Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Charlie Sexton’s self-titled debut album doesn’t make as strong an impact as his debut “Pictures for Pleasure.” But just when you’re ready to accuse him of suffering from the sophomore slump, Sexton’s skillful guitarwork and deep, emoting voice convince you he’s worth believing in.
The audience is almost as important as the cast in the Apple Tree Theatre’s production of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.” While the actors are responsible for delivering the witty lines succinctly, the audience is expected to determine how each show will end, and to participate in the acting. Shy people may not like hissing at the villain every time he enters, as the audience is instructed to do before the production begins. They may consider it strange to flail both arms in the air every time the show’s title is mentioned. And they also may feel uncomfortable striking up conversations with actors who plop themselves down in chairs next to theirs before, during and after performances.
Actor Stephen Caffrey was born in Cleveland, attended high school in five different states and now divides his time between Los Angeles and New York. But ask him where home is, and he’ll say Chicago. “My father was in a business that moved him around a lot, and as a result I was often uprooted,” Caffrey said. “The longest I’ve ever been in one place was the eight years I spent in Chicago. It’s hard to describe what bouncing around from place to place is like to people who haven’t experienced it. But eventually you end up just grabbing hold of home, and for me that’s Chicago.”