The Ware Center/Millersville University Lancaster Presents 'An Evening With CS Lewis,' 4/10

The year is 1963 and C. S. Lewis, the famous British author known for his Chronicles of Narnia series, is in the twilight years of his life. Following a request from his great friend, J.R.R. Tolkien, he has agreed to give an informal talk to a group of American writers who are visiting England. They have come to Lewis' home, just outside of Oxford, and are eagerly anticipating hearing the man who has become a legend in his own lifetime.

They are not disappointed. Despite his failing health, Lewis is in great form. With a display of oratory and humor that made him one of England's most famous public speakers, he recounts the significant events and the people that shaped his life.

So is the production -- full of wit and humor -- "An Evening with C. S. Lewis" that sends its audience directly to Lewis' home and his fascinating lifestyle.

The one-man show was written, directed by and stars David Payne. Audience members will quickly become spellbound by Payne's accurate portrayal of Lewis. Payne's extraordinary ability to provide a glimpse into the life of a man who became a legend, and one of the greatest advocates of Christian faith, is astonishing - it's as if you are spending an evening with C. S. Lewis himself!

Coming directly from England to Lancaster, PA for this one performance only, the British actor David Payne has won accolades for this astonishing portrayal. Payne won the lead role in "Shadowlands" at the prestigious Tennessee Performing Arts Center 30 years after Lewis' death. "Shadowlands" is a biographical play about the love-relationship between Lewis and American poet Joy Davidman, her tragic death from cancer, and how this challenged Lewis' Christian faith. Payne's interest in Lewis was soon ignited. He began to study Lewis and his writings in much detail and adapted this one-man play from the book A Grief Observed, the diary Lewis kept in the first few months following his wife's death.

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