Betty Shamieh
(Playwright) is a writer who was born to Palestinian parents in San Francisco.  Her play The Black Eyed had its world premiere at Magic Theatre, its Greek premiere at Theatre Fournos of Athens, and its New York premiere at New York Theatre Workshop.  She was awarded the opportunity to spend a year in residence at Magic Theatre as an NEA/TCG playwriting fellow.  The New Group production of her play Roar in 2004 was selected as a New York Times Critics’ Pick for its entire extended run.  Shamieh performed in her play of monologues Chocolate in Heat in three sold-out off-off-Broadway runs and in over twenty venues across the United States.  In 2008, Territories will have its European premiere at the European Capital of Culture Festival, also known as the European “Cultural Olympics.” A graduate of Harvard University and the Yale School of Drama, Shamieh is currently working on a Second Stage Theatre/Time Warner commission of a new play and her first novel. www.bettyshamieh.com.

Nora el Samahy*
(Alia) was last seen in let the northern lights erase your name with Campo Santo at Intersection for the Arts. She performed in Magic Theatre's productions of Expedition 6 and The Black Eyed.  Since moving to the Bay Area, Nora has worked with foolsFURY, Traveling Jewish Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Exit Theater, Theatre Rhinoceros, Woman’s Will, Shotgun Players, Golden Thread Productions, African American Shakespeare Company, and the San Francisco Shakespeare Company.  Nora is a certified Pilates instructor and co-owner of Studio 74 Pilates with business partner Jennifer Moulton.  She is honored to be collaborating with Jessica Heidt, Betty Shamieh, and this excellent team. Love and respect to her family and friends.

Rod Gnapp*
(Reginald) is a graduate of the American Conservatory Theater MFA Program and a veteran of Bay Area stages. He was last seen in ACT’s production of The Rain Maker.  He also performed recently at TheatreWorks in their production of The Elephant Man, and also Marin Theatre Company’s production of Frozen. Rod can be seen later this season in ACT’s productions of The Inspector General and Curse of the Starving Class.

Alfredo Narciso*
(Saladin) is originally from Wisconsin, transplanted to NYC, and happily sojourning in San Francisco at the Magic. In New York he has worked on, off, and off-off Broadway at theatres such as: Roundabout, New York Theatre Workshop, New Group, Rattlestick, Lark, The Flea, etc. Recently, he has worked with iconoclastic Flemish director Ivo Van Hove on a deconstructed version of Moliere’s The Misanthrope and the inimitable Robert Woodruff on Jean Racine's Britannicus (for the latter of which he received an Elliot Norton nomination for Best Actor). Like many New York actors, he has, predictably, appeared on Law & Order, as well as, a handful of other episodics/indie films, but his true love is working on new plays, many with his theatre company Partial Comfort Productions (www.partialcomfort.org). Many thanks to the Magic, Jessica, Betty, and the cast and crew of Territories for this experience.

Brandi Brandes
(Percussionist) was musically raised on drum corps and classic rock, which was the foundation of a love for the dramatic dynamics of percussion-based music and an understanding of music as a community-based art form. Since moving to San Francisco from Minneapolis in 1997, she has had the great opportunity to experience and explore percussion of the world for a wide array of audiences, beginning with the opportunity to study with SF Ballet percussionist David Rosenthal and Machete Ensemble arranger/ composer/director John Calloway while earning a BA in Music with emphasis in Jazz & World Percussion. She has performed with the Tennessee Valley Orchestra, Punk Rock Orchestra, Arabic oud/Flamenco guitar player Ahmed Drief, Venezuelan vocalist Rennea Couttenye, Be The Groove percussion ensemble, Nobody from Ipanema, the Du Uy Quintet, and a broad range of pick-up performances, including timpani, congas, and vibraphone for Petula Clark at San Francisco's Herbst Theatre. Theatrical orchestra credits include West Side Story, The Wiz, Killing My Lobster, and Fiddler on the Roof. 

Fumiko Bielefeldt+
(Costume Design) is happy to be a part of the design team for the 2007-08 season at the Magic, where she has previously designed costumes for God of Hell, The Right Kind of People, and Dr. Faustus among others. Her designs have appeared at TheatreWorks, American Conservatory Theater, Marin Theatre Company, California Shakespeare Festival, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Theatre of Yugen, Stanford University, and others in the Bay Area, as well as Missouri Repertory Theatre, Tokyo Theatre of Children, and Tokyo Shitamachi Theatre Festival.  She has received a number of awards for her designs, including the 2004 Barbara Bladen Porter Special Award, Bay Area Theatre Critics’ Circle Awards, Dean Goodman Choice Awards, and Drama-Logue Awards.

