The Clean House

Alessandra Almanza (U/S Ana) is a 1st year grad student receiving her MFA in Acting. She is from Brownsville, Texas and got her BA in Theatre Education from University of Texas - RGV. Some of her show credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Helena), As You Like It (Rosalind), She Stoops to Conquer (Kate Hardcastle) and Coriolanus (Sicinius)! She worked as a director at Coakley Middle School in Harlingen, TX and mounted productions like Shrek Jr. and The Lion King Jr.

Laura Banguero (Ana) is a Colombian-born actor who moved to Miami at the age of 15. She earned her A.A in Drama from Miami Dade College and a BFA in Performance from Florida International University. Currently, Laura is pursuing an MFA at the University of Central Florida, continuing to develop her talents and advance her career in theatre. Her favorite credits include: Pericles (Thaisa), Twelfth Night (Viola), Thyestes (Atreus) and Passage (R). As well as directing different plays including The Green Bird, Killers, and So You Think You Can Stay.

 Jacob Berggren (Charles) is an MFA Acting Student with a degree in Theatre and Dance from the University of Northwestern - St. Paul, MN. He has worked as a Dancer/Singer with Carnival Cruise Lines and performed with regional theaters including the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres and Capital City Theatre in productions of Disney's Newsies, The Music Man, On the Town, and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. He trained with Broadway Dance Center and the Actors Studio Drama School in NYC, in addition to teaching with Fred Astaire Dance Studios as a Ballroom Dance Instructor. www.JacobBerggren.com

Alexis Camina (U/S Matilde)  is a junior in the BFA Musical Theatre Program. Theatre credits include The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Florika, U/S Esmeralda) and The Cherry Orchard (Anya).

Dafne Cardena (Matilde) is a transfer student, who got her A.A. at Valencia College. Born and raised in Mexico, moved to Orlando 4 years ago. She’s been doing Theatre since 5th grade, some of her favorite roles from last year have been Queenie from The Wild Party, Berthe in Boing Boing, and Farah from She Kills Monsters. Performing and making people feel deeply immersed in a story is what drives her.

Lyndi Floyd-Sweet (U/S Lane) is a second-year transfer at UCF, majoring in Musical Theatre. She is previously from Naples, Florida. Her notable credits include: Spring Awakening (Wendla), A Chorus Line (Maggie), Heathers (Heather Chandler).

David Joshua Martinez (U/S Charles) graduated from Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Texas, in 2018. He has been in multiple musicals and plays including – Frank Butler (Annie Get Your Gun), Anthony Hope (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street), Jamie Wellerstein (The Last 5 Years), Don Quixote/Don Miguel de Cervantes (Man of La Mancha), Alan Raleigh (God of Carnage), Lord Capulet (Romeo and Juliet), Lord Macduff (Macbeth), and Stanley Kowalski (A Streetcar Named Desire).

Paige Muniz (Virginia) started acting at the age of 13 at The Legacy Theatre under Mark Smith. In college, she played Stephanie from Reasons to be Pretty and Annette from A Guide Through Hell for UCF’s Project Spotlight.

Emma Stewart (U/S Virginia) is a second-year BFA Acting student, this is their first show with Theatre UCF. Other roles include Pamela in Head Over Heels and Yvette in Clue. You can find more information about them on their instagram @emmamillerstewart.

Jane Sweeney (Lane) is a second year BFA acting student. She performed in UCF's 2023 production of The Prom (ensemble) and in Alpha Psi Omega's 2024 production of Gruesome Playground Injuries (Kayleen). @janeksweeney

Taylor Appleford (Stage Manager) is a second-year student in the BFA Stage Management program. She has previously worked on Theatre UCF’s Peter and the Starcatcher (Production Assistant), Project Spotlight’s Irreverent! (Assistant Stage Manager), and UCF Celebrates the Arts (Stage Manager). @taylorappleford @orlandostagemanagers

Elliott Bertrand (Wardrobe Supervisor) is a third year student in the BFA Stage Management Program. His previous credits include UCF Celebrates the Arts 2024 (Stage Manager), Orlando Family Stage’s Finding Nemo Jr. (Assistant Stage Manager), Building a Shared Home (Assistant Stage Manager), Bite Me (Wardrobe Crew), and TECHnique: A Dance Concert (Production Assistant). @elliott.bertrand @orlandostagemanagers

Marisa Figueras (Lighting Programmer) is a third year student in the BFA Stage Management program. Her previous credits include Orlando Family Stage’s Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. (Assistant Stage Manager), The Prom (Assistant Stage Manager), A Chorus Line (Production Stage Manager), Summertime (an interlude) (Stage Manager), and Bright Star (Production Assistant). @marisa.figueras @orlandostagemanagers

Kaitlyn Gill (Sound Designer) is a 4th year Theatre BA transfer student focusing in sound design with a minor in music. Her Theatre UCF credits include What’s In Store? (Sound Designer), Sweeney Todd (Assistant Sound Designer), Cherry Orchard (QLAB Operator), Chicken and Biscuits (Usher), Home of the Brave (Assistant Stage Manager), Working (Production Assistant), The Body (Assistant Stage Manager), UCF Celebrates the Arts 2022- 2023 (SM team) & 2024 (Sound team).

