Shades and Shadows
By William Brasse
Directed by CC Miller
April 30-May 3, 2026
the Magic Theatre
Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd., Building D, 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94123
he Back with Two Beasts (roughmagic.com) is pleased to announce the complete cast and creative team for the World Premiere of Shades and Shadows, by William Brasse. Directed by CC Miller, Shades and Shadows will run at the Magic Theatre (Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd., Building D, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94123) from April 30-May 3, 2026. Opening night is Friday, May 1, 2026, at 8pm.
“Since first reading this play, I had a clear vision of how to bring it to life fully–with music & movement,” said director CC Miller. “I’m very excited to collaborate with such a brilliant cast and crew, and to have performances at the historic Magic Theatre!”
“I would ask theatregoers,” added playwright William Brasse, “what are you looking for in a play? Elegant language? Artistic production? Excellent acting? A story you don’t know? A story you know told in a new way? Pathos and humor? Shades and Shadows has it all. The prophetess says you will like it.”
About Shades and Shadows
A chance encounter at Delphi. A shade from the underworld, a loveless wanderer, and a man with a mysterious burden. All meet the prophetess and tell her the sad story of Orpheus and Eurydice. Three travelers, three versions of the same story.
Tickets to Shades and Shadows may be purchased at ShadesandShadows.Eventbrite.com. Additional info is available at roughmagic.com and MagicTheatre.org.
The cast of Shades and Shadows features Amanda Vitiello as Pythia, James Mercer II* as Orpheus, Bobby August Jr as Aristaeus, Jessica Bettencourt as Eurydice, and Teo Lin-Bianco, Tatianna Steiner, and Ella Wright as the dance chorus trio.
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.
In addition to William Brasse and CC Miller, the creative team includes Aurie Stetzel (Violinist), Amanda Hayami (Costume Designer), Iu-Hui Chua (Choreographer), David Coulter (Composer), Riley Richardson (Lighting Designer), Hanbyul Joo (Props), CC Miller (Set), Hana Hiratai (Assistant Director), Elio Amador (Co-Stage Manager), and Chloë Parmelee (Co-Stage Manager).
Ticket Information
Tickets to Shades and Shadows may be purchased at ShadesandShadows.Eventbrite.com. Additional info is available at roughmagic.com and MagicTheatre.org.
CAST BIOS
Amanda Vitiello (Pythia)
Amanda Vitiello is delighted to make her debut at Magic Theatre. Other recent theatre credits include Robyn in Meet Me at Dawn (Mercury Theater), Maud in The Trials of Maud Allan (The Marsh Berkeley), Lina in Cry It Out (Cinnabar Theater), Shakespeare’s Joan of Arc in The Dogs of War and Plastic Rose (Edinburgh Fringe Festival). Past credits include work with ACT, Opera San Jose, New Village Arts, and Gallery Players (NY). Amanda holds an MFA in Theatre from UC Davis and studied at The Groundlings. Her film and television credits include Mad Men, Meetings, and the upcoming Dark Light. She is a member of SAG-AFTRA. www.amandavitiello.com
James Mercer II* (Orpheus)
James Mercer II* is a Soulaani multi-hyphenate theatre artist from Philadelphia, now based in the Bay Area. A frequent collaborator with Oakland Theater Project, their credits there include performances in Angels in America, Hamlet, and Cabaret, as well as directing Les Blancs, co-directing The Mountaintop, and assisting on the world premiere of Marcus Gardley’s A Thousand Ships. Additional credits include American Conservatory Theater (A Christmas Carol, Cymbeline), Aurora Theatre (Blue Door), and Berkeley Rep (the ripple, the wave that carried me home). James serves as Co-Associate Artistic Director of African American Shakespeare Company. Training: School at Steppenwolf (Group 21) and an MFA from American Conservatory Theater.
Bobby August Jr. (Aristaeus)
Bobby August Jr. is an actor and improviser with credits spanning television, film, and theatre. He recently acted opposite Jessica Chastain in Dreams, guest-starred on the series Chance starring Hugh Laurie, and performed a feature role in NBA 2K16 directed by Spike Lee. A recipient of Theatre Bay Area’s TITAN Award, he has performed acclaimed stage roles ranging from Romeo and Juliet to Rabbit Hole. Bobby is also the owner and director of Made Up Theatre, an award-winning improv company in Fremont. He trained at the University of California, Davis (MFA in Acting), Second City, and the Annoyance Theatre.
