"I adore Chicago. I cut my artistic teeth in Chicago," he said. "I couldn't have developed the way I did without it."

Marsters performed in nearly 40 theater productions while living in Chicago before ultimately landing the role of the vampire turned Buffy-lover Spike on TV's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

The show's seven year run ends May 20, and Marsters and other members of the "Buffy" cast are in town this weekend for a series of fan events in Park Ridge and Rosemont.

His professional stage debut was at the renowned Goodman Theatre in Shakespeare's "The Tempest." He found himself playing the role of Ferdinand and in the peculiar position of being strapped nude to a giant hoop that was wheeled onto stage.

"Sex is part of the human experience and if you are going to be an actor and a storyteller to tell human stories, that's going to be part of it because, frankly, it's the central thing in all of our lives. If you're talking about it in that context, I think it's perfectly beautiful," he said.

Along with the Goodman, Marsters enjoyed a consecutive string of leading roles that included the Bailiwick Theatre's "Life Is A Dream" and "Incorruptible" with Artistic Director David Zak.

"'Incorruptible' may have been the best experience I've ever had," Marsters said about the 6-hour French Revolution epic that gave him more standing ovations than any other performance and taught him the complexities of ensemble acting. Zak is proud of how far this once struggling lead man has gone.

"There's a warmth to him and a strength to his intelligence, which is more," Zak said. "It was really exciting to find someone who could tackle a variety of different roles without fear."

He also provided to be a major influence in Marsters' decision to start the Genesis Theatre Company in Chicago, which ran several successful productions and developed many emerging actors. Along with the Next Theatre and Chicago Cooperative Stage, Marsters performed several times at the Northlight Theatre.

"That was a really brave theatre," Marsters says. "They really are wonderful at giving people the kind of plays they like and also really challenging them."

When asked if he plans to make a return to theater, he admits that will have to take a backseat for a while to possibilities in film and television and work with his band, Ghost of the Robot, although it's clear in his voice that the stage is his home.

"The theaters that I would really like to work with are in Chicago," he says. "The actors there have this feeling that they can just get together collectively and make a show."

While other opportunities may be on the immediate horizon, Marsters also plans to someday produce "Macbeth."

"I need to establish myself as an actor outside Buffy," Marsters said. "Then I may have the kind of power to generate the kind of project I want to do."

This Shakespearean turned vampire never forgets his roots and envisions a never-before seen direction complete with awe-inspiring battles.

With the series finale of "Buffy" this month, Marsters is discovering that a lot of people are interested in working with him. The road from Chicago theatre to network television was not a short one, but he is happy with the decisions he has made.

"I am a lucky regional theatre actor who happened to get a good role, so I could show my wares on a national level," he said. "What you really bring, you can't help but bring and the only mistake you make is getting in the way of that."