AU's 'Clean House' explores life's messes

Aurora University's Theatre Department will stage "The Clean House," an award-winning romantic comedy by Sarah Ruhl, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13 and Saturday, Nov. 14 and Nov. 18-21 in Perry Theatre in the Aurora Foundation Center at 1305 Kenilworth Place in Aurora.

The production is free to the public as part of AU's Celebrating Arts and Ideas series, events including art exhibits, films, theater, music and lectures during 2009-2010. The play has adult themes.

Kelly Roush of St. Charles, guest artist and AU adjunct faculty member, will direct. Cast members are Tegan Rogers of Aurora (Matilde); Abby Juhlin, Aurora (Lane); Corrine Walker, Greenville, S.C., (Virginia); Jeff Goins, Aurora (Charles); and Sarah Bonnell, Aurora (Ana).

Matilde, a recently-hired Brazilian maid for Lane, is new to America. A year prior, her parents, both comedic geniuses in Brazil, died within days of each other. Ever since, Matilde has vowed to find the perfect joke even though she is convinced it will kill her. Lane, a successful physician, requires an ordered, pristine world, but when her obsessively maternal sister, Virginia, usurps the Brazilian comedienne maid, and her oncologist husband runs off with a patient with breast cancer; the dirt starts flying. Pulitzer runner-up Sarah Ruhl approaches the mess of mortality with a search for humor and compassion. As the pressures in Lane's life multiply, and her oncologist husband runs off with an Argentinian breast-cancer patient, the dirt starts to fly. Life isn't clean after all, and how they face the mess of mortality, really determines how they live.

Reservations are required. For reservations or information, call (630) 844-4924, e-mail artsandideas@aurora.edu or visit www.aurora.edu/artsandideas.