Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati
Skip to main content Skip to searchIt’s a clutter-ful life!
Meet Sam, an obsessive pack rat bordering on hoarder lost in his own possessions. Faced with the threat of eviction unless he cleans up his property, he can’t seem to let go of anything, despite pleas from his daughter and his friend of thirty years. In his attempt to hold onto his things and thus hold onto his past and himself, Sam is forced to reckon with what’s trash, what’s treasure, and whether we can ever know the difference between the two. Award-winning playwright Theresa Rebeck (Omnius Gatherum, NBC’s Smash) directs this hilarious, heartfelt, and human play about life’s messes following its successful Broadway run.
Run time: ~1 hr, 40 min with no intermission
Content warning: After decades of knowing each other, Sam and his companions have no problem being candid with each other, using adult language and touching on some tough topics like PTSD and other mental illnesses, death and suicide, racism, and violence, all while humorously trying to clean up life’s messes.
I Need That
You'll love this show if you love...
- Scripts by acclaimed writers with Cincinnati roots (and directed by them too!)
- Complex and relatable relationships between family and friends
- Dynamic, funny shows that will make your heart full
- Stories about learning to let go of the past
- Lovable but crotchety characters who will leave you laughing so hard it hurts
- Antiquing and sentimentality!
Similar ETC shows:
- The Match Game by Steven Strafford
- Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed and Nia Vardalos
- Buyer and Cellar by Jonathan Tolins
Similar titles:
- Tidying Up with Marie Kondo (Netflix)
- Shrinking (Apple TV+)
- Sanford and Son (NBC)
Events & accessibility
Show Up! Young Professionals Event
Saturday, Feb. 15 at 2:00 pm
Join other Young Professionals (at a special YP price) for the performance then mingle and discuss the show over bites and a free drink at ETC’s bar!
ETC Essentials
Sunday, Feb. 23 at 1:00 pm
Dive even deeper into each show with a FREE conversations series that explores our productions’ themes and context with local scholars and community members. These start an hour before show time, and registration is recommended.
Meet the Artists
Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7:30 pm | Sunday, Feb. 23 at 2:00 pm
Stay after the show for a FREE post-show behind-the-scenes discussion with artists from the production.
ASL-Interpreted Performance
Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 pm
Interpreters perform a translation of the play into ASL alongside the performance in a position with great sightlines to see both the action of the play and the interpreters.
Ask for an assistive listening device at any performance from our box office.
Audio Described Performance
Saturday, Mar. 1 at 2:00 pm
Patrons can use a headset for one ear to hear descriptions of key visual elements inserted into natural pauses in the show, allowing patrons to still hear dialogue, sound effects, and music.
Ask for large print or Braille playbills at any performance from our box office.
Ticket Info
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Ticket Discounts
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Photo credits | First Timer’s Guide, Brooke Steele in The Frog Princess; Ticket Info, Bryant Bentley, Burgess Byrd, and Leslie Goddard-Baum in Detroit ’67 (Mikki Schaffner); Subscriptions, Cast of Hedwig and the Angry Inch; Ticket Discounts, Torie Wiggins in Your Negro Tour Guide. All images by Ryan Kurtz unless otherwise noted.