AN IDEAL MANA World Premiere Adaptation |
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AN IDEAL MAN is a world premiere adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband, set in Houston, 1985. |
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| Gertrude Chiltern — Katherine Rinaldi Senator Robert Chiltern — Mark Stanley Mabel Chiltern — Mary Mink Arthur Goring Caversham — Dano Colón Colonel Caversham — John Raley Mrs. Margaret Markby — Alice Rhoades Olivia Basildon — Kelsi Gallagher Margaret Marchmont — Joan Hodges Mrs. Laura Cheveley — Autumn Clack Vicente de Nanjarro / Mason / Phipps — Renata Santoro Smith |
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Director's Note
My crush on An Ideal Husband began in 1999, when Minnie Driver and Rupert Everett made quite the impression on a young theatre girl. Fast forward 24 years: after performing in The Importance of Being Earnest, I rediscovered that crush and went back for more Oscar Wilde—falling hard for his wit, his drama, and his gloriously messy high society.
Because let’s be honest—Wilde’s world isn’t so different from ours. Reputation is everything, gossip travels fast, and everyone is just one secret away from disaster. (There’s a reason soap operas and reality TV are so popular—this is all of that, just fancied up with Wilde’s dialogue.)
So I asked: what if this all happened in Houston? And more importantly—when secrets could still stay secret? Enter 1985: big hair, bigger shoulder pads, and no Google to save you.
In adapting the piece, I made cuts to streamline the original text and shaped the locations to suit the intimacy of a black box space. I was also particularly interested in expanding the presence of the women in the story—reassigning certain lines and deepening roles that are often treated as secondary—to create a world where their voices carry more weight and complexity.
This production is both a love letter to Wilde and a reimagining of his world through a different lens—one that feels a little closer to home.
Thank you for being here and supporting local theatre—and for helping my crush grow a little stronger.
— Ruth S. McCleskey
Supporters
Who's Who
Cast
Creative Team
Ruth McCleskey
Erin Fergerson
Debra Schultz
moontang daydream (Sandra Peck Ramsey)
Katherine Rinaldi
Meet the Company
Katherine Rinaldi
Katherine Rinaldi (Gertrude): is excited to be joining Boiling Point Players for their Spring production. Previous credits include: King Charles III (Kate) with Stoic Theatre, The End of the World (Poppy) with Cone Man Running Productions, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Hyppolyta/Titania) with Shakespeare in the Shade - HCP4, and Macbeth (Lady Macbeth) with Creative Movement Practices. Katherine received her BA in Drama from the University of St. Thomas in 2010. Since graduating Katherine has gone on to study Meisner and Shakespearean Verse through the Kim Tobin Acting Studio. When not on stage Katherine has also been able to work as a director: Caesar with Boiling Point Players, and Melancholy Play with Cone Man Running Productions. She would like to thank her family and friends for their constant support. And a special thanks to Andraes and Pippa for listening to her run her lines every day.
Mark Stanley
Mark Stanley is incredibly thrilled to have been given the opportunity to work with all these incredible actors and technicians. It has truly been an honor to bring to life playwright/director, Ruth McCleskey's vision of Oscar Wilde's classic tale. Her inspiring guidance and direction have made this experience one of the highwater marks of his theatre life. He would like to thank Cone Man Running Productions and Boiling Point Players for the chance to be a part of this collaboration. Mark has, over the years, appeared on various Houston-area stages. He's grateful to each one for allowing him a place to practice this "filthy acting habit" he picked up early on, in school. He'd like to dedicate this performance to his lifelong friend, Marl Wills. I know you're watching it with my folks. This one's for you, brother...
Mary Mink
Mary Mink has been in the Houston theatre scene for decades, most recently performing with Pronoia Theatre in Run//Tracy.exe. Notable roles include Kate Mundy in Dancing at Lughnasa, one of the three witches in Macbeth, and Pearl in House and Garden. She won a Superior award for acting from the Texas Community College Speech and Theatre Association's Festival. As a techie, she won an award from the Houston Press for Best Sound on Obsidian Theatre’s production of Ruined. You can currently catch her in Strange Bird Immersive's wanderplay, Great Gold Bird.
