The Clean House
| The Clean House | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Sarah Ruhl |
| Date premiered | September 2004 |
| Place premiered | Yale Repertory Theatre |
| Original language | English |
The Clean House is a play by Sarah Ruhl, which premiered in 2004 at Yale Repertory Theatre, was produced Off-Broadway in 2006, and has since been produced in many theaters. The play is a whimsical romantic comedy centered on Matilde, a Brazilian cleaning woman who would rather be a comedian. The play was a finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Three characters address the audience. Matilde comes out first, telling an elaborate joke in Portuguese, without translation. Next Lane, a doctor in her 50s, explains that Matilde, her Brazilian maid, is depressed and has been failing to clean her house and so she had her medicated. She is followed by Virginia, Lane's older sister, a housewife, who argues that people who do not clean their own homes are insane. Matilde finally comes back to tell the audience, this time in English, about how her parents, both wonderful comedians, recently died. Not knowing what to do with herself, Matilde came to America to clean this house.
Lane and Matilde are still trying to work out their situation, especially since Lane feels uncomfortable having to order Matilde around and Matilde does not seem to be cleaning. While Lane is at work, Virginia comes to visit Matilde, having heard about her depression. Matilde explains that she doesn't like to clean and Virginia offers to clean the house for her every day before Lane comes home from the hospital.
Matilde and Virginia discover panties in Lane's laundry that look too sexy for her and begin suspecting her husband Charles, also a doctor, is cheating on her. Their suspicions are confirmed when Lane tells them that Charles has left her for an older woman named Ana, a patient of his who had breast cancer and is now recovering from a mastectomy. Lane deduces that Virginia has been cleaning the house instead of Matilde. Lane fires Matilde. Right before Matilde's departure, she sees Lane's imagined idea of Charles and his lover. She tries to tell Lane a joke, but as it is in Portuguese, Lane can't understand it. She tries to laugh, but just ends up crying. Virginia then enters to tell the two that Charles and Ana are at the door. The act ends with Charles calling to Lane from offstage.
The second act begins with Ana, a free-spirited Argentine, and Charles, who are the same actors who have been playing Matilde's parents during act 1. Charles performs surgery on Ana and then they act out the scene where they meet for the first time and fall in love in a matter of moments. The play then deposits the characters back to where act 1 ended, as Ana and Charles are let into the house awkwardly. Ana and Matilde bond immediately. Charles tells Lane that Ana is his Bashert (soul mate) and that, according to Jewish law (although neither he nor Lane is Jewish), this means that their marriage is dissolved. Lane doesn't know how to react, though she is clearly upset and bitter about the turn of events. Ana, after learning Matilde was just fired by Lane, offers for Matilde to come and clean their house. Lane, taking her aggression out on Ana, argues that she relies on Matilde and couldn't bear to part with her. Matilde, now being fought over by the two women, decides to split her time between both of their houses. Charles, Ana, and Matilde leave to go apple picking.
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