The team is honored to have Caitlin Graham on board the SUNDOWN train as Tracy, a mother trying to juggle her role as a wife and mother with the decline of her dad to dementia:

Caitlin is a Boston-based actor of stage and screen, including her own web series that she wrote and directed called No Method. I chatted with Caitlin about all things SUNDOWN:

Caitlin: Let the ball-busting begin! Always a great way to start an interview.

Brendan: I’m glad you said it and not me. So we’re very excited to have you playing Tracy!

Caitlin: Aww, thanks! I can’t reiterate enough how excited I am to have been cast. You have no idea. On just about every count. You guys were so smart and kind and communicative during the audition process. And the script is wonderful, which is incredibly rare. I feel so lucky.

Brendan: Yeah, I’m usually good at first impressions. All downhill from here.

Caitlin: Sounds fantastic.

Brendan: What do you like about Tracy?

Caitlin: That combination of someone who is incredibly strong and can take on so much but is also actively hurting all the time – because she never takes care of herself or what she needs – is really appealing to me. And I relate to it a lot. I was in a production of Chekhov’s Three Sisters almost a year ago, and I played Olga, the oldest sister. And she’s the perfect prototype of that. It’s been a common thread in a lot of the characters I’ve played. After this, I’ll have to play a complete hedonist.

Brendan: I get compared to Chekov a lot. And by that, I mean I’ve been in a lot of police lineups with well-known neighborhood pickpocket Vladimir “Some Fingers” Chekov. We look a lot alike, apparently.

Caitlin: Some Fingers. I’m intrigued.

Brendan: I am really intrigued with the “dark side” of being a generous person. In earlier drafts, Tracy wasn’t nearly as prominent but when I started to get to know the family, her story became more and more interesting to me.

Caitlin: I’m glad it did! I feel like characters like the ones I’ve mentioned can often be seen as archetypes and nothing more, and we don’t really delve into the pain underneath it.

Brendan: That’s one thing we’re definitely going for in this one – fully realized characters.

Caitlin: I’ve been most impressed with how the mother and the father are written.

Brendan: Well, I had good ones.

Caitlin: I’m sure you’ve already heard this from the actors, but how often do actors in that age range get to play truly well-rounded, funny, vulnerable, intellectually badass characters? Sadly, it’s incredibly rare.

Brendan: What are some of the favorite characters you’ve gotten to play?

Caitlin: Olga was definitely a favorite. A few years back, when I was in New York, I was a part of this amazing short film based on the Abu Ghraib scandal, and played a war prison interrogator. I got to be really vicious in these interrogation scenes, and also have these scenes in private where I break down under the weight of it all. I love opportunities to explore both the public and private sides of characters. I think that’s a sign of excellent writing, when that element is there. (P.S. Shout out to Langston Kahn, who made that film. It’s called Bad Apples. It’s amazing.)

Brendan: I never said you could do shout outs. I have a strict “no shout out” policy.

Caitlin: Okay. I’ll go back to my actor hovel now.

Brendan: What are you most looking forward to about shooting this summer?

Caitlin: Oh God, everything! I think this is my first time playing a major role in a feature, which is incredible. It’s my first film project since moving back to Boston. I’m thrilled to be inducted into the Boston indie community. More than anything, I’m excited to work with your crew. Everybody in the audition room was a joy. I don’t say that often. I’m a giant misanthrope. What are *you* most looking forward to?

Brendan: Probably the “haze the new member of the Boston indie community” rituals. Those are always fun.

Caitlin: I hope it involves whiskey and nudity. Not necessarily in that order.

Help Caitlin and the rest of the SUNDOWN crew make this film a reality by visiting our Kickstarter page.