Meet Ruth McCleskey

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ruth McCleskey. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ruth, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

For me, creativity thrives when I stay curious, connected, and engaged. There are three key things that help keep my creative energy flowing:

Choosing projects that resonate. I gravitate toward work that excites me—whether that’s new plays, stories that center women, or collaborations with artists I admire and respect. When I’m personally invested, it’s much easier to stay imaginative and inspired.

Practicing improv. Performing improvisation is one of the best ways I keep my creativity sharp. It trains me to stay present, think on my feet, and view situations from unexpected angles—which all carry over into my work as a creator and collaborator.

Feeding my artistic appetite. I make it a priority to consume all kinds of art. Whether it’s theater, museums, live music, or books, immersing myself in others’ creative work helps me stay inspired and continuously discover new ideas and perspectives.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I work with two Houston-based theater companies: Cone Man Running Productions and Boiling Point Players. At Cone Man, I help manage our facilities — something that’s especially important for smaller companies where everyone juggles full-time jobs alongside their artistic work. I also frequently direct shows with them, and I’m deeply aligned with their mission to champion new works and emerging voices in theater.

Boiling Point Players is especially close to my heart because I co-founded it with Autumn Clack and Melanie Martin. Our company was created with a clear purpose: to produce shows that give stage time and space to female-identifying performers. Autumn and I have known each other for over 20 years, but it wasn’t until we started Boiling Point that we actually shared a stage together — something that felt long overdue. There are so many talented women artists in Houston, and honestly, I’m greedy — I want the chance to work with as many of them as possible.

I also perform with Ophelia’s Rope, an improv duo made up of me and Autumn Clack. We’ve been performing together since 2005 and officially formed Ophelia’s Rope in 2012, making us Houston’s longest-running improv troupe. One of the reasons we decided to become a duo is because improv troupes can be transient — people move on, life shifts — and we wanted to create something that could truly endure. We’re thrilled to be celebrating 20 years of improv partnership with a special anniversary show on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at Station Theater.

Across all of my work, whether it’s scripted or improvised, what excites me most is collaboration — building something meaningful, honest, and entertaining alongside people I admire. That’s the heart of everything I do.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, three qualities have been especially impactful in shaping my journey:

Organization. Balancing a creative life with a 9-to-5 job takes discipline. It’s important to make time for the work — whether that’s reading scripts, rehearsing, or just taking a much-needed break. Structure creates the space for creativity to thrive. My advice? Don’t wait for free time to appear. Schedule your creative time like any other commitment and protect it.

Respect. Collaboration is at the heart of everything I do, and being respectful — to your collaborators, to the process, and to yourself — is essential. That means listening generously, giving people the benefit of the doubt, and setting healthy boundaries. It also means recognizing and honoring the wide range of artists out there — from professionals doing it full-time, to those returning after a break, to folks just starting out or exploring. Be the kind of collaborator you wish you’d had early on in your own artistic journey.

Curiosity. Staying curious has kept me inspired. Every project, every cast, every audience offers an opportunity to learn — not just about your art, but about people, perspective, and possibility. For those starting out: keep asking questions, stay open, and let your curiosity lead you. That mindset will take you further than perfection ever could.

These three qualities — organization, respect, and curiosity — have helped me build a creative life that’s both sustainable and deeply connected to others.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

There are many books that have influenced me over the years, but one that stands out recently is Born Standing Up by Steve Martin. It’s part memoir, part masterclass on performance, and it resonated with me deeply — not just as a performer, but as someone who constantly juggles creativity, self-doubt, and the drive to grow.

One of the biggest takeaways was the value of originality. Martin didn’t want to copy anyone — he wanted to do something no one had seen before. That boldness, that willingness to fail in pursuit of something new, really stuck with me. He talks about how comedy is a distortion of what’s happening, and how there will always be something happening — which means there’s always something to work with creatively.

Another impactful idea is the importance of precision. Every movement, every moment, every beat should serve a purpose — to move the story forward, to engage the audience, or to fill the space with intention. That level of care and detail is something I strive for, whether I’m directing, acting or improvising.

I also appreciated Martin’s honesty about the psychological toll of performance — comedy death, as he calls it, being somehow worse than actual death. But even in failure, he found ways to cheer himself up with creative delusions and keep pushing forward. That mindset — of finding joy even when things feel hard — has helped me through countless late-night rehearsals and off nights.

And maybe the most enduring idea? Letting go. Martin writes about how in psychoanalysis you try to retain a discovery, but in art, once the thing is made, you let it go. That idea — of not clinging too tightly, but instead trusting the process and moving forward — is one I come back to again and again.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://opheliasrope.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opheliasrope
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OpheliasRope
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpheliasRope
• Other: https://www.conemanrunning.com/

  https://boilingpointplayers.com/

Image Credits

Photo by Jonathan Moonen
Jessica Brown
Michelle Odgers Dunlop