Season Thirteen (2024-2025)

Office Hours by Norm Foster

Friday, July 26, 2024 - Saturday, August 17, 2024

Get ready to leave your work worries behind and dive into a world of hilarity with the delightful comedy "Office Hours," by Norm Foster, brought to you by Cone Man Running Productions. Office Hours was originally produced at The Piggery Theatre in North Hatley, Quebec, in 1989. This madcap play is now coming to Houston with a special (legal) twist.

You’ll experience a dizzying day in the city through the lives of a chaotic group of characters in six different offices. From a domineering mother and hen-pecked father to a neurotic figure skater, sex-starved therapist, down-and-out film director, one-armed man, and an overweight athlete, their separate stories hilariously intertwine to create a web of connections that none of them realize.

Meet the Cast: Houston's Legal Eagles Bring Madcap Fun to the Stage

We are thrilled to present a cast made up entirely of Houston's legal community: judges, attorneys, law students, and law clerks. Under the expert direction of Christine Weems, with Barbara Stalder as the assistant director, these talented performers bring their unique flair to each role.

The Cast:

- Abigail Anastasio

- David Chapin

- Corey Fawcett

- Megan Fawcett

- Marcus Fifer

- Trey Gifford

- Alex LeBlanc

- Patrice McKinney

- Gerardo Mejia

- Mathew Mendoza

- Danny Norris

- John Raley

- Elizabeth Ray

- Cawlyn Robinson

- Hilary Unger

Understudy:

- Danny Franco

- Allison Mathis

"Office Hours" is staged by arrangement with Pam Winter, GGA, www.ggagency.ca

World Premiere of
Tales From the Cryptic Vault of the Anthologically Macabre
by Bryan Maynard

Friday, October 18, 2024 8pm - Saturday, November 2, 2024

Prepare to be thrilled and chilled this Halloween season with the world premiere of Tales From the Cryptic Vault of the Anthologically Macabre, a spine-tingling series of short plays written by Houston playwright Bryan Maynard. This eerie production will be brought to life by the talented directing team of Aaron Garrett, Qasim Makkani, Bryan Maynard, Ruth S McCleskey, Katherine Rinaldi, and Mark Stanley, with stage management by Barbara Stalder.

Meet the Cast:

The show features a stellar cast of local actors, including:

Algy Alfred

Heather Atkins

Karla Brandau

Sean Deflora

Mark Gonzalez

Liz Larson

Bryan Maynard

Jonathan Moonen

Jacobí Montgomery

Megan Nix

Kristina Treybig

About the Show:

Aleister Crowley, a mysterious and sinister figure, guides the audience through a selection of terrifying tales from his favorite book, Tales From the Cryptic Vault of the Anthologically Macabre. Each story is a journey into the unknown, filled with horror, humor, and unexpected twists. This production promises to be a spine-tingling experience that will leave you on the edge of your seat, if you dare.

Five Minute Mile: Holiday Edition!

Saturday, February 15, 2025, at 8 PM - Saturday, March 1, 8 PM

Get ready for a theater festival unlike any other! Cone Man Running Productions presents the Five Minute Mile - Holiday Edition, featuring 33 short plays and monologues. This dynamic event celebrates creativity and storytelling, performed by a stellar ensemble cast at our home in Spring Street Studios.

📍 Location: 1824 Spring Street, Studio 233, Houston, TX 77007
🎭 Artistic Director: Michael Weems
🎬 Directors: Ruth S. McCleskey and Christine Weems

What Makes This Festival Unique?

Each night, 20 plays will come to life in a thrilling, ever-changing lineup:

10 plays pre-set for the evening
5 chosen at random by the audience
5 voted on by the audience based on title, blurb, and buzz

Every performance is a fresh, unpredictable theatrical experience you won’t want to miss! Want a sneak peek at the Act 1 Lineups? Scroll to the bottom.

