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Cone Man Running presents a Boiling Point Players production of An All Female |
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Caesar |
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| Written by William Shakespeare Adapted and Directed by Katherine Rinaldi |
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May 30-June 14, 2025 |
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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.
Cast
Creative Team
Katherine Rinaldi
Amy Pope
moontang daydream (Sandra Peck Ramsey)
Seth Carter Ramsey
Kelsi Gallagher
Meet the Company
Karla Brandau
Karla Brandau happily returns to Boiling Point/Cone Man where she performed in Bryan Maynard’s Cryptic Vault of the Anthologically Macabre and as Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest. A long-time participant in Houston Community Theatre, a few of her productions include Love Letters, Love Loss and What I Wore, Hayfever, The Quality of Life, The Diary of Anne Frank, Heda Gabler, Pack of Lies, Ghosts, Don’t Dress for Dinner, Arms and the Man, The Nerd, Fallen Angels, The Miracle Worker, Lend Me a Tenor, Moon Over Buffalo, Watch on the Rhine, Rumors, The Great Sebastians, You Can’t Take it with You, and Gemini. Some of Karla’s directing credits include Art, Witness for the Prosecution, Around the World in 80 Days, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Treasure Island, The Seven Year Itch, Androcles and the Lion, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and The Little Mermaid. Originally from Pottsville, Pennsylvania, Karla is a co-founder of The Live Oak Playhouse – Fort Bend County’s newest theatrical performing arts group.
Autumn Clack
Autumn received her BFA from Adelphi University in Theatre and attended London Dramatic Academy. She studied improv with Massive Creativity and is half of the improv duo Ophelia's Rope with Ruth McCleskey, with whom she also co-founded the theatre company Boiling Point Players. Favorite roles include Tilly in Melancholy Play, Lindsay in Give/Take, Jen in Sunday on the Rocks with Cone Man Running, a bunch of Shakespeare's men (plus Maria), Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest, Hannah in Crumbs with Boiling Point Players, Marci/Lilli in The Beebo Brinker Chronicles with Celebration Theatre, and Nicole in Large Animal Games, Esther in Pollywog with Mildred's Umbrella. She is also a pole and aerial artist and likes anything she can hang upside down on.
Nadia Diamond
Originally from San Francisco, CA, Nadia is a happy Houston transplant after having lived in St. Louis, Princeton, Cleveland, and most recently, Brooklyn. Past NYC collaborations: Theater in Asylum; Blackberry Productions Theater Co. & New Professional Theatre; The Civilians R&D Group; New Perspectives Theatre Company; and Brave New World Repertory Theatre, of which she is a company member. MFA: UH PATP Class of 2025. Much gratitude to the wonderful cast and creative team for making this such a rewarding entrance into the Houston theater scene!
Ashlyn Evans
Ashlyn Evans is a Houston-based actor with a deep love for storytelling and collaboration through the arts. She graduated in 2022 from Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi with a BA in Theatre with a focus on Acting and Directing, and has since worked across Texas bringing a wide range of characters to life. Some of her favorite theatrical roles include Celia in As You Like It with the Texas Shakespeare Festival, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet with Classical Theatre Company’s Shakespeare Outreach Program, and Susan in Race by David Mamet with Dirt Dogs Theatre Company. Ashlyn is passionate about the power of theatre to spark connection, conversation, and change. She is especially excited to join this dynamic team of female artists in reimagining one of Shakespeare’s most iconic plays. “He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: only to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God”. Micah 6:8
Kelsi Gallagher
Kelsi Gallagher is a Houston based actor with a BFA in Acting from the University of Houston. While her true love is for the stage, Kelsi has a multitude of passions including intimacy directing, stage combat work, and film. Recent credits include Pullman Porter Blues (Lutie) at The Ensemble Theatre, The Learned Ladies (Martine), The Skin of Our Teeth (Gladys) at the University of Houston. Additionally, she’s in Michael Grossman’s feature film “In the Car”. She is most known for her infectious smile, welcoming nature, and addictive baked goods!
