The Cardboard Sea, in association with The Sublime Theater, presents "The Cleaning Ladies"

SIX PERFORMANCES ONLY! LIMITED SEATING! MASKS REQUIRED! TICKETS $15 ONLINE, $20 CASH AT THE DOOR!

THE CLEANING LADIES

Diverted to a Florida Days Inn on their way to Hell, Marie Antoinette and the Gorgon Medusa have to brush aside the impulse for vengeance or redemption if they want a shot at freedom.

Synopsis:

Marie Antoinette and the Gorgon Medusa were diverted on their way to Hell by a mysterious benefactor. Holed up in a slightly less hellish Day’s Inn somewhere in central Florida, the time has come for them to return the favor, and if they can get the job done and capture a mysterious infiltrator, they’re free spirits. Marie hopes to see her kids, Mimi wants to be relieved of the curse that’s made her a monster for centuries. Undercover as night maids, these polar opposites have to find a way to work together long enough to survive the mission...and each other.

Written with a nod toward the 80’s buddy-cop flick, The Cleaning Ladies pairs up two of history and mythology’s most notorious characters as they battle their way through increasingly intimidating henchmen, beasts, and would-be gods to make one last attempt at freedom. Brushing aside the impulse for vengeance or redemption, all Mimi and Marie want is to get out.

Credits:

Written by Jeff Donnelly

Directed by Todd Weakley

Featuring Stevie Alverson, Laura Tratnik, Kirstin Daniel, and Olivia Stuller

Company:
Donnelly and Weakley have been working together for more than two decades. However, it wasn’t until 2014 that The Cardboard Sea was born. A set of shared aesthetics has led to a theatrical body of work centered on the transformative nature of live performance.

It is rather difficult to say what makes a Cardboard Sea show, but there are guiding principles. First, we cast each show before a script is crafted. We seek ensemble connection and keep our collaborations tight-knit. Second, we are always looking for liveness, for what demands a show happen live in front of an audience. We play with forced artificiality and intimate realness, often blurring lines between performer and performance.

As a writer, Donnelly mixes mythic idioms with pop culture tropes. As a director, Weakley pulls from the postmodernists and the neo-realists.

The Cardboard Sea has garnered several awards from the Asheville Fringe Festival for shows like “Centrifuge” and “Psyche.” Other notable area productions include The Devotees and The Amendments, which also toured to Northampton, MA.

“The Cleaning Ladies is a wild ride. We are recasting male-dominated structures from 1980’s TV and film with a story of redemption and revenge for maligned female personas,” says Donnelly.

“It’s been a long time,” says Weakley. “We are excited to reenter the dark room and connect in real time. And laugh together. I think the play is quite funny.”