Questioning Aslan: An Evening With C S Lewis
Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church, October 12, 2012
Kristin Thiele
David Robinson’s C S Lewis engages in a long but never tedious conversation with Michael Taylor’s James to convince the student of the existence of God. Credit: Jesse Herford.
Searchlight Theatre Company’s Questioning Aslan: An Evening With C S Lewis is a series of conversations between an Oxford student and his professor, C S Lewis, set in 1958. The student, James, is in the midst of an emotional crisis—his mother is on her deathbed and does not want to see him. Lewis is also wading through an emotional crisis with his wife, Joy, suffering a long-term illness.
The conversations begin with James explaining how the world is falling apart around him—he sees no point in continuing his studies when clearly the world could descend back into war at any moment. Lewis convinces him there is more to life than waiting for a war to start. He encourages James to seek answers in the Gospels and report back the following week. As the conversations progress, Lewis uses logic and reason to help James realise there is a God and that He is listening to us as we pray.
However, the death of James’s mother sends the student into an emotional tailspin. He retrieves a gun and begins playing Russian roulette until the stage lights go out.
Questioning Aslan is a perfect use of many of Lewis’s works. Much of the dialogue is recognisably from Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters—there are also many references to Chronicles of Narnia. The acting is of exceptional quality, as is the set. Subtle use of lighting and music—and humour—ensure the conversation is never tedious.
The biggest disappointment: the ending. Using emotional turmoil to bring a person to Christ, particularly when logic and reason had featured so prominently, felt contrived and forced.
Despite this, Questioning Aslan is a pleasant foray into another time with gentle stretches in mental reasoning.
Oh, and having the actors—who demonstrated superior knowledge of their subject—answer questions and greet members of the audience after the end of the play: a treat.
Kristin Thiele is an Avondale College of Higher Education alumna who has previously produced the plays Men At Arms and The Devil’s Disciple and the musical Son of Jesse.