Beth F. Milles (Director) is the founder of Banter Company, which focuses on the adaptation of classical theatre for the modern audience. Banter credits include Servant of Two Masters at Bergamot Station (three LA Ovation Nominations) and The Love of Three Oranges (ASK Commonground Festival). At the Actors Gang in LA, Beth directed the West Coast premiere of Self Defense (three LA Weekly Awards), Private Battle (three LA Weekly Nominations) and adapted/directed The Imaginary Invalid (four LA Ovation Awards). Other directing credits include She Stoops to Conquer (Shakespeare Santa Cruz) and Julia Sweeney's God Said “Ha!” on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre. Additional credits include new works by Wendy Wasserstein, Will Scheffer, John Ford Noonan and Steven Sater. She has developed work at many well known theatres including Playwrights Horizons, The Juilliard School, The Sundance Theatre Institute, American Repertory Theatre, Young Playwrights, Inc, New York Stage and Film, The Mark Taper Forum, New York Shakespeare Festival, ASK Theatre Projects and South Coast Repertory Theatre. Beth has taught extensive workshops in Farce and Commedia dell'Arte and is on the Acting/Directing faculty at Cornell University.

Duncan Sheik (Composer) is a Grammy award nominated singer and songwriter. His 1996 self-titled debut, which included the hig singles “Barely Breathing” and “She Runs Away,” was an enormous popular and critical success, spending 30 weeks on the Billboard 200. His song “Wishful Thinking” was included in the 1998 soundtrack for the movie Great Expectations. His other albums include “Humming,” and “Phantom Moon,” with lyrics by Steven Sater, and “Daylight.” His new album “White Limousine” hit stores January, 2006. He has written music for the musical Spring Awakening based on the Frank Wedekind play, which was performed as a part of Lincoln Center Theatre’s “Great American Songbook Series” and is forthcoming at the Atlantic Theatre. Duncan is currently working with Sater on a new musical called The Nightingale. He has toured with such artists as Jewel, Shawn Colvin and Jars of Clay in addition to headlining his own North American club tour. He has made national television appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, CBS This Morning and others. Mr. Sheik is a graduate of Brown University.

Sofia Ahmad (Octavia / Poppea / Ensemble) is very happy to return to the Magic for another Hot House, having appeared in last season’s The Black Eyed. Local credits include: San Francisco Shakespeare Festival (Hero in Much Ado), San Jose Stage (Treasure of the Sierra Madre), Shotgun Players (Caucasian Chalk Circle), CCT (I Hate Hamlet), New Conservatory, Cutting Ball and Golden Thread. A handful of years ago, she was a competitive ballroom dancer and has taught and/or competed in New York, England, Italy and the Bay Area. Sofia holds a BFA from New York University, where she studied at the Stella Adler Conservatory. Many thanks to this stellar group of collaborators.

David Cramer* (Seneca / Narcissus / Ensemble) has a BFA from the University of New Mexico, studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, HB Studios in New York and Harvey Lembeck’s Comedy Improv workshop in LA. Local theatre credits (among others): Quills with Shotgun Players, Magic Theatre's Ted Kaczinski Killed People With Bombs and the award-winning Word For Word/Shotgun Production Winesburg, Ohio. Principle roles in television include The Waltons, M*A*S*H*, Battlestar Galactica, Nash Bridges among others. He dedicates these performances to Sally. This is for you, Mom.

Drew Hirshfield* (Nero), a Bay Area native, has worked for Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Sacramento Theatre Company, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Marin Shakespeare and Summer Repertory Theatre. He holds a BA from UC Davis and is currently a third-year student in ACT's MFA program. He most recently appeared at ACT in A Christmas Carol and in the ACT MFA Program’s production of The Caucasian Chalk Circle. He is delighted to make his Magic Theatre debut.

Andrew Hurteau* (Boccaccio / Burrus / Tigillinus / Ensemble) Nero marks Andrew’s fifth full production at the Magic. He appeared in last year’s Hot House in Chris Smith’s production of The Rules of Charity. He has also been seen in John O’Keefe’s Brönte, Charles Mee’s Summertime and in Shrödinger's Girlfriend. He understudied Faustus in David Mamet’s Dr. Faustus and he has worked on countless readings and workshops in this very room. Elsewhere, he was seen most recently in California Shakespeare Theatre's Nicholas Nickelby, Parts I and II, playing 10 characters. He’s appeared at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Aurora Theatre Company, Marin Theatre Company and Word for Word, among others. He spent the Fall working on his most important project: Chloe Irene Hurteau, born August 26th.

Joe Mandragona (Britannicus / Sporus / Ensemble) was recently seen at Magic Theatre in the extension of The Hopper Collection. Other Magic credits include The Opposite of Sex and The 13 Hallucinations of Julio Rivera. Regional theatre credits include Fêtes de la Nuit (Berkeley Repertory Theatre); Julius Caesar, Arms and the Man, Measure for Measure, Much Ado About Nothing (California Shakespeare Theater); Caucasian Chalk Circle, Orestes 2.0, Escape From Happiness (The Center for Theatre Arts); Peter and the Wolf (Napa Valley Repertory Theatre). Film credits include American Peepshow, Valley of the Heart’s Delight. BA: UC Berkeley. Love to the family and to the DMV.

Catherine Smitko* (Agrippina / Dressing Woman / Ensemble - Nero) A Chicago native, Catherine was most recently seen as Domina in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Marriot Theatre. Other theatre credits include Chicago Shakespeare’s NEA Tour of Romeo and Juliet; The Rose Tattoo, Heartbreak House and A Christmas Carol at The Goodman Theatre; Future City Homosexual Tells All at The Theatre Building and Chicago at Court. She has performed her cabaret act, Black and Blue, at the Royal George Theatre and toured with it in Sweden. She has also performed with MCA recording artists Blue Meanies. Ms. Smitko's voice has been recorded for radio, theatre and commercials.