Jessica Bettencourt (Eurydice)
Jessica Bettencourt is a New York–trained actor, comedian, and teaching artist with a strong foundation in classical and contemporary performance. She earned her MFA in Acting from The New School for Drama in New York City. Favorite past roles include Clara in 33 Variations, Wendla in Spring Awakening, Miranda in The Tempest, Electra in The Libation Bearers, and Mina in Dracula. SAG-eligible, she has also trained with The Barrow Group in NYC and the Art of Acting Studio, Los Angeles, CA. Her favorite role, however, is being the devoted dog mom to her rescue pup, Party.
Teo Lin-Biano (Dance Chorus)
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Teo trained in jazz, contemporary, and tap, with a background in circus arts that informs their dynamic and expressive movement style. With experience performing with companies like Printz Dance Project, Teo is committed to movement as a form of connection and community-building.
Tatianna Steiner (Dance Chorus)
Tatianna Steiner (she/her) is an Asian American movement artist mainly focused on performing and curating contemporary and modern dance. After graduating with a B.A. in Dance and Performance Studies from UC Berkeley, she is a freelance movement artist in the Bay Area and is grateful to have had the opportunity to perform and present work with Printz Dance Project, Natasha Carlitz Dance Ensemble, APAture, NACHMO, and SanSan Kwan. Tatianna is also the co-director of Tether Dance Project, a new dance company exploring modern and experimental movement through performance and community outreach. Her work has been shown at NACHMO, Portals with SanSan Kwan and the Portals Collective and through a Raw residency with SAFEHouse Arts. IG: Tatianna.st
Ella Wright (Dance Chorus)
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Ella grew up in ballet and trained at the Academy of Ballet and has recently graduated from University of California, Berkeley. Under the tutelage of Zory Karah, Richard Gibson, and Amy London, she has performed principal and solo roles in Giselle, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Emeralds, and more. She has also studied at The Joffrey Ballet, Ballet West, and Smuin Ballet. Ella obtained a Bachelor’s in Dance and Performance Studies at UC Berkeley where she then found her love for modern dance by studying Gaga, Graham, Horton, Talawa, and more. With fellow classmates, Teo Lin Bianco and Tatianna Steiner, she co-founded Tether Dance Company, UC Berkeley’s first modern dance student organization. After graduation, they then founded Tether Dance Project, a non-profit dance company to support Bay Area emerging artists through multiple opportunities. In 2025, Tether Dance Project premiered their first production, Flux & Form, a showcase of talented emerging choreographers and artists at the Joe Goode Annex. Ella is grateful to continue her love of performing arts by being a part of Shades & Shadows.
CREATIVE/PRODUCTION BIOS
William Brasse (Playwright)
William Brasse lives in the East Bay, though his origins are in the green forests of Tennessee. He has published three novels and over a dozen short stories. His plays have been performed and read in several states [or in California, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Minnesota, and New York]. This is his second full-scale production in the Bay Area, the first being The Trials of Maud Allan at The Marsh last year. He hopes there will be many more. He is a vegan and a connoisseur of cute animal videos.
CC Miller (Director)
CC Miller is a multidisciplinary artist focused on theatre directing. She is an alumna of the University of California, Berkeley, where she received her B.A. in Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies with a Minor in Creative Writing. She is a member of The Eco-Performance Lab–currently co-directing a piece titled Earth Prayer to be performed at the Bioneers Conference and Earth Day Festival at UC Berkeley. She is a proud SDC Associate Member and Theatre Bay Area Artist.
Aureolus K Stetzel (Violinist)
Aureolus K Stetzel is a musician, clothing designer, and artist based in San Francisco. She has been a violin player and singer since early childhood. She is excited to return to performance!
Amanda Hayami (Costume Designer)
Amanda Hayami is an Oakland-based sustainable costume designer with a background in hairstyling, music, and English literature. She taps into her creative flow by hammering out the smaller details. Through layers of repetition, reused materials, and unconventional experiences, she shapes waste into digestible fashion statements.