Ensemble Cast (Alphabetical):

Abigail Anastasio
Helen Baker
Nata Cornelio
Deirdre Phlegm
Mark Gonzalez
Stephanie Kelso
Jacobi Montgomery
Suzanne Mobarak
Patrice McKinney
Amy Pope
Cawlyn Robinson
Barbara Stalder
Hilary Unger

Plays Featured in the Festival

#frankenstein #modern by Thomas J. Misuraca (Halloween)
10 Seconds Left by Cole Dzubak (NYE)
A Christmas of Inexpressible Pleasure by Diana Howie (Christmas)
A Misunderstanding at Sunshine Quest by William Ivor Fowkes (NYE)
A Sibling's Soliloquy by Ruth McCleskey (National Siblings Day)
Anaconda in the Mangrove Trees by Evan Baughman (Amazon Prime Day)
Auld Lang Syne by John Patrick Bray (NYE)
Broken Hearted Valentine by Carl Williams (Valentine's Day)
Chemistry by David L. Williams (Anniversary)
Christmas Temptation by Conor Farrell (Christmas)
Classic Family Holiday Dinner by Cassie Randall (President's Day)
Dear Nate by Ali Keller (Christmas)
Elf on a Shelf by James Kelsey Nelson (Christmas)
Empower Hour by Ophelia’s Rope (International Women’s Day)
First Florida Xmas by Helen Cheng Mao (Christmas)
Friendzoned by Reed Halvorson (Christmas)
Halloween is Straight Pride by Colleen O'Doherty (Halloween)
Hinata by Jade Rothman (Anniversary)
Jesus Comes Back by Jessica Moss (Easter)
Kareem Dream by Nabra Nelson (Ramadan)
Man and Mooncake by Yangzhou Bian (Mid-Autumn Festival)
National Vanilla Cupcake Day by Bara Swain (National Vanilla Cupcake Day)
Next Year by Yangzhou Bian (Chinese New Year)
Oy Vey Maria by Mark Harvey Levine (Christmas)
Spirits by Thomas J. Misuraca (Christmas)
The Christmas Lights by Alex Dremann (Christmas)
The Last Father's Day by Fernando Dovalina (Father's Day)
The Light by Mark Harvey Levine (Hanukkah)
The Very First Christmas by Joe Farrell (Christmas)
Under a Christmas Moon by Brian Rust (Christmas)
Wanna Get Ghosted by Colleen O'Doherty (Christmas)
Welcome to Christmas Village by Dan Guyton (Christmas)
Zombie Valentine by Kate Danley (Valentine's Day)

Cone Man Running presents a Pronoia Theater Production

Io: A New Myth

Encore Performance

Sunday, February 2, 2025

Cone Man Running is proud to present Pronoia Theater's Io: A New Myth, an original comedy-drama blending mythology, art, and music into an unforgettable theatrical experience.

Follow Io (portrayed by Helen Rios) as she faces the challenges of rebuilding her village after a devastating attack. The play explores themes of deception, retribution, and hope while navigating a story enriched with city politics, divine intervention, and the resilience of the human spirit. Io: A New Myth showcases Pronoia Theater’s commitment to storytelling through original comedy, paired with moments of thought-provoking drama.

Directed by Ruth McCleskey, the production features an original score and songs by MoontangDaydream weaving an enchanting musical thread into the narrative. This encore performance promises to captivate audiences with its humor, heart, and depth.

About the Show

Io: A New Myth is inspired by the paintings of contemporary Houston artist Erin Harms. Written by Aaron Garrett, this unique production combines striking visuals, a powerful story, and a musical atmosphere created by Sandra Peck Ramsey.

Originally premiered at the Mix-Match Festival on January 18, 2025, Io is brought back by popular demand for an encore performance.

Cast & Creative Team

Io: Helen Rios
Chorus: Caryn Fulda, Megan Nix, Grace Ojionuka
Director: Ruth McCleskey
Original Music: Sandra Peck Ramsey
Stage Manager: Amy Pope

Special Thanks: Cone Man Running Productions, Kacie Adams, Jessica Kelly Garrett, and Steven Saltsman

Pronoia Theater

Founded in 2018, Pronoia Theater is dedicated to creating innovative, original comedy—both scripted and improvised. Their work explores empathy and humanity through humor, engaging audiences in non-traditional spaces. The company has premiered 12 original plays and created numerous online series, including the popular audio drama Space Train.

Cone Man Running Productions presents

A Rolling World Premiere of

4 a.m. Friends

by Charlene A. Donaghy

Directed by Debra Schultz

Marlene Dietrich once said, “It’s the friends you can call at 4 a.m. that matter.”

