Cleaning in the House of Healing - uplifting the voices of people who clean in hospitals

“I’ve seen it all and I’ve cleaned it all” – Constance Turner

We are excited to announce that tickets are now on sale for “Cleaning in the House of Healing” – a new Theater of Witness production created and performed with six Environmental Service Workers who clean in hospital settings post-trauma, violence, illness, and care. The performers share their personal and collective stories about how cleaning impacts their lives in this innovative production directed by Teya Sepinuck, with original music by Niyonu Spann and cinematic imagery by Dax Roggio.

Often overlooked and undervalued, this project seeks to shine a light on the people who do the essential work of keeping hospitals clean and safe. Cleaning in the House of Healing is a collaboration between Theater of Witness, Penn Medicine, and Public Trust. Lead support is provided by the William Penn Foundation.

Click the link above to join us for our first and only public performances at 7pm on June 13th and 14th at the Harold Prince Theatre at Penn Live Arts. Tickets are $30each and general admission seating policy applies. he production is approximately 70 minutes with no intermission. Tickets are selling fast, so we encourage supporters to book as soon as possible.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Meet the Cast

Theater of Witness is excited to introduce you to Constance, Gloria, El-Shara, Jerome, Nicole, and Shamona – the performers in “Cleaning in the House of Healing.” All of them have been cleaning since they were young. They’ve been doing the invisible but essential work that most of us don’t want to see. Some of them grew up cleaning for elderly neighbors and family, others in stadiums, on city streets, and/or in hotels. They all became Environmental Service Workers (EVS) at The Hospital of University of Pennsylvania where they have stories of cleaning in trauma bays, patient rooms, doctor’s offices, and emergency departments. As Constance Turner has said, “I’ve seen it all and I’ve cleaned it all”.

Photo by Raymond Holman