[Photo credit: Lake Avenue Church]
Clive Staples Lewis FBA (Fellow of the British Academy) was a writer, literary scholar, and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Magdalen College, Oxford, and Magdalene College, Cambridge. He is best known as the author of “The Chronicles of Narnia” but he is also noted for his other works of fiction and his Christian apologetics titles. He died in 1963 at age 64.
The one-man show offers an intimate glimpse into the renowned British author’s life and thoughts, set in 1963 near the end of his life in his home near Oxford. Audiences will take on the role of visiting American writers, creating an immersive experience.
“This play is really about C.S. Lewis’s life,” Crowley said. “He tells his life story to a group of visitors who have come to his home in Oxford and he covers his childhood, his education, his work and friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien and also how he became a Christian after being an atheist for many years.”
The production explores Lewis’s influential works in Christian apologetics and fiction and covers various aspects of his life, including his friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien and the loss of his wife to cancer.
Crowley, known as the announcer for “Shark Tank,” has been performing this role since 2014. He has given over 30 performances in the United States, the Netherlands, and Israel, drawing on his long-standing admiration for Lewis’s work dating back to his college years.
“I think C.S. Lewis is more relevant today, especially in light of current conflicts around the world, as Lewis was a particularly eloquent Christian apologist, giving good evidence for reasonableness even in the face of whatever evil we may,” Crowley said. “I believe his message to the world is one of great hope that people are longing for today.”
The play balances humor with poignant moments, particularly relating to grief and loss. “I think it’s a very entertaining play. It’s just a recitation, but there’s lots and lots of humor in the play as well as very beautiful and touching stories that stem from Lewis’s life that I think that many people will be able to identify with and find comfort, particularly those who have suffered with family members dying of cancer,” Crowley said.
Performances will be held on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Each show has a limited seating capacity of 125, with tickets priced at $25.
Tickets can be purchased online at https://ems.lakeave.org/event/
Post-show Q&A sessions with Crowley will provide audience members an opportunity to delve deeper into Lewis’s life and works. The actor recommends exploring Lewis’s wide range of writing, from “The Chronicles of Narnia” to his Christian apologetics books and “The Screwtape Letters.”