Dano Colón
Dano Colón has performed with Company Onstage, Rec Room, Horse Head, Cone Man Running, and the Alley ECE in plays such as Henry V, Prelude to a Kiss, Hay Fever, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, and The Importance of Eating Earnest. He studied theater at the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theater and Ecole Philippe Gaulier. He can be seen on the web series turned feature film "People With Issues" streaming on Amazon, and the short "Trash Gun" streaming on Youtube. He can also seaonally be found performing at Moody Gardens as the voice of a cartoon fish in an interactive “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” 4D exhibit.
John Raley
John Raley (Colonel Caversham) is a civil trial lawyer and mediator with Raley
Law. His pro bono battles to exonerate people wrongfully convicted of murder have
been the subject of several documentaries, including Detective Diaries: Guilty
Until Proven Innocent on HBO Max, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime, and An
Unreal Dream: the Michael Morton Story on Netflix and Amazon Prime. John is
delighted to be on stage again with Cone Man Running Productions, having
performed with Cone Man in Inherit the Wind (Henry Drummond), Clue (Col.
Mustard), 12 Angry Jurors (Juror 8), Witness for the Prosecution (Sir Wilfrid
Robarts), and To Kill a Mockingbird (Atticus Finch). He has also performed with
Dirt Dogs Theatre Company in The Graduate (Mr. Robinson), Twilight: Los
Angeles, 1992 (Police Commissioner Stanley Sheinbaum), August: Osage County
(Beverly Weston) and The Minutes (Matt Breeding), as well as with AD Players in
Kingdom Undone (Nicodemus). He may currently be seen on Netflix cross-
examining Glen Powell in an attempted murder trial in Richard Linklater’s film Hit
Man. Before law school, John played varsity football for the University of
Oklahoma Sooners. He thanks God for his wife Kelly, their three children and their
spouses, and his favorite new role: grandfather.
Alice Rhoades
Alice Rhoades (Mrs. Markby) is excited to be appearing again with Cone Man
Productions/Boiling Point Players. Former productions include House/Garden and The Merry
Wives of Windsor. She most recently appeared as the Duke in The Merchant of Venice with The
Live Oak Playhouse, the Monster in The Boy Who Loved Monsters and the Girl Who Loved
Peas at Company Onstage, and Ethel in Barefoot in the Park. with Stageworks Theatre. A
veteran actor and former librarian, she has performed locally with Station Theater, Zoom
Shakespeare, CAST Theatrical Company, Theatre Southwest, Playhouse 1960, Pearl Theater,
Theatre Suburbia, Houston Theatre Company, Scriptwriters Houston, Rice Players, and Baker
Shakespeare.
Kelsi Gallagher
Kelsi Gallagher is a Houston based actor with a BFA in Acting from the University of Houston. She is thrilled to be joining Cone Man Running Productions again. 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, Julius Caesar (Portia) with Cone Man Running Productions and The Learned Ladies (Martine) at the University of Houston. She would like to thank her family and friends for their constant support!
Joan Hodges
Joan is thrilled to be making her debut on the Cone Man Running/Boiling Point Players stage! She is very excited to be working with such a fine cast under the direction of Ruth S. McCleskey in the World Premiere of An Ideal Man. Joan has performed in several theatres in and around Houston, including Unity Theatre, The Owen Theatre, Cast Theatrical, Theatre Southwest, Playhouse 1960, Chapelwood Playhouse, and Tapestry Players. Favorite roles include Daisy in Driving Miss Daisy, Ethel (Mother) in Barefoot in the Park, Juror #1 (Foreman) in Twelve Angry Jurors, Vi Moore in Footloose, Sister Mary Lazarus in Sister Act the Musical, and Hilary St. George in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. The actor Joan most identifies with is Carol Burnett, and she hopes to someday make an entrance wearing green velvet curtains! (Look for the re-runs if you’ve never seen it.) As always, love to her husband, Kevin and dog Riley for all their love, patience and support. Enjoy the show!
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 Boiling Point Players. Favorite roles include Hannah in Crumbs, Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest, and a bunch of Shakespeare's men (plus Maria) with Boiling Point Players, Marci/Lilli in The Beebo Brinker Chronicles with Celebration Theatre, Nicole in Large Animal Games and Esther in Pollywog with Mildred's Umbrella, and Lindsay in Give/Take, Jen in Sunday on the Rocks, and Tilly in Melancholy Play with Cone Man Running. She is also an aerial artist and likes anything she can hang upside down on.
Renata Santoro Smith
Renata is so excited to be back on stage with Boiling Point players and Cone Man Running. She was last seen with Boiling Point in their all female version of Importance of Being Earnest. As usual, Renata would like to thank her family for their flexibility and understanding while she became three new people.
