Picture a successful married couple, both doctors, who hire a Brazilian, Portuguese-speaking maid who hates to clean. Enter the wife's sister who loves to clean. The husband, who's been keeping a secret, witnesses the explosive results of its disclosure. And the maid ultimately delivers the perfect punch line, in Portuguese.
This is the comedy The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl, the 32-year-old Pulitzer Prize-nominee playwright who has captured the attention and acclaim of critics worldwide for her brilliant wit. She tackles a myriad of subjects in, as Variety said, "an original and audacious voice."
The New York Times has been singing Ms. Ruhl's praises and describes The Clean House as: "Fresh, funny … a memorable play, imbued with a melancholy but somehow comforting philosophy: that the messes and disappointments of life are as much a part of its beauty as romantic love and chocolate ice cream, and a perfect punch line can be as sublime as the most wrenchingly lovely aria."
Directed by Michael Hall, The Clean House features Karina Barros (Matilde), Dennis Creaghan (Charles), Pat Nesbit (Lane), Harriet Oser (Ana) and Cary Anne Spear (Virginia), with scenic design by Tim Bennett, costumes by Erin Amico and lighting by John Hall.
Hot off its extended, boffo Lincoln Center Theater run, The Clean House is smart, contemporary, alluring, funny, and as Charles Isherwood in The New York Times said, a play that is "romantic, deeply so … visionary, tinged with fantasy, extravagant in feeling, maybe a little nuts."
Karina Barros (Matilde) moved to the United States from Brazil six years ago. She is a professional singer, dancer and performer with over 10 years of stage experience as a solo artist and lead singer/performer.
She acted in Brazilian plays at the University Anhembi Morumbi of São Paulo, Department of Theater (1997-2000), hosted specials on South Florida's Brazilian station TV Brasil, has released several CDs of her own compositions, performed in Haiti for the President of Haiti and Ambassador of Brazil, and is working with FAU's music director Michael Zager on her new album.
She trained in classical ballet for 16 years, is skilled in Brazilian, Afro, Latina , Jazz and Hip Hop dances, plays guitar, and speaks Portuguese, Spanish and English.
With full scholarship, she is a major in Theater with a minor in Music Performance at Florida Atlantic University , and hails from São Paulo, Brazil. Much of Karina's role in The Clean House is written in Portuguese.
Service:
The Clean House Performance Information
April 8 – May 20, 2007
Previews: April 8, 10, 11 & 12, 2007
Opens: April 13, 2007
Closes: May 20, 2007
Evenings: Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8PM
Matinées: Wednesdays and Sundays at 2PM
Additional Saturday matinees on April 28, May 5, May 19 at 2PM
Performances: Sunday evenings on April 8, April 15, April 22, May 13 at 7PM
Student Rush $10, available one-half hour prior to curtain with a valid, fulltime Tickets: student ID and class schedule
Box Office: 877-245-7432 or 561-241-7432.
Group Sales: 561-995-2333 – Group rates available. Call for details.
TICKETS: US$ 36 & US$ 42. Previews: US$ 32 & US$ 36.
Opening Night Gala: US$ 45 on April 13, 2007
