World Premiere of
End of the World
by Michael Weems

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Playwright’s Note

Devin isn’t a hero. She’s not a villain. She’s not an antihero. She’s neither a cautionary tale nor an after school special. She’s simply a person who spiraled downward when life became unmanageable, despite the best efforts from her loved ones.

In her (and the people in her universe) I hope you can find a moment of empathy, humor, or reflection.

At the end of the day, Devin doesn’t want to be like this. Its not fun, or quirky, or hashtaggable. While its easy to presume she’d swap lives with anyone else in the audience tonight, she doesn’t truly know how your day was or what’s going on in your head either.

Michael Weems. 1/18/24.

Cast

Creative Team

Meet the Company

Adina Opalek

Devin

Adina Opalek (Devin) is honored to work on this production. Adina was most recently seen on the Cone Man stage in Surviving the Night (Joy) and God of Carnage (Veronica). Other recent appearances include Catholic School Girls (Colleen/Sister Mary Lucille) at On the Verge Theatre; The Dead Eye Boy (Shirley-Diane), Talk Radio (Linda), and Shakin’ the Blue Flamingo (Cory) at Dirt Dogs Theatre Co.; Shakespeare in Love (Queen Elizabeth) as a guest artist with University of St. Thomas Drama; Macbeth (Seyton/Lady Macbeth) at Creative Movement Practices; RENT (Maureen) at Island ETC; and A Doll’s House (Nora) at Theatre Southwest. Adina is an IDC-certified Consent-Forward Artist and a member of the Dramatists Guild of America. She received her B.A. in Integrative Arts (Theatre & Creative Writing) while at The Pennsylvania State University Schreyer Honors College.

Brian Kondrach

Bradley

Brian Kondrach is an actor and improvisor in Houston, TX. A lifelong lover of improv comedy, he has trained with UCB LA, Second City, Station Theater, and ComedySportz. He can be found at the Preston Theater most weekends competing in a ComedySportz match. He is thrilled to make his return to a dramatic stage production with Cone Man Running. When not acting, he teaches sitcom and improv at Page Parkes or can be seen riding bikes to breweries. He would like to thank Sarah, Victoria and Otto for their continued love and support.

Andrea Torres

Ella

Andrea is delighted to be working with Cone Man Running Productions again! Andrea studied at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre (Meisner Intensive) and at Agnes Scott College (B.A. in Theatre). Her recent credits include: El Principito (Hispanic Alliance for Performing and Audiovisual Arts), Massacre Sing to Your Children (The Alta Arts), Body of Christie (Stages), Don’t Quit (Teatrx), Separating the Art (Cone Man Running Productions). She would like to thank her family for all of their support.

Katherine Rinaldi

Poppy

Katherine Rinaldi is excited to be joining Cone Man Running Productions once again. She has appeared in theatre productions in the Houston area since 2011. Previous credits included A Midsummer Night's Dream - Shakespeare in the Shade (Titania/Hippolyta), Shakin' the Blue Flamingo - Dirt Dogs Theatre Co.: Unleashed (Anne), Macbeth - Creative Movement Practices (Lady Macbeth) and Sunday on the Rocks - Cone Man Running Productions (Jessica), to name just a few. In addition to acting Katherine has also worked as a costume designer on numerous productions, and most recently co-directed her first show, Melancholy Play by Sarah Ruhl with Cone Man Running Productions. Katherine Received her BA in Drama from the University of St. Thomas in 2010, and has also studied Meisner and Shakespearean Verse through the Kim Tobin Acting Studio. You can next see Katherine in King Charles III with the University of St. Thomas later this year.

Alison Coriell

Ms Bell/Sloane/Etc

Alison Coriell is excited to be performing with coneman productions again for the first time since 2016. She is a mother of three and grateful for the opportunity to get away from them. ;)

Aaron Garrett

Emmett

Aaron Garrett is excited to return to the Cone Man Stage and annoyed that he has to deal with his own height while lighting. As an actor he has performed with Cone Man previously in Smatterings and The Cindy Variations, and as a lighting designer with innumerable productions, but most recently for Melancholy Play and Greatest Play in the History of the World. As a writer, actor, and designer he has worked with Boiling Point Players, Company Onstage, Stages Rep., and others including his own Pronoia Theater which performs improv at Eureka Heights Brew Co.

Cindy Lou Parker

Stagehand

Cindy Lou Parker is an American actress, dancer, and choreographer. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Sam Houston State University. While attending college, she was chosen to be a part of the American Theatre Wing’s SpringboardNYC acting program. She was also an intern for the NYC Tap Festival and the American Tap Dance Foundation. Some of her stage credits include You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Sally), Crazy For You (Patsy), and Legally Blonde: The Musical (Margot). She can also be seen in short films such as Seed, 4 or More (Gin and Tonic Films), and Dreamland Murders (Echo Pictures) which has been selected by New World Cinemas for its 2016 showcase at the Marche Du Cannes.

