Suburban Supernova by Ian Wehrenberg
Staged Reading
May 12, 2025
6:30 PM
Hosted at Literati Press Bookshop and Creative Writing Center
In a future so near it feels like the present, an impending supernova nears, signifying the end of the world. As the world prepares for its demise, Gideon Winters returns to his middle American suburban hometown after years away living his own private life. Once back he must confront the unspoken demons of his past as everything around him fades permanently to the realm of memory.
Photography by Brittnei Beauchamp Nixon. Check out her work at @brittneibeauchampphotography and on Facebook!
Bios
Cristela Carrizales
ELIZABETH WINTERS
Cristela Carrizales is a respected Oklahoma City actor, singer, improviser and director. She is the former Artistic Director of OKC Improv as well as founder and former Artistic Director of The City Cabaret OKC. Cristela has been teaching improv through various professional development workshops for over 10 years and has appeared in a number of stage productions around Oklahoma City. Highlights include Maeve, Dance Nation (Southern Plain Productions); Ms. Phelps, Matilda; Spong, James & The Giant Peach; Phantom, The Rocky Horror Show (Lyric Theatre); Christmas Eve, Avenue Q (The Pollard Theatre); Helen, Fat Pig; Susan, [title of show] (Ghostlight Theatre Club); Puck, A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Dionne, Hair; Charlotte Lucas, Pride & Prejudice (Reduxion Theatre). During the day, she is the Director of Professional Development and Training for Academic Advising at the University of Oklahoma.
Rainey Denison
ALANA TAYLOR
Rainey Denison (she/her) is an Oklahoma City based Actress. She recently graduated From UCO with a bachelor’s in Fine Arts Acting. She is most known for her roles as Annie Cannon in Silent Sky, Violet Weston in August: Osage County, and Huldey in The Moors. She would like to give a shoutout to the playwright Ian for always inspiring her & being a wonderful friend!
Anevay Greenwood
STAGE DIRECTIONS
Anevay Greenwood (she/her) graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance from The University of Central Oklahoma. She is an actress, director, and playwright based in Oklahoma City. She is from the Otoe-Missouria tribe. She is a current company member of the Oklahoma Indigenous Theatre Company. In 2018, Anevay was in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. She is also a member of the Oklahoma Film Actors Studio. She has been involved in the Chickasaw Arts Academy as a student, and now a fourth year instructor for theatre performance.
Erik Hamilton
DANIEL WINTERS
Erik Hamilton (he/him) is a filmmaker, writer, and actor who graduated with a BFA in Acting from Oklahoma City University. Erik’s debut directorial feature Joey Witten is a Big Stupid Idiot and I Hate Him is currently gearing up for its festival run (trailer’s out on the “Big Stupid Idiot Film” Instagram!). Erik also worked on the film crews for Twisters, Tulsa King, and Killers of the Flower Moon. But Erik’s earliest love was the theatre; having performed theatre across Oklahoma, Texas, Edinburgh, and Beijing, Erik is so stoked to come back to his theatrical roots and share this experience with you all!
Zach Kernal
WYATT GARDNER
Zach Kernal is a queer playwright, artist, and student researcher. They are currently pursuing their Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing from the University of Central Oklahoma, where they have served as the president of the Golden Ponies Creative Writers Guild since 2023. They presented their research, “How Did We Get Here? Queer History Told Through Playwriting,” at the 2025 National Conference for Undergraduate Research in Pittsburgh. Zach has had two plays, “Things That You Or I Do Or Have Done,” and “Phone Tag!”, produced and performed during the 2023 and 2024 Theatre Crude Fringe festivals, respectively. They can be found on Instagram at @zed_art1.
Wil Rogers
JOSEPH WINTERS
Wil Rogers (he/him) has been recently seen as Bob Crachit at Pollard Theatre, where he has performed for 20 years in such roles as Ash in Evil Dead: The Musical (‘14 & ‘19) and Freddy in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. He recently reprised his role of Frank in The Rocky Horror Show at The Boom. Wil has acted and directed in 19 seasons with OK Shakespeare, has written, acted in, and directed over 40 productions for OK Children’s Theatre, and been seen at every other local theater. In NY and OK, he has amassed voice-over, commercial and film credits and recently returned to UCO to finish his bachelors, where years ago through the theatre and music theatre departments, he competed multiple times in Irene Ryans and acted in the 1st Alternate to Nationals production of Pterodactyls. He can be found on Instagram at @wileyp0st.
Isaiah Williams
GIDEON WINTERS
Isaiah Williams (he/him) is an actor, director and costume designer based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and a graduate of Oklahoma City University. At Lyric Theatre: Mother Road (James/Ensemble). At Southern Plains Productions: RENT (Ensemble/Collins u/s). At Actors Theatre of Louisville: Are you There? (Luther Vandross/Ensemble) Fifth Third Bank’s A Christmas Carol (Topper, Ensemble, Christmas Present u/s). He also serves as the Program Coordinator/Artistic Director of Taylor Performing Arts Center with Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation. He sends a gigantic thank you to Zach and Emily for this opportunity, and to Ian for this gorgeous piece of theatre.
Zachary Scalzo
DIRECTOR
Zachary Scalzo (he/they) is a queer theatremaker, writer, and translator whose theatrical work has been developed and performed both in the United States and in Canada. He was the Artist in Residence in the English Department at the University of Central Oklahoma from 2022-2025, and is the current President of the LP Writer’s Co-Op in the Paseo. ⅓ of Whatever Works and ½ of Two-Player Theory, they can be found at azachofalltrades.com and on Instagram at @zjscalzo.
Ian Wehrenberg
PLAYWRIGHT
Ian Wehrenberg (he/him) is a writer, actor, director and 2024 BFA Theatre Performance graduate from the University of Central Oklahoma. His credits include Emma (Robert Martin, Storyteller Theatre), Phone Tag! (Marvin, Theatre Crude), White (Gus, UCO) for which he was a semi-finalist for the Kennedy Center Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship. Ian is so excited to share his play Suburban Supernova and thanks Zach, Emily, David and the Whatever Works team for this opportunity and extends love and thanks to his family and friends who have continued to pour in and support him. He can be found on instagram @ibwehrenberg.
Whatever Works 