Playwright
Photographs of David Mamet by Brigitte Lacombe.

David Mamet (playwright and director) is the author of the plays Oleanna, Glengarry Glen Ross (1984 Pulitzer Prize and New York Drama Critics Circle Award), American Buffalo, A Life in the Theatre, Speed-the-Plow, Edmond, Lakeboat, The Water Engine, The Woods, Sexual Perversity in Chicago, Reunion, The Cryptogram (1995 Obie Award), The Old Neighborhood, and Boston Marriage. His translations and adaptations include Red River by Pierre Laville and The Cherry Orchard, Three Sisters, and Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov. His films include, as writer, The Postman Always Rings Twice, The Verdict, The Untouchables, Hoffa, The Edge, Wag the Dog, The Winslow Boy, as writer/ director, House of Games, Oleanna, Homicide, The Spanish Prisoner, State and Main, and Heist. He is also the author of Warm and Cold and Bar Mitzvah, books for children with illustrations by Donald Sultan, and three other children's books: Passover, The Duck and the Goat, and Henrietta; five volumes of essays: Writing in Restaurants, Some Freaks, The Cabin, Make-Believe Town, and Jaffsie and John Henry; two books of poems: The Hero Pony and Chinaman; The Children's Plays, On Directing Film, True and False, Three Uses of the Knife: On the Nature and Purpose of Drama, South of the Northeast Kingdom, Five Cities of Refuge: Weekly Reflections on Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy written with Lawrence Kushner, and the novels The Village, The Old Religion, And Wilson.

- close window -

CAST


Ben Beecroft (son) Dr. Faustus is Ben's professional debut. He is a fourth grade student at Tam Valley School in Mill Valley, where he has taken part in several school plays and acting classes at Marin Theater Conservatory. He is an avid roller hockey and baseball player, and is entertaining his family with his efforts to play the violin.

 
   

Dominic Hoffman* (magus) has a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from University of California at Santa Cruz. He received his theatrical training at American Conservatory Theatre, LAMDA, and NYU Film School. His theatrical credits include work at Berkeley Shakespeare Festival, Williamstown Theatre Festival, South Coast Repertory, Mark Taper Forum, New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, San Diego Rep, New Mexico Rep, and A Noise Within. Dominic is the recent recipient of two Ovation Awards for his one man show, Uncle Jacques' Symphony. He has recently completed an episode of FX’s hit drama The Shield, directed by David Mamet. Directing credits include Macbeth, A Soldier's Play, and the critically acclaimed one man show Ali, starring David Roberson. As a writer he has been produced in many mediums. His radio play, The Hidden Hero, chronicled the life of master scout, trapper, and mountain man, James P. Beckwourth. For TV, he has penned several episodes of A Different World.

 

Sandra Lindquist* (wife) Born in a small town in Sweden with wanderlust, Sandra has lived and worked in London, Tokyo, Lisbon, and New York. She studied acting at Mountview Theatre Academy in London and is a graduate of the Neighborhood Playhouse in NYC. Sandra has appeared on television starring in the pilot Crash and Bymes and as a guest-star on the series Hunter. Her film work includes Cradle Will Rock, Master of Disguise, and The Women. She can also be seen in David Mamet’s upcoming film Spartan. Sandra currently resides in Venice, CA.

 
   

David Rasche* (faustus) began his career at Second City in Chicago, and also performed in David Mamet’s first produced work, Sexual Perversity in Chicago in Chicago. In New York, on Broadway, he appeared in Mamet’s Speed-the-Plow, The Shadow Box, Loose Ends, Lunch Hour directed by Mike Nichols, and Getting and Spending, and Off-Broadway in a highly acclaimed performance in the title role of Mamet’s Edmond at the Atlantic Theatre, and recently at the Manhattan Theatre Club in Marsha Norman’s Last Dance. He starred in Sledge Hammer! on TV, and has appeared in other series from Miami Vice to Monk, on HBO in Larry Gelbart’s Barbarians at the Gate. He has appeared in such films as An Innocent Man, The Big Tease, That Old Feeling, The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, and Just Married. He is also a playwright and songwriter and often appears in his show, Half an Evening with David Rasche, a cabaret -- original humorous songs in a bearable dose.

 
Colin Stinton* (friend) Since moving from New York to London in 1985, Colin has worked extensively at the Royal National Theatre, in world and British premieres of plays by David Hare (Wrecked Eggs and The Bay at Nice), Dusty Hughes (Futurists), John Osborne/Strindberg (The Father), and David Mamet (Mr. Happiness, A Sermon, Speed-the-Plow), as well as American classics such as Night of the Iguana, Sweet Bird of Youth, and Guys and Dolls. His West End premieres include Terry Johnson's adaptation of The Graduate, Tom Stoppard's Indian Ink, and British premieres at the Royal Court of plays by Howard Korder (Search and Destroy, The Lights); David Mamet (The Old Neighborhood, Edmond); and, at the Almeida, a new adaptation of Marivaux's The Triumph of Love. He played Edmond in the original Goodman Theatre production of Mamet's play in Chicago and New York, and his other work in Chicago includes premieres of Mamet's The Water Engine, Lone Canoe, and an adaptation of The Cherry Orchard. Colin returned to Chicago recently to play both Marc and Yvan in Matthew Warchus's production of Art. His Broadway premieres include Mamet's The Water Engine, at the Plymouth Theatre, William Alfred's Curse of an Aching Heart, Richard Nelson's Some Americans Abroad, and The Graduate. Film work includes: The Verdict, Daniel, Homicide, The Russia

House, In Love and War, The Infiltrator, Deadly Voyage, Tomorrow Never Dies, The Winslow Boy, Spy Game, The Machinist, Proof, and Thunderpants. Television: Twelve Days of Terror, The Falklands Play, A Very Peculiar Practice, Poirot, The Ginger Tree, Mother Love, The 10%ers, Jonathan Creek, and Walking with Spacemen.