Ruth S. McCleskey
Ruth S. McCleskey graduated from the University of Houston, magna cum laude, with a degree in theater. Amongst her favorite theater credits: Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sunday of the Rocks, The Fair Maid of the West, The Importance of Eating Earnest, In Juliet’s Garden, Sylvia, Hedda Gabler in Hedda Gabler, The Baby, Three Bags Full, Romeo and Juliet, The Nerd, Sordid Lives, You Can't Take It with You, Romantic Comedy, Carl the Second, and Blueness/Grayness. She also performs with Autumn Clack in the Houston's longest running improv duo Ophelia’s Rope (OpheliasRope.com) and is a co-founder of Boiling Point Players (BoilingPointPlayers.com) a female-centric theater company.
Megan Nix
Megan is excited to be working with Boiling Point Players and Cone Man Running Productions. Most recently, she played Lord Aster in “Peter and the Starcatcher” at Playhouse 1960. Other favorite roles of her include Ruth in "Blithe Spirit", Gretchen in "Boeing Boeing", Ralph in "Lord of the Flies" and Bottom in "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Megan would like to thank her wonderful boyfriend, Jonny, for his support, as well as her amazing parents, for their love and support. Enjoy the show!
Amy Pope
Amy Pope - is a Cone Man veteran. She has preformed in Midsummer Nights Dream, several Spontaneous Smatterings, a Pass & Go and just recently her first Five Minute Mile. She has spent most of her time doing backstage work and whatever Ruth signs her up for.
Helen Rios
Helen Rios is grateful to work alongside these wonderful ladies of Caesar! Some favs: Wolfie (Alley All New); POTUS (Stages); Wind in the Willows (Main Street); Pick Me Last (Ensemble); The Honeycomb Trilogy: Sovereign (Octarine Accord); Twelfth Night (Shakespeare in the Shade); Midsummer Night’s Dream (Boiling Point Players). @TotallyHelen
Virginia Rose
Virginia is thrilled to be making her Houston debut with Boiling Point Players! She earned her BFA in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University in 2020. Previous credits include #00 in The Wolves, Mariana in Measure for Measure, and Peggy/Felecity in Damian Dare. Virginia Rose is going to be a huge star one day, but if anyone is interested in jump-starting that process, they can contact her regarding opportunities at virginia@virginiacatherinerose.com.
Olivia Velazquez
Olivia Maria Velazquez is a San Antonio native and proud graduate of the University of Houston, where she earned a BFA in Acting. Some of her favorite stage credits include Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Thyona in Big Love, Silence in Silence, and Lauren in Circle Mirror Transformation. Olivia is passionate about storytelling that challenges people’s ordinary beliefs, and she is thrilled to be working with Boiling Point Players on this project.
For future inquiries: www.OliviaVelazquez.com
Carissa Wonder
Carissa is thrilled to be a part of such a dynamic production with the Boiling Point Players and Cone Man Running Productions. She is an acting graduate from Point Park University and since graduating, Carissa has made the move from Pennsylvania to Texas. Previously seen in Island ETC’s production of The Odd Couple, this project leads Carissa further into her love of Shakespeare, exploring new and creative ways that test the preconceived notions of what Shakespeare can be. Carissa would like to thank her director, production team, castmates, family, and friends for pushing her and believing in her.
Johanna Grace Wylie
JOHANNA GRACE WYLIE is an actress and teaching artist with a BFA from Sam Houston State University.
Some of her favorite roles include: Detroit 67’ (Chelle), American Son (Kendra), She Kills Monsters (Tilly Evans), Cinderella (Grace), The Wind in the Willows (Mole).
Johanna is ecstatic to be in this production of Caesar and hopes to continue acting, performing, teaching and highlighting Black artistry in Houston for many more years to come!
