Former
Houston Chronicle assistant managing editor for international coverage turned playwright Fernando Dovalina focuses on the aftermath of one of the most devastating natural disasters ever to hit the
Gulf Coast in Eye of the Storm: Tales from Hurricane Ike. Some of the short plays and monologues have been produced individually, but Cone Man Running Productions is putting nine of them together into an evening-length show to mark the fifth anniversary of the storm. Christine Weems, a member of Cone Man Running, says the show starts off with a conversation among six deadly hurricanes including Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Ike and Tropical Storm Allison. ''The storms are talking about the political impact that they each had on the United States. There's also a wonderful piece about a couple and their son. The father has decided that he wants to live as a woman. The son finds out just before the storm while he's trying to get his parents to leave Galveston. There's another monologue by a dog, who tells about his experiences during the storm.''
While some of the works are poignant, others are humorous. ''The closing play is called A Bag of Ice and it's about this loudmouth, redheaded woman. All she wants to do is buy a frigging bag of ice and she can't find any. She manages to find one, but she’s having to fight people for it.'' Weems says Dovalina was able to depict humorous situations, without resorting to punch lines. ''We're not making fun of anyone's tragedy. This woman thinks it's tragic that she can't find a bag of ice, but Fernando was really sensitive to those issues.'' Eye of the Storm is presented in repertory with A Common Martyr.
8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m. September 16, 2 p.m. September 8 and 15. Through September 21. Studio 101, Spring Street Studios, 1824 Spring. For information, call 281-773-3642 or visit eyeofthestorm.brownpapertickets.com. $15.
Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m.; Mon., Sept. 16, 8 p.m. Starts: Sept. 5. Continues through Sept. 15, 2013