THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS Play Two Performances At Westside Theatre 10/31

THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS, the provocative and wickedly witty theatrical adaptation of the C.S. Lewis novel about spiritual warfare from a demon's point of view, now in an open run at The Westside Theatre, 407 West 43rd Street, New York, invites theatergoers to spend Halloween in an office set in hell on Sunday, October 31 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. The play follows His Abysmal Sublimity Screwtape, and his creature-demon secretary, Toadpipe, as they train an apprentice demon, Wormwood, on how to entice the mind of a human "patient" toward damnation.

The New York Times writes "The Devil has rarely been given his due more perceptively and eruditely"; New York Post called it "As entertaining as it is thought-provoking...hell of a good time"; "Wickedly witty...one hell of a good show! raves the Wall Street Journal. Elle writes "Brilliant...Hilarious Wit" and AP calls the show "Devilishly Funny...Lewis' philosophical insights are cleverly conveyed!"

Prior to coming to New York, THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS was a hit at Chicago's Mercury Theatre where it ran for six months. It was also a success at The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C. where it played for ten sold out weeks. Last fall it embarked on a national tour delighting capacity houses in San Francisco, Phoenix, Louisville, Chattanooga, Ft. Lauderdale, Houston and Austin. The production will continue to tour nationally this fall and winter.

The book's success as a piercing insight into humanity's bent toward evil is due to Lewis' lucid capacity to make his readers squirm in self recognition. When first published in 1942, it brought immediate fame to this little-known Oxford don, including the cover of Time Magazine.

THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS is still one Lewis' most influential works, along with such other classics as The Chronicles of Narnia (including The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe), The Great Divorce and Mere Christianity.

Lewis dedicated it to his close friend J. R. R. Tolkien who had expressed to Lewis that delving too deeply into the craft of evil would have consequences. Lewis admitted as much when he wrote "Though I had never written anything more easily, I never wrote with less enjoyment . . . though it was easy to twist one's mind into the diabolical attitude, it was not fun, or not for long. The work into which I had to project myself while I spoke through Screwtape was all dust, grit, thirst, and itch. Every trace of beauty, freshness, and geniality had to be excluded."

As His Abysmal Sublimity Screwtape, Max McLean, the 2009 recipient of Chicago's Jeff Award for Solo Performance, creates a "master of the universe" character, all too familiar to New Yorkers, whose rhetorical flourishes mesmerize while he persuades.

At his feet is the creature-demon, Toadpipe, played by Elise Girardin, who transforms into the paragons of vice Screwtape conjures with a flick of his fingers. The actors' combined skills wheedle their unsuspecting soul down the "soft, gentle path to hell."

Scenic Design is by Cameron Anderson, Costumes by Michael Bevins, Lighting Design by Jesse Klug, and Original Music and Sound Design by John Gromada.

The performance schedule for THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS is as follows: Mondays at 8pm; Wednesday Matinee at 2pm; Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 4pm and 8pm and Sundays at 3pm and 7pm. Day-Of, Student Rush Tickets are available for $27, cash only, at the Box Office. Valid ID must be presented. Individual Tickets are $75 each with premium tickets set at $95. To purchase tickets, call 212.239.6200 or visit www.telecharge.com. More information is available at www.ScrewtapeOnStage.com. For groups of 10 or more call 866.476.8707.

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