Katherine Rinaldi
Katherine Rinaldi received her BA in Drama from the University of Saint Thomas in 2010. Since graduation Katherine has worked, as an actor, at Cone Man Running Productions, Boiling Point Players, and Mildred’s Umbrella, to name a few. Previous directing credits include: Melancholy Play by Sarah Ruhl (Cone Man Running Productions), and Tale from the Cryptic Vault by Bryan Maynard (Cone Man Running Productions). Katherine would like to thank her friends and family for their constant support, as well as Cone Man and Boiling Point for their trust in her for this project!
Amy Pope
She is the wizard behind keeping the prison in line.
moontang daydream (Sandra Peck Ramsey)
Sandra Peck Ramsey is a multidisciplinary performer and music producer whose work blends heartfelt storytelling with original soundscapes working under the alias Moontang Daydream. Their performance range spans from Shakespearean classics like Antony and Cleopatra and The Crucible to devised and ensemble works such as 154 Sonnets and Shipwrecked! In addition to performing, Sandra is an accomplished composer and sound designer. Their original music has been featured in numerous theatrical productions and audio dramas, including Space Train, Melancholy Play, and End of the World. Most recently, they collaborated with Houston-based artists to develop Io: A New Myth, an original work for the MIX-MATCH Festival. Sandra brings a unique voice to every project—on stage, behind the mic, and in the studio—fusing emotional depth with sonic creativity. Keep up to date via IG: @moontangdaydream or www.moontangdaydream.com.
Seth Carter Ramsey
Seth Carter Ramsey is an actor and fight choreographer with extensive experience in stage combat and physical storytelling. He has served as Fight Captain for Houston Grand Opera's Il Travatore and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Stoic Theater. Seth’s choreography credits include Cyrano de Bergerac and his training spans unarmed combat, single sword, rapier, knife, broadsword, and more. A graduate of the University of Houston’s BFA Acting program, Seth combines classical training with powerful stage presence, bringing both precision and authenticity to every fight scene.
Kelsi Gallagher
Multimedia
Interview: Katherine Rinaldi of JULIUS CAESAR at Boiling Point Players & Cone Man Running
Back in the day, Shakespeare plays were only played by men. But in 2019, director Phyllida Lloyd did an acclaimed trilogy of productions that originated at London’s Donmar Warehouse. She set Julius Caesar, Henry IV, and The Tempest in a women’s prison, with inspiration from a collaboration between actors, prisoners, and the Production Team in partnership with the theater company Clean Break and the York St. John University Prison Partnership Project.
Flash forward to Houston today, and now Cone Man Running Productions and Boiling Point Players are joining forces to recreate this reimagining of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar—set not in ancient Rome, but behind the bars of Rome Correctional Facility, a women’s maximum-security prison where power is currency and betrayal is a daily threat. This production will run at the Cone Man Running space in Spring Street Galleries from May 30 through June 14. Broadway World writer Brett Cullum sat down with director Katherine Rinaldi to talk about this Orange is the New Black approach to the Bard.
So what made you want to do this production? This all-female prison version of Julius Caesar.
I've worked with Boiling Point players on their all-female Shakespeare's throughout the years. And they approached me last year. So I've been working on this for almost a year. They asked me if I'd be interested in doing Julius Caesar. They didn't really have a strong concept at the time, and I was like, so long as we can make sure we go 100% of the way and not just kind of go, “Hey? We're doing Shakespeare!” I wanted to make it so that the women were all of the characters rather than women cross-dressing. I felt it was really important for this story with these power struggles and these really human experiences. I wanted to be able to put that within a female space and offer a female light. Then I thought about putting it in prison. Just where these people do awful things. And I wanted to have a space where the audience wouldn't just be like, oh, but that's women's stuff!
Well, it's interesting because when I think about Julius Caesar, I do think of it as a very male-heavy play. And actually, I just recently saw 4th Wall's version of Hamlet and realized there's only like 2 or 3 women in Hamlet. Shakespeare is very male.
Yeah, and it makes sense when he was writing, right? Because the majority of the people who were allowed legally to be on stage were men whether it was a female character or not, and so, like even Julius Caesar, I think there's 2 women in the entire show, as far as the way it's written, and they each have only 2 scenes.