 
Nathan Wexler (son) Although this is Nathan’s first professional theater performance, he has been entertaining his family and friends with his acting and storytelling abilities since he was a toddler. He has acted in many school plays and family productions. Nathan has also played the part of King Lear, Witch #1 (Macbeth), and Laertes (Hamlet), during two summers at Shakespeare Camp. At age 7, he played the part of John in Co-stars production of Peter Pan. Nathan is currently a 5th grader at Brandeis Hillel Day School in San Francisco. He enjoys reading, creative writing and playing the piano in his spare time.

- close window -

designers & crew

Dick Daley* (production stage manager) Previous works include Waiting For Godot (American Conservatory Theatre); The Last Schwartz & Visions of Kerouac (Marin Theatre Company); Macbeth & Henry V (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company); Golda’s Balcony, Twelfth Night (LA Women’s Shakespeare Company); Santaland Diaries, Dance Umbrella's Boston Moves, Pure PolyEsther (The Theatre Offensive); Tongues Of Fire, a multi- media production on the life and works of Jaime Gil De Biedma, King Lear, Henry V (The Company of Women); The Resistible Rise Of Arturo Ui, Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me, A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline, and Nunsense. With Shakespeare & Company, Romeo and Juliet, Duet for One, and Julius Caesar. He recently ended a 7-year run as the Production Manager at Emerson College, Boston.

Jessica Heidt* (rehearsal stage manager / casting / associate artistic director) has been a member of Magic Theatre staff since 1998. Since then she has served as the Casting Director, Director of Education, and Artistic Associate. She currently does all of the Magic's casting, and works closely with writers on developing new works, and producing them in festival format. She recently directed the workshop of Neena Beber's Zachariah Mosely's Neon Blues, which performed at the Exploratorium in September.  She has also directed recently for the Bay Area Playwright's Festival, Playground, and Zoetrope LiveStory, as well as various Magic Theatre projects. She was a member of the 2002 Lincoln Center Director's Lab, and the founder and Artistic Director of Once Upon A Playhouse, a Berkeley Theatre for Young Audiences. She casts for various Bay Area theatres and films including Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Theatre On the Square, and A Travelling Jewish Theatre, and teaches at several Bay Area universities and high schools.

Peter Larkin (set design consultant) has designed extensively on Broadway (Peter Pan, Ondine, Teahouse of the August Moon, No Time for Sergeants, Dial M for Murder, Salome), Off-Broadway (Scuba Duba, Cracks), TV (Murder Ink, The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck, Dinner with Friends), and for feature films (First Wives Club, Get Shorty, Miss Congeniality, Two Weeks Notice, House of Cards, Life Stinks, Tootsie), as well as for ballet. Mr. Larkin has received three Tony Awards for his set designs.

Russell H. Champa+ (light designer) Recent projects include The Miser at Centerstage in Baltimore, Berkshire Village Idiot at The Zipper Theater in NYC and Williamstown Theater Festival, Yellowman at Manhattan Theater Club (Drama Desk nomination), Embarrassments and Red (Barrymore Award Winner) at the Wilma Theater in Philadelphia. On Broadway, Russell designed Julia Sweeney’s God Said "Ha!" at the Lyceum Theatre. Other theatres in New York that Russell has designed for include The Promenade Theatre, The Union Square Theater, Classic Stage Company, New York Stage and Film, Lincoln Center Institute, La Mama Etc. Regionally, Russell has designed for ACT/San Francisco, Trinity Repertory Company, McCarter Theater, Long Wharf Theater, ACT/Seattle, The Actors’ Gang, The Kennedy Center, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, The Shakespeare Theater, The Dallas Theater Center, Seattle Rep.

Fumiko Bielefedt+ (costume designer) is happy to continue designing for Magic Theatre under new artistic director Chris Smith.  Her works for the Magic include The Lonesome West, Body Familiar, Silence, American in Me, Summertime, Wyoming, Baltimore Waltz, and Endgame.  Her designs have also appeared in numerous TheatreWorks productions (over 40 musicals and plays), as well as Marin Theatre Company, California Shakespeare Festival, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Eureka Theatre, Missouri Repertory Theatre, Tokyo Shitamachi Theater Festival.  She has received many awards for her designs including Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle, Drama-Logue, Dean Goodman Choice, and Back Stage West Garland awards.

Sarah Ellen Joynt (properties artisan) has been working in theatre professionally for the past decade. A graduate of CSU Fresno's Theatre Department and the National Shakespeare Conservatory, she is currently pursuing her Master's at the Academy of Art College. She has worked as a designer, stage manager, and actor for such theatres as Berkeley Repertory Theatre, New Conservatory Theatre Company, The Willows, and San Jose Stage. She also started and ran her own theater company in Kobe, Japan for two years before returning to California. She is currently involved in Playground at Berkeley Rep and The Book of Liz at the Shelton. She has designed props for The Sex Habits of American Women and Triptych at the Magic.

Deceptive Practices (magic design) Founded by Ricky Jay and Michael Weber, Deceptive Practices is a consulting firm providing arcane knowledge on a need-to-know basis on many films, television, and theatre productions. Deceptive Practices has previously collaborated with Mr. Mamet on his movies The Spanish Prisoner, House of Games, and Heist. Other movies include Forrest Gump, Affair of the Necklace, Heartbreakers, Leap of Faith, and I Love Trouble. On Broadway, credits include Angels in America and Topdog/Underdog.

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers
+Member of United Scenic Artists Local 829. United Scenic Artists represents the designers and scenic painters for the American Theatre

- close window -