“Christmas with C.S. Lewis" at the Adler Theatre -- December 1.
Sunday, December 1, 2 p.m.
Adler Theatre, 136 East Third Street, Davenport IA
With Chicago Stage lauding the "brilliant portrayal" at its center, the touring stage hit Christmas with C.S. Lewis lands at Davenport's Adler Theatre on December 1, this delightful one-man show starring Aaron Mays celebrating the unique friendship between Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, the iconic authors of the Chronicles of Narnia and the Lord of the Rings series.
In the early years of his young adult life, Lewis believed that the story of Christ’s birth was nothing more than a feel-good myth. That all changed, however, after a particular encounter with his great friend and fellow author, J. R. R. Tolkien. Although both men loved mythology in general, Tolkien was convinced that the Jesus myth was the one true myth. That was the start of Lewis’ journey from atheism to Christianity, and from that point on, Christmas, for Lewis, took on an entirely different meaning. In Christmas with C.S. Lewis, we find the title figure at his home near Oxford on Christmas Eve, hosting a group of Americans (played by the show's audience) who are spending the holidays in England. They, and we, will se set to experience an unforgettable assortment of Yuletide recollections which stimulates a whole range of emotions – curiosity, laughter, gladness and even some tears. Above all, everyone will discover how Lewis' yuletide encounter with Tolkien forever changed his Christmas celebrations.
A British writer, literary scholar, and Anglican lay theologian, Lewis (1898-1963) 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, such as The Screwtape Letters and The Space Trilogy, and for his non-fiction Christian apologetics, including Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain. Over the course of this career, Lewis wrote more than 30 books that have been translated into more than 30 languages and have sold millions of copies. The books that make up The Chronicles of Narnia have sold the most and have been popularized on stage, TV, radio, and cinema, while his philosophical writings are widely cited by Christian scholars from many denominations.
Close friends of many years, both Lewis and Tolkien Both served on the English faculty at Oxford University and were active in the informal Oxford literary group known as the Inklings. According to Lewis' 1955 memoir Surprised by Joy, he was baptized in the Church of Ireland but fell away from his faith during adolescence. Lewis returned to Anglicanism at the age of 32, owing to the influence of Tolkien and other friends, and he became an "ordinary layman of the Church of England". Lewis' faith went on to profoundly affect his work, and his wartime radio broadcasts on the subject of Christianity brought him wide acclaim.
The touring presentation of Christmas with C.S. Lewis starring Aaron Mays comes to Davenport on December 1, admission to the 2 p.m. performance is $26-80, and tickets are available by calling (800)745-3000 and visiting DavenportLive.com/the-adler-theatre.