Paul Cello
(Assistant Director) is an Artistic Associate at the Magic and is pleased to be involved with another terrific production. Paul has worked in the worlds of theatre and film for over 15 years and has had the pleasure of directing, stage managing or acting at Steppenwolf Theatre, Shakespeare and Company, The Chichester Festival Theatre, Royal Court in England, and the Interlochen Center for the Arts. In addition, Paul was on the Academy Award-winning visual effects production team for The Matrix.  Paul is also a management consultant in the areas of leadership development and collaboration.

Melpomene Katakalos
(Set Design) is pleased to be designing at the Magic again, where she has most recently designed Hot House 2006's Nero and Morbidity & Mortality. As a Bay Area designer for the last 10 years, she has designed scenery for over 50 productions for several theatre companies, educational institutions, and festivals. Ms. Katakalos is also a founding member and resident artist of Crowded Fire, dedicated to producing new and contemporary works. She is twice the recipient of the San Diego Playbill Award for her designs of the West Coast premiere of Sarah Ruhl's Eurydice, and Marat/Sade. In addition to her freelance career, Ms. Katakalos also teaches scenic design at UC Berkeley. She received her MFA in design from UC San Diego, and her BFA from Ithaca College, NY. Thanks to Timmy.

Monique Jenkinson
(Choreographer) has worked in the realms of dance, theatre, drag, and performance art for the last 15 years. She has created and performed both locally and internationally at such venues as ODC Theater, CounterPULSE, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the de Young Museum, and Trannyshack in SF; Danspace Project in NYC; Gay Pride in Reykjavik; Supperclub in Amsterdam; Too2Much and Royal Vauxhall Tavern in London; and the Coachella Music Festival. Monique’s drag queen alter ego, Fauxnique (Miss Trannyshack ‘03), is a prolific fixture on the experimental performance scene, and continues to deliver new creations to the nightclub stage on a regular basis. Monique spent five years as co-director (with actor Kevin Clarke) of the performance duo Hagen & Simone; is a current artist-in-residence at ODC Theater; a past artist-in-residence at CounterPULSE; and a 2007 recipient (with mentor Keith Hennessey) of the CHIME Grant.  She graduated from Bennington College with a BA in Dance and Literature. Monique is thrilled to be working at the Magic a second time, her first being Enrique Urueta’s The Danger of Bleeding Brown at the 2006 Bay Area Playwrights’ Festival.

Will McCandless
(Sound Design) is a sound designer and engineer based in San Francisco.  Most recently at the Magic, Will was the sound engineer for Rust, Pleasure and Pain, Luminescence Dating, and Moving Right Along.  Will is excited to return to the Magic this season as a sound designer.  Recent sound design credits include How the Other Half Loves (Center REP), David Copperfield (American Conservatory Theater MFA Program), The Water Engine and Assassins (Custom Made Theatre Company), and All in the Timing (Actors Ensemble of Berkeley).  Will is also the sound engineer for the fabulous San Francisco Mime Troupe.

Ray Oppenheimer
(Light Design) obtained his BA in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Lighting Design from The University of California Santa Cruz in 2005. His local credits include designing A Place To Stand at The Intersection for the Arts, Homeland (a new musical) with The San Francisco New Theater Workshop at Magic Theatre, Clown Bible with Ten Red Hen Productions at The MetalShop Theatre, The Cryptogram with Shotgun Players at the Ashby Stage.  Ray is very happy to be designing at Magic Theatre.

Karen Runk*
(Stage Manager) has become a True West resident as she enters her twelfth year of living in San Francisco.  It's not A Question of Mercy, Mules, or even Gum as to why she keeps returning to Magic Theatre.  Runk only has Eyes for Consuela, Julio, Nero and theatre companies who produce new works.  Over the last few years Runk has come to question her own Morbidity and Mortality, is it really all worth it?  Moving Right Along.  To further sum up, while working with the Magic, Runk has definitely experienced both Pleasure & Pain.  Nevertheless, she is grateful to be continually rehired by a company were her skills won't turn to Rust and she is already looking forward to next season, when the Magic will head into new Territories, once again.

* Member of Actors’ Equity Association. AEA, founded in 1913, represents more than 45,000 actors and stage managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. The Equity emblem is our mark of excellence. www.actorsequity.org.

+Member of United Scenic Artists local 829. United Scenic Artists represents the designers and scenic painters for the American Theatre.