Michael D. Jablonski (Intimacy Choreographer) serves as an Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre and Program Coordinator for the BFA Music Theatre program at UCF. He also serves as an Associate Faculty member for Theatrical Intimacy Education (TIE). Michael has worked professionally as an Intimacy Choreographer for the past 5 years with credits that include The Sound of Music, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, A Little Night Music, 1984, Urinetown the musical, The Comedy of Errors, Torch Song, Footloose, 9 to 5 The Musical, Murder on the Orient Express, We are Proud to Present a Presentation about the Herero of Namibia….., Fame the Musical, and Living Out. Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Dance from SUNY at Buffalo and a Master of Fine Arts in Directing from Florida State University. Michael is a member of American Actors Equity Association, American Guild of Variety Artists, Society of American Fight Directors and Canadian Actors Equity Association. www.MichaelDJablonski.com

Sara Jacobson (Production Assistant) is a first-year transfer student in the BFA Stage Management Program. She has worked in many different technical roles at Central Florida Community Arts, Whiskey Theatre Factory, Orlando Fringe Festival and Orlando Family Stage. @sgjacobson_23 @orlandostagemanagers

Tara Kromer (Director) is an alumnus of TheatreUCF’s MFA program. Recent Directing credits include: To Kill a Mockingbird, Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Prom, Fun Home, and Driving Miss Daisy (Orlando Sentinel’s Critic’s Choice for Best Show of the Season, and Best Director of a Comedy in 2021) at Theater West End in Sanford, Honky Tonk Laundry (Hippodrome Theatre), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Ragtime, Into The Woods, and Little Shop of Horrors (Athens Theatre), Tick Tick Boom (Celebration Theatre Company), The Lightning Thief, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Vote?, A Year with Frog and Toad, and The Giver (Orlando Family Stage), Hir, Stupid F*%#ing Bird, and Perfect Arrangement (Ensemble Company), Violet (Garden Theatre), The Super Variety Match Bonus Round and My Pal Bette (Orlando Fringe), and It Shoulda Been You (Studio Theatre Tierra Del Sol). Tara is an educator, serving as an adjunct professor in Directing and leading professional development workshops around the state. She also manages the props department at Orlando Family Stage. She is a member of Actors Equity Association, and an associate member of SDC. www.tekromer.com

Joshua Lingo (Deck Crew) is a first year student in theatre pending. This is his first production working with UCF.

Mary McDermott (Stage Manager) is a second-year student in the BFA Stage Management program. She has previously worked on Orlando Family Stage’s Finding Nemo Jr. The Musical (Production Assistant), and UCF Opera’s The Marriage of Figaro (Stage Manager). @mary._.mcdermott @orlandostagemanagers

Analu Raimont (Costume Designer) is a fourth-year BFA - Design and Technology student. This is her first production as a costume designer. This show has allowed her to connect more to her Argentinian roots and she would like to give a special thanks to her grandmother, Sussie, who inspired her looks for the character Ana. She has previously worked on Theatre UCF’s The Cherry Orchard (Assistant Costume Designer) and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Wardrobe Supervisor). @analu.raimont

Alex Russell (Scenic Designer) is in pursuit of a fulfilling career in storytelling as a scenic and lighting designer. In his time at UCF, he has also been a part of the design teams for blackbox show Rhinoceros (Lighting Designer) and mainstage musical The Prom (Assistant Lighting Designer). With a strong foundation in the technical skills necessary to bring shows to life, he is ready to make the leap from academic theatre into the industry beyond. www.alexrussellcreates.com

Jonas Winter (Stage Manager) is a 2nd student in the BFA Stage Management program. He has previously worked on Theatre UCF’s Metamorphoses (Production Assistant), Project Spotlight’s Irreverent! (Production Stage Manager), and UCF Celebrates the Arts 2024 (Stage Manager). @_just.jonas @orlandostagemanager

“Laughter is not a bad beginning for a friendship, and it is the best ending for one.”
- Oscar Wilde

When was the last time you laughed? Earlier today, from something you saw on your phone? A week ago, with your best friend? A month ago, from a comedian? And how did you laugh? Was it a short giggle, or so hard that you were banging a table and crying from it? Laughter is a wonderfully cathartic method of expression, so much so that therapists commonly use it to help their clients cope with negative emotions and turn them into a smile.

In The Clean House, which won the 2004 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, Sarah Ruhl eloquently combines laughter and grief into an abstract and metaphysical Connecticut, where reality shifts and molds with emotion. Matilde, a mourning comedian from Brazil, tries to use her humor to brighten her colorless work as a housekeeper. She receives pushback from her employer Lane, a successful doctor who is stuck in between reconciling with her sister Virginia and longing for her husband Charles, who has disappeared from her life without explanation. In this play, characters’ imaginations come to life and move about as they please! It is more than simple abstraction -- the characters are truly there, seeing and feeling each other’s worlds, as they dance about and eventually combine into one.

Throughout the play, the characters will intertwine in both happiness and pain. As you watch their stories unfold, recall your own connections, both in the present and the past, and how they have shaped you. Remember to take care of the people around you. And to laugh at the absurdity of the world.

- Vidal Treadwell and Isabella Arroyo, Dramaturgs