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Clayton Landey's avatar

I'm embarrassed to even chime in here after reading this. Not much of a story from me really. My last show here as I readied the LA move was an early one for Chris. Yanks 3 Detroit 0, Top of The Seventh/Bleacher Bums at Kent Stevens Imaginary Theatre, 1980. Talent is talent is talent. And heart is heart is heart. He was filled to the brim with both. It was always a joy every time we saw each other since. His smile would light up the room every time. The outpouring of love for him that we are seeing and feeling right now is a testament to him, theatre and love. Thank you for this.

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Jill Patrick's avatar

This is truly beautiful and exemplifies the very best of loving friendships. Thank you for sharing.

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Erika Baumann's avatar

The socials and such have been filled with the most beautiful sentiments weaved into the deep sadness. Caleb and I were in the audience that night when Chris was Everybody. As if it was yesterday, I can't think about that performance without tears and a feeling of being frozen in place, unable to articulate the impact. Were we in that room with him in those moments of raw reality and anger? I imagine not. I imagine that we were only shadows and he was enveloped in the words in a way we could only act as invisible voyeur and witness to something more profound than the walls of the theatre could hold.

He was our first Scrooge when we moved to Atlanta and when Caleb was only 3 or 4 years old he would dress up as Chris as Scrooge. I have a snippet of him around age 4 in the bubble bath with a top hat and a bubble beard putting on his best Scrooge, saying the lines the best he could remember. As God/the Universe/Forces I Can't Label would have it, he would have the chance to be on that very stage with Chris in A Christmas Carol for several seasons - Chris eventually passing the torch and shifting to the role of Marley. He also had the fortune to be with you and Chris and other giants in Shakespeare in Love and I had the incredible joy to watch the Atlanta theatre community imprint his journey and life, raising/molding/teaching him almost as much as I was in those years. He worked with him what I realize is two winters ago now, but seems much more recent as time continues to play tricks on us all, and was so excited to have the opportunity to be with Chris no longer as a young child and share space and learn in new ways. He was/is the luckiest boy in Atlanta to have had those opportunities.

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Bethany Anne Lind's avatar

Caleb and your whole family are so special to all of us. We’re so lucky to have each other. Thank you for this story!

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MARY LYNN OWEN's avatar

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Bethany, for this beautiful remembrance and for the chance to share the love with your neighbors. I love you, friend!

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Bethany Anne Lind's avatar

I love you!

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Jeremy Varner's avatar

My very first year at Christmas Carol, I was the male swing. I spent as much time in the rehearsal hall as I could because I knew I was getting a free education watching Chris play Scrooge for what would be one of his last times. There was a day when I was back in the dressing rooms and had my guitar with me for another project on the campus of the woodruff and Chris came into the ensemble dressing room and started shooting the breeze with us and the guitar. At one point (and I can't remember if it was me or Chris playing the guitar) we started improvising on a blues lick singing silly lyrics and there might have even been a harmonica somehwere. I remember, as a brand new artist to Atlanta, feeling like I had somehow been allowed into some sacred inner circle of artists by this blessing of a song circle. His joy and openness to come play backstage and validate my young artist self is something I never forgot. Despite never having to go on during that season of Christmas Carol, I still felt so welcomed and included by him and the rest of the cast. After that show, I would see him on occasion throughout the years I lived and worked in Atlanta and he always had a warm smile and a genuine desire to see how I was doing. Any time I was in a room with Chris, people always seemed to look to him as a de facto leader and, in turn, Chris gave us all a permission structure to be kind and generous to each other. Something I hope to carry on in my own life.

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Bethany Anne Lind's avatar

I love all the videos people are sharing of him playing music! He showed me a music video he had made with a mountain friend (? I don’t know why that’s all I remember, just some friend who lived in the moutains!) and he was so proud of what they’d made together. His pursuit of what brought him joy is a real inspiration. I love this story, thank you.

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Barbara Hawkins-Scott's avatar

We saw Everybody on a night when Chris was in the Everybody role. We knew about his battle and the performance transcended this realm.

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Bethany Anne Lind's avatar

I’m so glad you got to see him do it. I guarantee, when not onstage, the entire cast was watching just offstage too.

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Karen Beyer's avatar

Thank you for sharing your beautiful stories of Chris. I was fortunate to work with him at T.O., and found him to be so supportive and fun, yet with a strict work ethic. The whole community mourns. 💔

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