“The Clean House (Full of Secrets) Awaits you at the Kelsey Theatre!”
- Kristine Bonaventura
- Jan 19
- 9 min read
by M. Smith
Imagine yourself cleaning your home, whatever that may mean to you. Whether it be wiping down the counters, burning incense, or just putting away that one cup that has been sitting goodness knows where for goodness knows how long; it’s your cleaning ritual. You may feel at peace, it may be frustrating, it may be weighing heavy on your mind, but you know it’s clean. Then, you see a stain, a memory if you will, of your home, one that is full of a moment that never ceases to exist. This same sense of impactful moments can be found in Shakespeare 70’s production of The Clean House by Sara Ruhl at the Kelsey Theatre right now! The Clean House follows the story of Matilde (pronounced Ma-Chill-Gee) as she takes on the job of cleaning maid for a family. Despite not liking cleaning, Matilde accepts the job and a subsequent deal with one of the family members to clean for her for nothing in exchange. As our story unfolds, audiences see how secrets are revealed, hearts are broken, lives are shifted, and surprising relationships are formed.
Once you arrive, you will find yourself immediately pulled into the world that director Janet Quartarone and Assistant Director Maggie Gronenthal have beautifully worked to craft with both their actors and creative team. To accentuate the space that these actors' characters are living in, the phenomenal work of Technical Director Dale Simon, Sound Designer Chris Loos, and Scenic Artist Angelica Froio truly bring the imagination alive in a magnificent display. In a simple living room, this production team has truly crafted a space that is wondrous to behold and continues to expand upon itself throughout the production. This shifting in space is also thanks to the dedication of the stage management team consisting of Stage Manager Fabiola Bian-Aimé, Assistant Stage Manager Justine DeNicola, and Assistant Stage Manager Kit Weeden as their work ensured that the scene transitions were seamless and flowed elegantly! Both the creative team and actors in this show collaborated on this amazing work to bring an even more stunning production to our area!
The Clean House opens on Matilde (played by Lisbeth Burgos) in her opening monologue in Portuguese where she is seen telling the audience a joke. As the first joke of this show is in Portuguese, Burgos’ rendition of this monologue is engaging from the very first line and a triumph to her immense talent that is evident throughout this show. Following her joke, the audience feels the immediate shift in the air as Matilde recalls that her mother died because her father told her the funniest joke in the world, thus introducing the importance of loss to this production. While the audience is captivated by the mystery of this joke, we see how loss has come to affect Matilde. Burgos crafts this story elegantly and showcases the difficulty and sadness that follows the death of one’s parents. As Matilde processes her grief, audiences are able to see how Matilde connects with both her parents and herself through thinking of jokes.
After meeting Matilde, audience members are then introduced to the family that she works for, initially being introduced to Lane (played by Laura McWater), a successful doctor with seemingly everything she could ever wish for. McWater soon efficiently takes us into Lane’s experience with loss, specifically with herself when she is told that her husband, Charles (played by Stan Cahill) has fallen in love with a patient, Ana (played by Jacqueline Booth) effectively turning her “perfect” world upside down. McWater effortlessly portrays the shift of Lane from a poised, polished, successful doctor to that same doctor and woman who is now fracturing after the loss of her love and sense of the world around her. McWater takes the audience through Lane’s mourning of her relationship through each stage of heartbreak to acceptance through her inspirational acting and physicality through it all. From my seat in the audience, I was anxiously awaiting the moment where Lane would lose her composure, and was immediately thrilled to see the work that McWater put into their character and these scenes. It is moments like these that showcase both the work and talent that Ruhl brought to writing The Clean House, director Quartarone’s crafting and shaping this piece, and the phenomenal actors in this show that bring these characters to life.
As we see the theme of loss in this show, there also comes the theme of what occurs behind closed doors. While we see moments where Matilde and Lane both have moments where they are revealing themselves, there are significantly more moments where we are still trying to figure out what is really going on with some of these characters and the difference in what they are presenting to other people. For example, to the audience it is clear how Matilde is struggling, but to Lane it does not seem to be as serious and more so just an annoyance to her since the house is not cleaned. This same feeling of knowing there is something deeper going on is felt in all of these characters, but one of these characters that most stuck out to me when thinking of this was Virginia (played by Laurie Hardy), Lane’s sister who volunteers to clean Lane’s house in secret so Matilde does not have to. As Virginia’s character is one who is actively looking for something to keep her and her mind busy, Hardy brings this essential energy that truly makes this character shine in this production. For example, Hardy’s physicality and general uncomfortability in moments where she must stay still is one that was a perfect touch to the character and her presence on stage. As audiences see Virginia continue to grow in this show, there is still an element of her that we are always looking for. While we can tell that the anxious Virginia has more to her than meets the eye, Hardy brings the complicated feelings and mentality to the character that is wonderful to behold. Alongside her general need to be cleaning to keep her mind busy, audiences see how Virginia brings a caring role to Lane and wanting to be able to do something for others. For example, as Virginia talks through her general day, she notes that she will make breakfast for her husband, but also likes to keep things clean because she then feels clean. Though a quick line in the show, it is one that is essential to the character of Virginia that Hardy brings life to. While she is cleaning to keep her mind busy and to help others, audiences are able to get the briefest glimpse into Virginia and what she’s thinking. This is thanks to the masterful portrayal by Hardy, and speaks endlessly to their talent and hard work when it comes to this piece.