Ruth McCleskey
Ruth S McCleskey graduated with honors from the University of Houston, magna cum laude, with a degree in theater. Her thesis was titled A Directorial Approach to "Who Will Carry the Word?" by Charlotte Delbo. She is a co-founder of Boiling Point Players (BoilingPointPlayers.com) and performs in the two-person long form improv group Ophelia’s Rope (OpheliasRope.com) with Autumn Clack. Amongst her favorite full length directing credits: The End of the World, Melancholy Play, Separating the Art, Positions, Who will carry the word?, 5 Lesbians eating a Quiche, and True Story.
Erin Fergerson
Erin Fergerson is excited for her first production as Stage Manager with Cone Man Running Productions. She grew up volunteering as a stage hand and taking on various tasks from set design to tech. She hopes that you all enjoy the show.
Debra Schultz
Debra Schultz (Set Designer) is pleased to be back at Cone Man Running. Debra works as both a director and scenic designer around Houston. Some of her credits include 4 a.m Friends, Surviving the Night and God of Carnage (directing/design) and To Kill a Mockingbird, Office Hours and Garden of House/Garden (design, ConeMan Running), Ann (directing, The Garden Theater), The Mousetrap, Mama’s Boy, A Few Good Men, Harvey (directing/design), The Elephant Man (directing), and Wait Until Dark, and Crimes of the Heart (design, Stageworks), Harvey (design, Cast Theatrical), True West (directing/design, Country Playhouse), and Silent Sky, The Wisdom of Eve and The Little Hut (design, Theatre Southwest). Debra is a full-time college Theatre professor where she both directs and designs. She is the “D” of S&D Custom Props and Costumes @sdcustomprops.
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.
Katherine Rinaldi
Photos
Articles
Review: AN IDEAL MAN at CONE MAN RUNNING
Oscar Wilde’s AN IDEAL HUSBAND was a play that debuted during a turbulent time in the playwright’s life. He was on trial for “gross indecency,” and this was his treatise on public and private morality, duplicity, and thumbing his nose at society's standards. He was on trial for secrets that were no more remarkable than the men and women in high society around him. It has long been regarded as a classic farce, and Cone Man Running and Boiling Point Players have decided to turn it into a meditation on the machinations of Houston’s River Oaks A-List of 1985. Big hair, big galas, and big reputations are all on full display as we witness the Chilterns having a crisis of faith in how moral they all are. Aerobics meets politics in a rather fun new take on a tried-and-true classic. Big drama, and big thumbs on big noses as the ladies who lunch in 80s-era Houston go Wilde. They have renamed this version AN IDEAL MAN, and it throws in specific time-stamped Htown references, yet still hews close to the original text.
Ruth McCleskey is the adapter and director of this script, professing a love of the source material from the well-known 1999 Rupert Everett and Minnie Driver film. She has assembled a cast game to give this all a go in the very intimate space of Cone Man Running. The concept is a stretch to make this 1980s River Oaks, and some of the note-passing and formal societal conventions that Wilde uses still ring as if they were partying like it was 1899. The cast is comically outfitted in maximal shoulder pads and thirsty wigs that beg for less hairspray and more combing. The Galleria, the country club, and Jamie Lee Curtis in PERFECT are all referenced to give it a period sense, and 80s shorty shorts for Arthur Goring Caversham are anything but sensible in this comedy of manners.
Katherine Rinaldi is appropriately prim and proper as the ultimate good wife, Gertrude Chiltern. She has Linda Evans' innocent white dress, but Joan Collin’s wig as the moral matriarch who thinks her Senator husband is an upright, good Christian citizen. Rinaldi plays it all well, and she’s a standout here for her conviction to the concept of both the text and the conceit. Mark Stanley portrays her hubby, the honorable Senator Robert Chiltrern. He plays it sappy and sweet, and seems incapable of any wrongdoing. Mary Mink has a blast as Mabel, the Senator’s sister who has her eye on eligible bachelor Arthur Goring Caversham. She’s spunky and has a killer, devilish smile. Dano Colón plays Arthur, the stand-in for Wilde, very straight, often not realizing the camp quality of the lines. Yet that works in an odd way (sincere satire), and he does look nice in his shorts. Autumn Clack plays the villain of the piece, Laura Cheveley, a sexy blackmailer who is out to get what she can with a secret that would undo the Senator’s reputation. She seduces everyone blatantly, even recreating a scene or two from BASIC INSTINCT. Amazingly, one of the best performances of the evening comes from the actress playing all the “bit butler” parts, Renata Santoro Smith. She is hysterical and adds plenty of physical comedy to the proceedings. Alice Rhoades, Kelsi Gallagher, and John Raley round out the cast with their funny flourishes as well.
