Seeing C.S. Lewis on campus used to be a regular occurrence back when he taught as a professor at Oxford, but today he is no longer alive and the Christian values he defended are slowly being extinguished from academia. Fellowship for Performing Arts is turning the tables on history by bringing C.S. Lewis back to college campuses this fall in special theatrical performances. C.S. Lewis Onstage: The Most Reluctant Convert is not merely a lecture since the story of The Chronicles of Narnia author’s journey to faith is presented dramatically as an excellent piece of theatre (see full review 4 out of 5 shields). Bringing a theatrical production of this nature into a university hall has presented new challenges for the production team.
“The process of presenting on campus has proved quite challenging. Our works utilize a level of art, technology and production that is not required for most university events. And there are very few venues on campus that can accommodate us, and they are heavily booked. So we have had a challenge finding a date when the appropriate venue is available or readjusting our production to work in a non-traditional venue without compromising the experience.”
The campus initiative’s goal is to host as many as ten university performances a year starting with shows at Brown University, Princeton University, and University of California Berkley. After this there are tentative plans to bring the show to Columbia once a scheduling conflict is resolved. The vision of Fellowship for Performing arts is dedicated to presenting theatre from a Christian world view which is counter cultural to today’s campus environment.
“Most colleges were started with powerful mission statements that were thoroughly Christian. Over the years, this was lost. Lewis offers a good response. His razor-sharp wit and ability to articulate profound ideas can help students realized what has been lost and what can be gained by a re-examination of Christian truths.”
If you are not able to see the show in person it is now available on DVD and Amazon Prime streaming. The production company behind this show Fellowship for Performing Arts has previously produced several other excellent C.S. Lewis plays including The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, and Shadowlands.
2018-2019 Tour Dates:
Brown University – Presented by C.S. Lewis Inklings Society September 28. Free tickets for students, faculty, and staff (valid campus ID required).
Princeton University – October 5. Tickets on sale soon…
Detroit, MI – Macomb Center for Performing Arts October 13-14. Book tickets.
Phoenix, AZ – Herberger Theater Center October 24-25. Book tickets.
San Diego, CA – Balboa Theatre October 27-28. Book tickets.
Thousand Oaks, CA – Fred Kavli Theatre November 2. Book tickets.
University of California Berkley – November 8. Tickets on sale soon…
Seattle, WA – Moore Theatre November 18. Book tickets.
*NEW* Austin, TX – University of Texas, Austin January 31-February 3. Book tickets.
*NEW* Miami, FL – University of Miami February 7. Free tickets for students (valid campus ID required).
*NEW* Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Parker Playhouse February 10. Book tickets.
*NEW* Tampa, FL – Straz Center February 16-17. Book tickets.
*NEW* Louisville, KY – Brown Theatre March 10. Book tickets.
*NEW* Charlotte, NC – Booth Playhouse March 20-24. Book tickets.
*NEW* Birmingham, AL – BJCC Concert Hall April 14. Tickets on sale soon…
*NEW* Nashville, TN – Vanderbilt University April 17. Tickets on sale soon…
*NEW* Chattanooga, TN – Tivoli Theatre April 27. Tickets on sale soon…
*NEW* San Antonio, TX – Majestic Theatre May 3. Tickets on sale soon…
*NEW* Sacramento, CA – Harris Center June 14-15. Tickets on sale soon…
*NEW* San Francisco, CA – Herbst Theatre June 22-23. Tickets on sale soon…
*NEW* Colorado Springs, CO – Pikes Peak Center June 29. Tickets on sale soon…
*NEW* Santa Monica, CA – Broad Stage July 11-29. Tickets on sale soon…
*NEW* Portland, OR – Newmark Theatre August 2-3. Tickets on sale soon…
*NEW* Bay Harbor, MI – Great Lakes Center for the Arts August 10. Tickets on sale soon…
This show is not the only C.S. Lewis theatre production that will be performing on a university campus because An Evening with C.S. Lewis by David Pane is currently on tour with a show at Brigham Young University next month.
C.S. Lewis Onstage: The Most Reluctant Convert at UC Berkeley from Fellowship for Performing Arts on Vimeo.
