Chris Kayser devoted himself to Atlanta’s theater in an astonishing range of unforgettable performances, gracing the city’s stages for more than 40 years.
A beloved performer in classical and contemporary plays for a variety of Atlanta theater companies and a supportive colleague and mentor, Kayser died Dec. 3 at his Decatur home from prostate cancer.
Kayser uplifted the Christmas spirit of Alliance Theater audiences, portraying Charles Dickens’ redeemed miser Ebenezer Scrooge in 16 annual productions of “A Christmas Carol.”
As a leading member of the late, lamented Georgia Shakespeare Co. for 25 years, Kayser played Skakespeare clowns with Elizabethan comic flair.
Displaying physical grace and an affinity for Shakespeare’s language, he also gave in-depth performances in leading roles from comedies to tragedies.
Achieving a late-career triumph in the Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern’s production of “King Lear,” he explored the personality complexities of Shakespeare’s most challenging character.
A frequent presence at the Alliance and Academy theaters, Kayser showed his unique talent in contemporary plays such as “Angels in America” and “Quills.”
Like other great actors, Kayser fully possessed his characters while maintaining his personality.
Atlanta’s audiences loved him, and he loved them in return.
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