Pitt Rep cleans up well with new play

The Clean House A Pitt Repertory production Henry Heymann Theatre Oct. 15-26 412-624-7529 ‘ … The Clean House A Pitt Repertory production Henry Heymann Theatre Oct. 15-26 412-624-7529 ‘ Combining heartrending drama and laugh-out-loud comedy should be no easy chore, but The Clean House is an absolutely spotless production. Tissues might be advisable. ‘ ‘ ‘ Sarah Ruhl’s ‘The Clean House,’ an acclaimed Pulitzer Prize finalist, opens this Thursday at the Henry Heymann Theatre, featuring a brilliant script, veteran direction and an exceptional cast. The play officially kicks off the Pitt Repertory Theatre season under the theme of American Revelations. ‘ ‘ ‘ Centered on the everyday task of cleaning the home, the play introduces a new character into the world of theater with the eccentric Brazilian maid, Matilde (Zilda Alvez). Even though she might not always be speaking English, Matilde (pronounced ‘Ma-chill-gee’) searches for happiness through her family’s tradition of comedy and her never-ending quest for the perfect, ‘die of laughter’ joke. ‘ ‘ ‘ There is just one problem ‘mdash; Matilde hates to clean, and her employer Lane (Ana Carolina Noriega) ‘didn’t go to medical school to clean her own house.’ Luckily for Matilde’s bilingual slapstick, Lane’s sister, Virginia (Christina Kruise) obsesses over cleanliness so much that she offers to take on the maid’s duties in secret. Hilarity ensues until Matilde and Virginia make a startling discovery in the man of the house’s dirty laundry. ‘ ‘ ‘ Charles (Alex Stewart), Lane’s surgeon husband, has been staying at the hospital later than usual, and there is reason to suspect that one of his patients, the beautiful and mature Ana (Lauren Diesch), could be the source of the problem. The plot starts to thicken as laughter and private discoveries accumulate through this close examination of social and personal relationships. ‘ ‘ ‘ Under the direction of Pitt graduate student Thomas Costello, the Pittsburgh premiere of this contemporary masterpiece is sure to have the audience shifting between long fits of laughter and moments of quiet and sad reflection. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Everyone was scrambling to get this premiere,’ said Costello. ‘Even if the audience doesn’t know Ruhl, they will get that this play is something special and out of the ordinary. Her writing is fantastic and comes full circle.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The Clean House was actually chosen to be a part of this year’s production line-up by undergraduate students who used it as a workshop piece in various theater arts classes. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I’m very proud that everyone at Pitt Rep has been so wonderful in combining enthusiasm to bring this wonderful new play to Pittsburgh for the first time,’ said Costello. ‘ ‘ ‘ The play leaps back and forth over the drama-comedy line, forging something powerful and moving.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The reality of this play is what makes it laughable,’ said Noriega, a member of the Tomfoolery Improv Group. ‘It’s all a matter of desensitizing things.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Comedy highlights serious subjects and makes obscure relationships so you can see the bigger picture,’ said Kruise, a senior theater arts and urban studies double major. ‘ ‘ ‘ As The Clean House tip-toes around theatrical classifications, it addresses relatable and pertinent issues of physical and emotional relationships. From the social class perspective, Matilde and her affluent counterparts overcome caste and language barriers through the power of comedy. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Alvez, an accomplished Brazilian actress, had to deal with lingual issues while confronted with making a predominantly English-speaking audience laugh. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I have to use my body language and physicality to capture an American audience,’ she said. ‘Although, I am really grateful to Ruhl for writing this part (Matilde) for a Brazilian actress.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ From a production standpoint, the play features a minimal set that allows the cast to play off the close proximity it has with the audience, which facilitates maximum laughter and poignancy. Each cast member does an excellent job of engaging the crowd ‘mdash; bringing them into the world of a play that contains so many different aspects of each audience member’s personal world. ‘ ‘ ‘ However, one eye-catching facet of the stage is the peculiar, large-windowed box upstage right. People can see various characters through the glass as being in far off places or in another character’s memories. Most often, Matilde uses this ingenious theatrical device to remember her deceased parents (also played by Stewart and Diesch) through well-choreographed miming.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Chosen by the intelligent undergraduates of Pitt’s theater department, The Clean House promises to start this year’s dramaturgical season off in spectacular fashion through the dedicated efforts of its cast and crew.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Cleaning might be a mundane activity, but memories of this production will bring smiles the next time the carpet needs to be vacuumed.