Autumn Clack

Stagehand

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.

Ruth S McCleskey

Director/Set & Prop Design

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: Separating the Art, Positions, Fragments, Who will carry the Word?, 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, True Story, and Melancholy Play. 

Sandra Peck Ramsey

Musical Score

Sandra Peck Ramsey is thrilled to be returning to Cone Man Running for another world premiere. She was last seen on this stage in MELANCHOLY PLAY composing original music as JULIA. Sandra plays TRACEY in Pronoia Theater’s original sci-fi sitcom podcast SPACE TRAIN (now streaming wherever you listen to podcasts). Past roles include Corrie (BAREFOOT IN THE PARK), Sister James (DOUBT), Catherine (PROOF), Octavia (ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA), Elizabeth (THE CRUCIBLE), Lady Caroline (ENCHANTED APRIL). Music credits include original music written for TWELFTH NIGHT (BPP & Company Onstage), SEPARATING THE ART (Cone Man Running Productions), SPACE TRAIN (Pronoia Theater), TALE OF TWO SANTAS (Company Onstage) & in the upcoming world premiere of START YOUR ENDINGS. She wants to thank her amazing partner, Seth Carter, for being a constant source of inspiration and encouragement. Follow SPR on Instagram: @moontangdaydream

Aaron Garrett

Light Design

Katherine Rinaldi

Set Design/Costume Design

Rachna Khare

Stage Manager

A lifelong lover of all things logistics, Rachna Khare is thrilled to support this production as Stage Manager. Rachna is a native Houstonian, proud patron of local theater, and ultimate fan of thought-provoking projects led by phenomenal women. Her talents include brainstorming, taking great notes, and getting sh*t done. When she’s not supporting the cast backstage, Rachna leads Daya, a local nonprofit that supports survivors of intimate partner violence.

Michael Weems

Playwright

Michael Weems is a Houston based playwright with many credits across the world. He’s a graduate of Univ. Of Nebraska at Omaha (MFA playwriting), founding board member of Cone Man Running and the Artistic Director for their Five Minute Mile. Thank you to the cast and crew, Christine, Tommy Jack and Samuel, and especially Ruth for her vision in bringing what originally felt like an impossible story to the stage.

Cone Man Running Productions to Present World Premiere Play END OF THE WORLD by Michael Weems

Cone Man Running Productions will present the world premiere of "End of the World," a captivating play by renowned local Houston playwright Michael Weems. Directed by the talented Ruth S McCleskey, this groundbreaking production promises to be a thought-provoking exploration of family, self, and survival.

In "End of the World," audiences will follow the journey of Devon, a woman pushed to her limits as a mother, wife, and disgruntled employee. As her life unravels in the midst of everyday chaos, a literal storm of the century descends upon her world, challenging her sanity, sense of family, and the very essence of survival. The play weaves a gripping narrative that explores the human condition against the backdrop of an impending cataclysm.

Cast

Adina Opalek, Brian Kondrach, Andrea Torres, Katherine Rinaldi, Alison Coriell, Aaron Garrett, Cindy Lou Parker and Autumn Clack.

Musical score by Sandra Peck Ramsey

Light Design by Aaron Garrett

Set Design by Ruth McCleskey & Katherine Rinaldi

Costume Design by Katherine Rinaldi

Stage Managed by Rachna Khare

Learn More

Performances

Friday, February 9 at 8pm

Saturday, February 10 at 8pm

Monday, February 12 at 8pm

Friday, February 16 at 8pm

Saturday, February 17 at 8pm

Sunday, February 18 at 4pm

Thursday, February 22 at 8pm

Friday, February 23 at 8pm

Saturday, February 24 at 8pm

All performances will take place at Cone Man Running's Studio, located at 1824 Spring Street, Suite 233, Houston, Texas 77007.

Tickets for this world premiere are priced at $20, with special rates of $15 for students, teachers, seniors, industry, veterans and groups of 7 or more.

Don't miss the opportunity to witness the world premiere of "End of the World" and experience an unforgettable evening of drama, emotion, and survival.

For ticket reservations and more information, visit www.conemanrunning.com/end or contact the box office at (281)972-5897 or info@conemanrunning.com.

Donors

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
Ruth S McCleskey
Patrice McKinney
Susan Noe
Kathryn Noser
Copper Buthman Paradiso
Ben Plopper
Michael Raabe
Sandra Peck Ramsey
Lee Raymond
Katherine Rinaldi
Jason Jonathon Rivas
Adam Roberson
John William Stevens
William Tynan
Hilary Unger
Christine & Michael Weems

SPECIAL THANKS

Emmy Dunlop

Joel McCleskey

Drew Oliver

Support Local Theater

Cone Man Running is grateful to have our own home in Spring Street Studios. It allows us the opportunity to create more unique and interesting opportunities for the writers, directors, actors and designers in Houston's theatre community as well as across the world.

Would you like to support us in our endeavors? Go to conemanrunning.com/donate