The Clean House

By Sarah Ruhl
Directed by Marcela Lorca
Juilliard Drama, New York City

The Clean House is a tale about a grief-stricken Brazilian housekeeper that dreams of finding the funniest joke in the world. Whimsical, philosophical and theatrical, the play “takes place in a metaphysical Connecticut,” where dusting furniture, bereavement, and the pursuit of romantic love are alternately melancholic and hilarious. As the story spirals out to trace the romantic problems and passions of a doctor and his terminally ill patient, the characters are challenged to find joy in the face of death and Matilde the maid wonders if finding the perfect joke will cause her to “die laughing.” The Clean House won the 2004 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2005 after premiering at Lincoln Center Theater.

More info available on Julliard’s press release

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