Ian Faith offers a thoughtful and appreciative review of The Screwtape Letters on stage, presented by Max McLean and Fellowship for Performing Arts at the Herberger Theatre in Phoenix. Approaching the production with both deep familiarity and cautious expectation as a longtime student of C. S. Lewis, Faith finds that the adaptation successfully honors Lewis’s original intent. Rather than leaning into satire or comedy, the play focuses on spiritual warfare, subtle temptation, and moral reflection, using irony and inversion exactly as Lewis intended. The result is a contemplative experience that provokes self-examination rather than shock or humor.

The production itself is praised for its discipline, design, and execution. With only two actors on stage for a continuous 90 minutes, Gregory Allen Jackson and Anna Reichert deliver commanding performances marked by precision and endurance. The staging, featuring a tilted platform, symbolic set elements, and restrained but effective lighting and sound, creates a vivid vision of Hell without overshadowing the text. Faith, not typically a theater enthusiast, emphasizes that the talent and craftsmanship alone make the performance exceptional, rating the acting a perfect ten.

Faith concludes that the play succeeds across a wide audience, from devoted Lewis readers to those entirely new to The Screwtape Letters. While the most immersed fans may wish for greater depth, he considers this a natural limitation of the medium rather than a flaw. The production works especially well as an entry point into Lewis’s ideas, inspiring reflection, conversation, and further study. Ultimately, Faith views Screwtape on Stage as an important and faithful work that challenges Christians to grapple seriously with temptation, faith, and salvation, and strongly encourages audiences to see it when it comes to their city. Rating 9.5 out of 10 well worth the time and money. It will enrich your life.

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