About Our Current Production

Off-Broadway Hit Comes To Nation’s Capital

Lansburgh Theatre
Harman Center for the Arts
450 7th Street NW, Washington, DC

Performances Now Thru May 18
Run time 90 minutes

When first published in 1942, The Screwtape Letters brought immediate fame to a little known Oxford don whose field of study was medieval English literature. Over the past sixty years its wit and wisdom have made it one of C. S. Lewis' most widely read and influential works.

After securing the rights from the estate of C. S. Lewis to adapt this best selling classic into a theatrical production, The Screwtape Letters opened at Theatre 315 in NYC for a limited three week run. Due to popular demand it ran for eleven sold-out weeks!

Later, a larger, more dynamic theatrical production ran for twelve sold-out weeks at the historic Theatre at St. Clement’s on W. 46th Street in NYC to rave reviews from audiences (see Audience Reviews) and critics alike (see Media Reviews).

“WICKEDLY WITTY...it is one H--L OF A GOOD SHOW! Lewis’ topsy-turvy exercises in inverted moral theology were made to be played with lip-smacking relish. McLean’s plummy, supercilious bass-baritone voice is IDEALLY SUITED to Screwtape…  DELIGHTFULLY REPULSIVE.” —Terry Teachout, The Wall Street Journal Read full review “PURE GENIUS...Full of crackling good prose...McLean DOMINATES the stage...he is both CHARMING and GRUESOME, which is exactly how theatergoers who are familiar with the book would want him to be...An OUTSTANDING piece of work.”  —John Miller, National Review Read full review

 

 

Now the theatrical event that ran for twenty three sold-out weeks in New York City will transfer to the Harman Center's beautiful Lansburgh Theatre in downtown Washington D.C.  Performances begin April 17.

Set in a strikingly eerie, elegant and austere office in Hell, the play follows an urbane senior devil, Screwtape, who confidently dictates crackling good prose to his secretary, Toadpipe.  The mission:  To instruct a novice demon, Wormwood, on the fine art of tempting a young Christian away from “the Enemy” (Screwtape’s name for God) and bring him safely down to the ravenous “our father below.”

C. S. Lewis’ brilliant novel explores the theme of spiritual warfare from a demon’s point of view.  Beloved by both audiences and critics alike, The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis offers a funny, thought-provoking and challenging theatrical experience that may change the way you think about the influence of angels and demons in your every day life.

 
See Playbill for bios of actors and design team

Media Reviews | Audience Comments | Tickets