Well, is there a challenge in approaching Julius Caesar and saying, “Hey, we're gonna flip the gender!” Obviously, it has so many male tropes.
So like, there's not only a challenge of making it with women, it is also making sure that our pronouns make sense. Also, making sure that the way things are delivered is not, “I am doing Shakespeare right now!” It's more, “Hey, let's find the core of this. What are you talking about? What is your character dealing with right now, because in the core, even though it's written for men, the characters are dealing with human things that men and women, and non-binary individuals all deal with.
Well, let me ask this as a concept, you're setting it in a prison. Is this a situation where, like Marat Sade, the prisoners are putting on the play, or are you just playing it like this is happening in the prison?
It is fully in the prison. It's the chaos of a prison being overthrown and the prisoner's role. So it's a little bit like a Lord of the Flies sort of thing where the inmates are in charge. So, rather than having it be like prisoners putting on a show, we're doing Shakespeare separately. It's the world of Julius Caesar is fully within this prison.
I'm looking at your cast list, and it's long! How many people are in this?
So we have a total of 13 people. It's a small space, and it's a lot of really powerful actors. I'm blown away every time we're in rehearsal with all of these women. Just the amount of skill, but also the ideas and willingness to play that they bring. They're all very excited to be working on something with a lot of women, because normally, we don't get to work with this many women at one time. Normally, there's like one or two roles, and you're working with one. And then it's mainly men, even within modern theater.
I know it's. It's a really strange dichotomy that's existed for a long time. It's a male space, but it's an art, and it should be more fluid than that, and we should have more of these voices out there. And it's cool to see this. I have to say that when I got the notice that you were doing this, I immediately thought, “Yes, I want to talk about this, because this is really interesting, because I love the idea of flipping it on its head and making a traditionally male environment female, but also giving it that sense of danger, because Julius Caesar is about tyranny and murder by a mob, and maybe making the wrong moves politically, and all of that. So a woman's prison? Yeah, that makes total sense. What do you think the show says to today? The original UK all-female cast performed in 2019, and we are in a new post-pandemic era.
Yeah, we are in a completely different era. Now. I would say that this production, without hammering it over the head, deals with a lot of isolation by having it in a prison where these people are not within normal society. It's that isolation we all experienced in 2020 and 2021, where you're not able to be around a lot of people. And you're having to figure out how to interact with people again, once you're out. And so, like setting it within the prison where there's isolation, not only from normal society. But also, you have your little tribes. You’re saying, “Hey, we're over here, and we don't like that, even though we're all in the same space.” Julius Caesar is such an interesting play, because I feel like you could look to any point within history, either today or 60 years ago or 200 years ago, and you would find examples of power, imbalance, and people rising up to try to shift that power imbalance, and maybe it's not always perfect, but it does cause change.
You told me that you are somewhat new to directing, but you are not new to the stage?
I've been acting in Houston since graduating in 2010. So basically, I jump at any chance whenever someone allows me to get on stage. It's a different experience being on the directing side versus the acting side. But I feel like having a background in acting allows me to hopefully be a better director in many ways, because I know how I want to be treated as an actor in a room. And so hopefully, that's something I'm able to provide for my actors within this space.
It's so hard with Shakespeare, because Shakespeare to me is a little bit more of a challenge. Because the lines are different, and you are dealing with iambic pentameter.
Definitely! I was able to study Shakespearean verse with Philip Lehl over several years, so Shakespeare is no stranger. We were actually very fortunate to build in for the first two weeks, just table work. We were not only reading through the script, but also breaking down and being like, “Hey, what are we saying here? And how does it apply to the setting, and also the fact that we're women?
Yeah, no, that's so exciting. Okay, so I know a little bit about Cone Man Running. But can you tell me a little bit more about them and Boiling Point Players, and how you two came together to make this?