Becca, Tammy, and Kim are exactly those kinds of friends—lifelong Houston companions bound by humor, heart, and the ties that never break. 4 a.m. Friends takes you on a journey through decades of laughter, fights, love, and unwavering support, from the 1970s to the present day. Through iconic moments, shifting fashions, and life’s biggest challenges, these three women grow from their teens to their sixties—just like you might with your own 4 a.m. friends.

Directed by Debra Schultz

Starring

Angela Aguirre (Kim)
Mary Mink (Becca)
Debra Schultz (Tammy)

Lighting Designer Pedro Balcazar

Sound & Light Operator Tamara Schultz

📅 May 2 - May 10, 2025
📍 Cone Man Running's Studio
1824 Spring Street, Suite 233

Houston, TX 77007

Show Dates & Times

Friday, May 2, 2025 7:30pm
Saturday, May 3, 2025 7:30pm
Sunday, May 4, 2025 3pm
Monday, May 5, 2025 7:30pm
Thursday, May 8, 2025 7:30pm
Friday, May 9, 2025 7:30pm
Saturday, May 10, 2025 7:30pm

Cone Man Running presents a Boiling Point Players production of

An All Female

Caesar

Written by William Shakespeare
Adapted by Katherine Rinaldi

Directed by Katherine Rinaldi

May 30-June 14, 2025

1824 Spring Street, Studio 233, Houston, TX 77007

In one of Shakespeare’s most enduring political dramas, Julius Caesar explores the perilous intersection of ambition, loyalty, and power. In this adaptation, the drama plays out within the fortified walls of Rome Correctional Facility, a brutal maximum-security prison where status is power—and power can be fatal.

Julius Caesar, a legendary inmate, has just claimed dominance over the prison. After years of manipulation, strength, and strategy, she’s finally secured control. As she basks in her hard-won authority—surrounded by followers, flanked by loyal enforcers—her celebration echoes through the cellblocks. But not everyone is cheering.

Brutus, a fellow prisoner and Caesar’s longtime confidant, begins to question whether Caesar’s rule is liberation or tyranny. Coaxed by the sharp-witted and deeply suspicious Cassius, Brutus joins a secret conspiracy to take Caesar down—believing it’s the only way to prevent total dictatorship within the prison walls.

But the conspirators’ noble intentions quickly unravel. Caesar's shocking murder on the Ides of March sets off a violent chain of events, as Mark Antony—Caesar’s loyal ally—rallies the people of Rome with one of the most famous speeches in theatrical history. What follows is a gripping descent into civil war, betrayal, and tragedy.

As trust shatters and the lines between justice and vengeance blur, Julius Caesar becomes a raw, high-stakes exploration of power, betrayal, and what it means to rule when freedom is a distant dream. In a world locked down by iron and concrete, ambition still finds a way to rise—and to fall.

The all female cast

Karla Brandau - Caesar

Autumn Clack - Flavius, Casca, Messala, et al

Nadia Diamond - Calpurnia, Poet, Dardanius, et al

Ashlyn Evans - Brutus

Kelsi Gallagher - Portia, Lucilius, et al

Ruth McCleskey - Cassius

Megan Nix - Marullus, Metellus Cimber, Trebonius, Titinius, et al

Amy Pope - Prisoner #1, Messenger

Helen Rios - Antony

Virginia Rose - Cicero, Ligarius, et al

Olivia Velazquez - Cinna, Cinna the Poet, Voluminius, et al

Carissa Wonder - Decius Brutus, Octavius

Johanna Grace Wylie - Publius, Popilius, Pindaris, Cato, Clitus, et al

The Production Team

Katherine Rinaldi - Director
Amy Pope - Stage Manager

Sandra Peck Ramsey - Sound/Music Designer

Seth Carter Ramsey - Fight Choreographer

Kelsi Gallagher - Fight Captain

Show Dates

Opening Night, Friday, May 30, 2025 8pm - SOLD OUT

Saturday, May 31, 2025 8pm - SOLD OUT

Thursday, June 5, 2025 8pm

Friday, June 6, 2025 8pm

Saturday, June 7, 2025 8pm - SOLD OUT

Monday, June 9, 2025 8pm - SOLD OUT

Thursday, June 12, 2025 8pm

Friday, June 13, 2025 8pm

Closing Night, Saturday, June 14, 2025 8pm - SOLD OUT