A wickedly funny play inspired by the author of The Chronicles of Narnia – and produced for the first time in Canada – opens at the Cochrane RancheHouse Theatre next week.
“I think it’s poignant for the time, for this time and space we’re in right now,” said JoAnn Ayotte, Cochrane Vision Theatre’s director of Screwtape. “Are we led to our political decisions by our faith, or does our faith lead us to our political decisions?”
Screwtape is based on C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, a play published in 1942 that uses satire to address religious issues like temptation, gluttony and war. The main character is a demon who writes a series of letters to his nephew (also a demon) as the young hellion tries to guide a man named Michael Green away from God and toward the devil.
While Ayotte said Screwtape – written by James Forsyth in the 1960s – was inspired by Lewis’ original tale, the playwright presented his own interpretation of the material as translated for the stage. Screwtape was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1999 and has been performed on stages throughout the United States – yet, it has never been mounted before in this country. Ayotte was thrilled when Vision Theatre secured the rights to perform the play here.
“It’s never been produced in Canada,” she said.
Screwtape is the second offering from the inaugural Cochrane Theatre season, a collaboration between the town’s recreation, culture and arts division and creative company Teatro dell’Eco. A total of four live performances, from music to drama and improv, will be realized at the RancheHouse this year.
Ayotte said a dozen actors, mostly from Cochrane, make up the Screwtape cast – including two thespians who have stepped up to play two different roles.
“It was a lifesaver for both of them to come forward and say, ‘I can do two roles. It’s something we’ve never done before,’” said the director, adding the actors are doing their best to create two distinct characters. “Their whole personality has to completely change; the way that their body moves and the body language.”
Screwtape runs from April 7 to 9 at the Cochrane RancheHouse Theatre, with matinees on both Saturday and Sunday. The play is not suitable for children. Tickets are $15 and are available at cochranevisiontheatre.ca, Fabutan or Sunset Ridge Pharmacy.
