C.S. Lewis Onstage: The Most Reluctant Convert

Actor Max McLean reprises his touring production of a hit one-man show about author C.S. Lewis’s slow, reluctant conversion to belief in God. Drawing upon Lewis’s biography and writings, McLean adapted this essential part of Lewis’s life in a production that nicely balances gravity and humor. Recalling childhood losses and a distant father, Lewis explains why he felt that belief in God seemed absurd—a position that only seemed reinforced by his experiences growing up. And yet, part of Lewis sensed that there was a flaw in his argument that consciousness is strictly an evolutionary characteristic giving humans an edge for survival (how could consciousness strictly be something hereditary?). At last, Lewis’s doubts were lifted, and he accepted God while (ahem) on a trip to the zoo. Not exactly the road to Damascus, but the anecdote is typical of Lewis’s stories, which blend drama and self-effacing comedy. The production here is barebones, featuring McLean on stage with only a few props, but few are needed as the performance itself is compelling. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)