Yeah, so Cone Man Running Productions. They focus on new works, regional and world premieres. They're the ones who have the space in Spring Street Studios. We have worked with them off and on for many years. Boiling Point Players actually helps to manage their space because Harris County District Court Judge Christine Weems is everywhere all the time. Boiling Point Players assist in helping to make sure that the facilities run correctly. And so in exchange, Boiling Point Players gets to do stuff whenever they would like, and their mission and their goal is to put women on stage in meaningful ways. Women would always run into each other at auditions. They got together and asked, “Why don't we just start a company where it's focusing on women getting our stories on stage, but also like just getting women on stage together, so that we can actually collaborate?”
There is a lot of that happening now, though I think that we've really come around on that issue, and I just have to say, “Hats off to Boiling Point” for taking that on and giving us this new experience. This is such an intriguing idea. So, when do you run again?
We'll open on May 30th, and we'll run through June 14th. So we do encourage people to once tickets go on sale to reserve your tickets. I don't think they're too expensive. We offer a lot of discounts for teachers, for students, for groups, and for theater artists. So there are a lot of options.
I was looking at the press release, and it says $20 for a regular ticket and $15 for students, senior teachers, veterans, theater industry, group pricing, and all of that. Come on, that's nothing. When I look at concert tickets today, how much would it cost me to go see a band or buy tickets anywhere in the theater district? $20 only covers the parking!
Yes, and you're and you're supporting two small local groups that are hoping to continue to produce small, meaningful productions.
It seems that everyone is doing Shakespeare right now. I think there are three separate productions right now. Zoom Shakespeare and another group just launched 12th Night! Hamlet is wrapping up at the 4th Wall. What do you think Shakespeare is saying to everybody currently, that there is this revival, especially in Houston?
At the core of what he writes are universal truths about people. That, mixed with the fact that they're past royalties, so they are affordable for everyone to be able to produce. That is very helpful. But yeah, I think it's just you can look at Hamlet. You could look at 12th Night, you could look at Caesar, or even like Midsummer Night's Dream - the really light one with fairies, they all have commonplace things that talk to the human condition, and talk to things that people struggle with internally or externally.
I think it's though it's it's hard to get actors that are so game to play with him, because of the language. It's a tough thing to really conquer sometimes.
It's really important to also have a good concept for what you're doing. I often find myself in rehearsal being like, “I know it's beautiful language, and it's really flowery. But let's ignore that. What are you saying right now?” Because if you just go with like the floweriness of we're talking about horses, or rainbows, or whatever. That's fine. But no one's gonna understand what you're saying. So it's also approaching Shakespeare in a way where it's not precious in order to find that core about what people are talking about and what they're dealing with. There's just the way that Shakespeare writes. It's so important to pay attention to the way that he writes, because it does actually set the pacing.
I am so excited to see all 13 of your actors take on an all-female production of Julius Caesar. Let's see what they can do with a women's prison setting. I think that's amazing. It'll be really exciting to see that. I've never seen this done on stage live. I've seen video outtakes from that original production at The Donmar Warehouse, but I've never seen it in person, so it'll be exciting for Houston audiences to actually get a chance to see it.
And again. Cone Man Running and Boiling Point Players in the Spring Street galleries upstairs, just follow the cones. May 30 through June 14, and Katherine Rinaldi, thank you so much for sitting down and talking to me about this one.
Donors
Jeffry Abrams
Joe Alexander
Stacy Williams Bakri
Brandon Barchus
Patrick Barton
Malinda L Beckham-Cone
Allan Brain
Karla Brandau
Rachel Brownhill
Troy Chandler
Autumn Clack
Brett Dressler
Conor Farrell
Bailey Hampton
Janet Hansen
Stephanie Kelso
Jay Menchaca
Joel & Ruth S McCleskey
Patrice McKinney
Susan Noe
Kathryn Noser
Copper Buthman Paradiso
Ben Plopper
Michael Raabe
John & Kelly Raley
Sandra Peck Ramsey
Lee Raymond
Katherine Rinaldi
Helen Rios
Jason Jonathon Rivas
Adam Roberson
John William Stevens
Stephanie Howe Sullivan
William Tynan
Hilary Unger
Christine & Michael Weems
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