Iu-Hui Chua (Choreographer)
Iu-Hui Chua choreographs, performs, directs, and devises physical theater, dance, and video performance. She has presented her work nationally and internationally at the San Francisco International Arts Festival, Videoholica International Video Art Festival, SomaFest, Athens Digital Arts Festival, Mondavi Studio, and various site-specific locations in North America, Asia, and Europe. In addition, she’s danced with Anna Halprin, SanSan Kwan, Ledoh/Salt Farm, Sherwood Chen, Dandelion Dancetheater, Guillermo Gomez-Pena, Headmistress, and Disneyland. She has been a resident artist at Djerassi, CounterPulse, Shawl-Anderson, and Penasco Theater. Iu-Hui currently teaches as a Lecturer at UC Berkeley in the Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies department and is co-director of the Eco-Performance Lab with Daniel Larlham.
David Coulter (Composer)
David Coulter (Composer) has written, directed, recorded, produced and played with numerous artists such as Tom Waits, The Pogues, Robert Wilson, Kronos Quartet, Laurie Anderson, Yoko Ono, Wes Anderson, Claire Denis, Marianne Faithfull, Damon Albarn and Gorillaz. Recent composer credits include: A Thousand Splendid Suns and Hamlet (A.C.T); Medea, Bakkhai, Oedipus at Colonus, Helen (Legion of Honor); Ghosts (Williamstown Theatre Festival, Seattle Rep); The Eldership Project (Improbable); Longing, Agamemnon (UC Columbia); Frankenstein Revived (Stratford Festival), As You Like It (Santa Cruz Shakespeare). Recent director credits: In Dreams: David Lynch Revisited (Opera de Strasbourg, Luxembourg Philharmonie, Royal Festival Hall – September 2025). Coulter was didgeridoo player to HM Queen Elizabeth II and received a Betty Mitchell. Award for his score for A Thousand Splendid Suns. www.davidcoulter.co.uk
Riley Richardson (Lighting Designer)
Riley Richardson (Any/All) is an up-and-coming Lighting Designer in the San Francisco Bay Area. After graduating from UC Berkeley in 2023, they have worked on such projects as PLEASE DONT SLOW ME DOWN written by Melina Cohen-Bramwell, Flux & Form produced/created by Tether Dance Project, and The Other Minds Festival curated by Charles Amirkhanian. Their upcoming projects include Vox Lumina which will debut at Brava Theater Center in January 2027!
Hanbyul Joo (Props)
Hanbyul Joo (she/they) is a designer and props artisan based in the Bay Area. She is so excited to work at the Magic Theatre for the first time! She was the Berkeley Repertory Theatre Properties Fellow for the 2024-2025 Season, building for shows such as The Aves, Uncle Vanya, and The Thing About Jellyfish. Continuing on in the Berkeley Rep Props department this season, she has built All My Sons, How Shakespeare Saved My Life, and Mother of Exiles. Look out for their work in The Lunchbox!
Hana Hiratai (Assistant Director)
Hana Hiratai is a senior at UC Berkeley double majoring in TDPS and Psychology. This is her first time assistant directing, and she couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of this production. She is deeply passionate about bringing positivity, love, and peace to the stage and to everyone around her. Hana plans to continue her journey as an actor, dancer, and above all, as a human being who leads with heart.
Elio Amador (Co-Stage Manager)
Elio Amador (he/they) is queer Chicane theatre artist based in the Bay Area. They have assistant stage managed for Oakland Theater Project and Crowded Fire Theater. They’ve also been seen as an actor for theatre for young audiences shows with NCTC and Woander World. He’s also been seen as an actor at Center Repertory Theatre, Theatre Rhinoceros, Play Cafe, NCTC YouthAware, and more. They have also directed for Theatre Rhinoceros, Chanticleers Theatre, and Playground SF’s Monday Night Playground. He is grateful for those who love and support him.
Chloë Parmelee (Co-Stage Manager)
Chloë Parmelee is a multi-ethnic, queer, neurodivergent, multidisciplinary artist, actor, and stage manager based in the Bay Area. Driven by a desire to understand the human condition, she works to uplift marginalized voices and is deeply committed to protecting the earth’s ecology through sustainable and conscious artistry. Chloë graduated from Saint Mary’s College of California with a B.A. in Theatre and Performing Arts May of 2025. Recent credits include AlterTheatre, Town Hall Theatre, and Last West Inc. This summer, she joins Berkeley Rep as Co-Director/Choreographer for their youth program. Upcoming 2026 projects: Dancing With the Moon (SM) at Town Hall Theatre and Last West: Roadsongs for Dorothea Lange (Child) at OMCA. As a lifelong dreamer, she’s excited you’re a part of the journey and hopes you keep dreaming too.