As we think about the reality we are facing when analyzing whether there is something else going on, there are other characters that have moments where they are able to escape reality altogether. Matilde is one of these characters as she imagines her parents in order to process her grief and move forward. Burgos brings this in the moments where Matilde is actively picturing her parents and what they would do before their passing. In these moments, Man (played by Stan Cahill) and Woman (played by Jacqueline Booth) also bring a beautiful physicality to these memories. Under the fantastical lights, both Booth and Cahill bring an effortless flow in their movements and connections on stage during these reveries. This reverie, reflecting Matilde’s parents and their love for each other, truly brings a far away memory that she holds onto desperately to remember a time where she wasn’t alone. Burgos brings this dreamlike state to these moments and how Matilde being able to imagine her parents is a key practice for her to keep their memory alive. While these are sad moments, it is also a way where Matilde is able to escape the reality where she is truly alone in the world at the beginning of this piece. Burgos’ ability to take the stage and bring this depth to a character is elegant and gripping from the very first moment, and I looked forward to every scene that Matilde would be taking center stage in. It is also important to commend Burgos in their moments where they are witnessing Lane’s own escape as the woman who once had everything she could have imagined tries to envision how Charles and Ana became lovers and shift her entire world. In this moment, Burgos brings the centering force in this scene with their line of, “They seem happy.” Although only three words, we see how the escape from reality is one that Matilde is quite familiar with. Using her own experience, Matilde takes this moment and space to empathize with Lane and help her begin to process her own emotions. Moments like this one truly made this piece stand out, and that is thanks to the work of actors like Burgos and McWater and their candor and talent when bringing this story to life.
Looking back on the night and this performance, the theme of connections was one that immediately stuck with the author. Audiences get the chance to see how connections break, mend, and transform thanks to the writing by Ruhl and the stunning work of these creative talents who have worked on this show. While these shifting connections and relationships are ever evolving, the character of Ana (played by Jacqueline Booth) truly brought this energy in everything that she did. When audiences first meet Ana, it is easy to be drawn to her and her energy from the very beginning. Booth brings this same infectious energy to her portrayal of Ana as a character. What moved me most about this production was the way that Booth brought to the forefront the natural way that Ana is around people and how much of a light she is for others. This same light is showcased in Ana’s costume ensemble thanks to Costume Consultant Jennifer Boutros, where her bright colors and easy flowing fabric elegantly reflects who Ana is. In moments with Matilde, I was truly drawn in by the way that Ana was the first person in this production that was speaking Portuguese with Matilde and the first person to truly appreciate Matilde’s jokes. Not only just with Matilde, but Ana & Lane’s relationship which truly takes many turns is one that most impacted this author in the production. Through it all and in every moment, Booth truly shines on the stage and brings a real and grounding nature to this world. In the way they take the stage and the natural grace that they use in their deliveries, Booth truly makes this role their own and highlights the beautiful transformation of these characters and how they become a circle of love for one another.
Finally, this cast shines in the way that each and every one of them showcase their characters' overwhelming love that they have for one another. For this author, seeing Charles (played by Stan Cahill) traveling and doing everything in his power to help Ana was something that truly showed the love someone can have for another person. In the audience's first meeting of Charles in the present day, we see how he is talking about how he has found his soulmate, and Cahill’s characterization of this moment is one that perplexes the mind. While we know that Cahill finding a soul mate other than his wife is jarring to say the least, audiences also can hear the way that Cahill brings Charles’ passion to life and his never ending love for Ana to the stage. Seeing how their love is something that is truly so special to Charles that it seems to have changed him in numerous ways is something that was stunning to watch happen on stage. While we never get to see the way that Charles and Lane used to be, there is one line in particular from this show that sticks out in the theme of love for this production. While talking with Ana, Lane laments that Charles has never looked so happy and is glowing thanks to Ana. This line is always validated in the way that Charles and Ana are around each other. The work and success of this line is also thanks to Intimacy Director Katie Sillitti in the way that they worked with both Booth and Cahill to be natural in the way that they are moving with each other and their connection on stage as Ana and Charles as well as how to bring the audience into that love. Notably, while Charles’ love for Ana and Cahill’s stunning portrayal are amazing to see, the love of everyone in the cast and their characters is one that had this author gushing in their seat. Getting the opportunity to see their individual characters grow to all be a loving circle that is truly supporting one another was a journey that was truly a pleasure to be a part of. Burgos, Booth, Cahill, Hardy, McWater, and the entire production team all have something to be very proud of themselves for. The love that they have put into this production is one that is palpable to all, and is one that is a loved piece that will make you laugh, smile, and cry all at once.
You come back to reality after thinking about that one stain for a little bit too long. You look back on the memories you’ve had, the memories you’re creating, and you look towards the future memories yet to be created. You take a deep breath and you smile to yourself, taking it all in; you’ve got a clean home. However, your reverie is soon broken by the sound of your phone alarm; it’s a notification. “Leave for The Clean House at the Kelsey Theatre”. Now it’s time to go see a production that promises a fantastic time with a truly fantastic cast.
Get your tickets now as they are going fast, so come see this phenomenal show while you still can! The Clean House runs Fridays (01/24) at 8:00 PM, Saturdays (01/25) at 2:00 PM, Saturdays (01/25) at 8:00 PM, and Sundays (01/26) at 2:00 PM. (Be sure to check their social media for weather related rescheduled performances.) Tickets can be purchased here or at the link below!
