CONE MAN CAPERS

presents

An Invitation

Dearest Guest(s),

We’re so delighted that you’ve come aboard the majestic Barracuda for the ocean bound wedding of Ms. Bunny Lee Bangor and Mr. Henry Bowers, but we regret to inform you that their nuptials have been temporarily delayed due to the untimely passing of the Reverend Vance O’Bannon.

As world renowned private investigators, you may know us as Max and Magda Chastain. We’re requesting your assistance in observing the interrogations and behind the scenes moments of the wedding party. Help us follow the clues and put the puzzle pieces together to find which of the seven suspects is guilty. Is it the strangely gothic Aleister Crowley? Perhaps his equally macabre daughter Alison? Or her seemingly sea-sick date Earnest? Maybe the self-acclaimed super talent Rick Carlisle?

After assisting us in the initial crossfire, you will have the opportunity to interrogate the witnesses with a chance to unearth more hidden truths and then choose the true culprit.

With a motley crew of witnesses, multiple hidden motives, and a never before seen murder weapon, can you help us crack the case?

Sincerely,

Max & Magda Chastain

International Private Investigators

Join Cone Man Running Productions on our inaugural online adventure - an interactive, murder mystery where you help solve the crime!

The performances are conducted over video conferencing and aired over YouTube Live. After meeting the suspects, seeing the flashbacks and witnessing the interrogations, the audience will be invited to ask questions of the suspects via YouTube comments which will be asked to the suspects during the performance. Then the audience will vote on who they think did it! With different endings, it's a show that you can see multiple times!

MURDER ON THE DEEP BLUE SEA (IT'S REALLY MORE OF A BAY) by Bryan Maynard and Michael Weems

Cast:
Summer - Helen Rios
Rick Carlisle - Michael Raabe
Bunny Lee Bangor - Renata Smith
Henry Bowers - Reed Halvorson
Aleister Crowley - Bryan Maynard
Alison Crowley - Cassie Randall
Earnest - Conor Farrell
Rev. Vance O'Bannon - Rick Evans
Max Chastain - Ty Fisher
Magda Chastain - Christine Weems
PA Announcer - John Paul Stevenson

Directed by Christine Weems
Stage Manager - Josh T. Baker
Music by Sandra Peck Ramsey
With the character of Earnest courtesy of Ben Plopper

Performances are over YouTube Live:

Friday, July 24 at 8PM CST

Friday, July 31 at 8PM CST

Friday, August 7 at 8PM CST

Thursday, August 13 at 8PM CST

Friday, August 14 at 8PM CST

Tickets are free, but if you like it, please consider making a donation to Cone Man Running!

And it is a wedding so please to RSVP! Because it is online, you can watch the show from wherever you are. Let us know on the form below the night you want to attend the nuptials and we will e-mail you the YouTube link the day before.

Meet the Cast and Crew

RICK EVANS (Vance O'Bannon), just like the character he plays in this caper, is not a saint in real life but that did not stop him from landing an amazing wife and having a beautiful little girl. Rick is a real triple threat - he sings, he dances (but only the Carlton) and he chews with his mouth closed. We are constantly proud of Rick and his achievements in this regard.

CONOR FARRELL (Earnest) typically writes and acts only in short films that either he or his better half writes. But every once in a while...yes, every once in a rare while, Conor is willing to perform for others as long as he is allowed to eat birds and brains as well as ad lib any nonsense he wants - even if it means busting the PG rating we are trying to keep on the show.

TY FISHER (Detective Max Chastain) routinely dances to the music in his own head without any regard to who may be in the green room/zoom call with him. It is one of his many talents, as well as his ability to identify a cocktail just by sight. Although sometimes he whiffs on the brand of booze, but to be fair, all whiskeys look the same in a glass.

REED HALVORSON (Henry Bowers) is new to the Cone Man Running family, having accidentally stumbled in due to a random encounter in Omaha many years ago. That being said, he has assimilated nicely, being granted his own time zone as well as constantly being told how pretty he is by the other men in the cast. Welcome, Reed!

BRYAN MAYNARD (Aleister Crowley and co-playwright) was thrilled to have an excuse to pull out the medallion and black velvet jacket again as well as bring back to life so many of his past creations. He previously teamed up with Michael Weems on Give/Take, where Rick Carlisle and Vance O'Bannon first appeared. However, the Crowleys are a personal favorite of his.

MICHAEL RAABE (Rick Carlisle - Superstar) is always happy to have an excuse to step into the purple scarves and blonde wig of his favorite alter ego. Michael has been a staple in the Houston theater community longer than some people in this cast have been alive. We will leave it to you to guess which ones we are talking about.

CASSIE RANDALL (Allison Crowley) is playing a character that was originally played by Christine Weems, but she honestly plays it better than Christine ever did (and this is not Cassie's ego talking - Christine is writing this bio ). Not only is Cassie crazy talented, but she comes with her own raven which is why we cast her in the first place.

HELEN RIOS is Summer. That's pretty much all you really need to know.

RENATA SMITH (Bunny Bangor) is everything that the character she plays is not - sweet, kind, genuine, and has a name devoid of alliteration. And she doesn't have a Southern accent, but we love her anyway. She does own a tiara though and does look for any reason to wear it because - in her own mind - she is always a queen.

CHRISTINE WEEMS (Detective Magda Chastain and Director) is a delightful ray of sunshine and can brighten everyone's day with just a nod of her little head. She is obsessed with music from the 80s and tries to bring the joy that those songs bring to everyone in her life, every day. She also wrote everybody's bios on this page, including her own, soooo....

MICHAEL WEEMS (Co-Playwright) is a Houston based playwright/librettist. He has previously collaborated with Bryan Maynard on Cone Man's Give/Take. His plays have seen a good chunk of the US/world and now the airwaves/youtube. Current pastimes include: cooking and watching fast cars. www.playsofweems.com

JOSH TIBERIUS BAKER (Stage Manager) is really more of the Zoom Manager since there is no stage and he is constantly having to help us with all of our technical difficulties. Josh is a member of the Cone Man Running Board, keeper of the keys and sound cues and is generally one of the nicest people I know (except that time he put a couch on top of me while I took a nap).