake Street brothel. Because the cast consists of only two women, actors Heidi Berg and Kjersti Brekke must impersonate an array of personalities, from johns to the brothel owner and fellow prostitutes, which they do with ease and skill.

Unapologetic and thought-provoking, “Sweat” examines the lives and professions of two female prostitutes as they detail their career choice and the wider industry of prostitution itself.