Technically, this group knows how to work this small space. Debra Schultz invents a well-appointed room that doubles as the Chilterns’ and Arthur’s houses. Katherine Rinaldi does double duty as leading lady and Costume Designer, and the looks evoke the era and the place. Ruth S. McCleskey’s direction keeps all the players moving in and out with the appropriate frenetic pace without ever having a mishap. The show is tightly blocked and inventively staged. The wigs added a comical element to the proceedings, but they really do need to be styled. The 80s were not THAT ratty, but then again, I am not admitting to having been there at River Oaks Country Club at that time (spoiler alert, I was).
AN IDEAL MAN is a fun spin on the source material, and it’s charming and affable in its delivery. I like the idea of the cast of DYNASTY suddenly being thrust into Oscar Wilde’s England via River Oaks. There are some anachronisms as a result of sticking closely to the mechanics of the plot, but that shouldn’t offend fans of the text. Could the letter be a fax or a dot-matrix-printer document? No worries, though. If you’re game, this cast is ready to go there. They are all having great fun turning AN IDEAL HUSBAND into a parody of Texas elites here in Houston. You’ll have a good time, and don’t forget to wear your shoulder pads or short shorts. Oh, and tease that hair just a bit more than you think is appropriate.
AN IDEAL MAN runs through April 25th upstairs on the second level of the Spring Street Studios in the Cone Man Running space. It’s a small house, so definitely buy tickets in advance, and get to the theater twenty minutes early to snag your favorite seat.
Pictured are Dano Colón and Mary Mink
Cast Set For AN IDEAL MAN at Cone Man Running Productions
Cone Man Running Productions and Boiling Point Players have revealed the cast and creative team for An Ideal Man, a world premiere adaptation of Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband, set in Houston, 1985, adapted and directed by Ruth S. McCleskey. Performances will run from April 10 through April 25.
Houston, 1985. A senator's spotless reputation, a wife's unshakable ideals, and a glamorous socialite with a dangerous secret. In Texas, oil isn't the only thing that can blow.
Reimagined through the lens of 1980s Houston politics, oil wealth, and high-society intrigue, An Ideal Man explores ambition, morality, and public image in a city where power and appearance are everything.
The cast will feature Katherine Rinaldi as Gertrude Chiltern, Mark Stanley as Senator Robert Chiltern, Mary Mink as Mabel Chiltern, Dano Colón as Arthur Goring Caversham, John Raley as Colonel Caversham, Alice Rhoades as Mrs. Margaret Markby, Kelsi Gallagher as Olivia Basildon, Joan Hodges as Margaret Marchmont, Autumn Clack as Mrs. Laura Cheveley, and Renata Santoro Smith as Vicente de Nanjarro, Mason, and Phipps. The creative team includes director and adapter Ruth S. McCleskey, stage manager Erin Fergeson, set designer Debra Schultz, Costume Designer Katherine Rinaldi, and sound designer moontangdaydream (Sandra Peck Ramsey).
Donors
Alexander Law Firm
Autumn Clack & Andy Robinson
Fernando Dovalina & Barry Browning
Lisa Defalco
Conor Farrell
Amy Hawk
Ruth & Joel McCleskey
Patrice McKinney
Elizabeth Padilla
Katie Rinaldi
Jason Rivas*
Sandra Peck Ramsey*
Adam Robertson*
Lauren Robinson
James Salners
Margaret Rachel Steinert
Lourdes Stranahan
Jasmine Washington
Christine & Michael Weems
Whitney Zangarine
*recurring monthly donations
Special Thanks
University of St. Thomas Drama - Stoic Theatre, Katherine Rinaldi, Andraes Hunt, Joel McCleskey, Autumn Clack, Christine Weems, Malinda L Beckman-Cone, Nan Salinas
Shout out to the early readers of the adaptation Katherine Rinaldi, Autumn Clack, Callina Anderson, Helen Baker, Josh Baker, Amy Pope, Rachna Khare, Sandra Peck Ramsey, Karla Brandau, Megan Nix. And extra big thanks to Michael Weems for all of his help and guidance!
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