EXTENDED BY POPULAR DEMAND THROUGH ITS
FIFTH MONTH AT THE MERCURY THEATER
C.S. LEWIS’
THE
SCREWTAPE LETTERS
WELCOMES
NEW CAST
“Wickedly Witty…It is one
Hell of a Good Show!”
- Terry Teachout, The Wall Street Journal
Chicago – Well known Chicago actor Peter Kevoian, who recently
appeared as the Wizard in the Chicago
company of Wicked, will replace Max McLean in the
starring role in THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS, the
entertaining hit production presented by Fellowship for the Performing
Arts at The Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Avenue. Aislinn J. Mulligan will take over the role of
Toadpipe, his demon secretary. THE
SCREWTAPE LETTERS, which originally opened in Chicago in October, has since
extended on multiple occasions from its original six-week run and will
continue an open run due to overwhelming popularity.
The play also enjoyed
sold-out runs in New York and Washington, D.C. THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS is a funny and provocative
theatrical adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ brilliant novel that explores the
theme of spiritual warfare from a demon’s point of view.
Adapted for the stage by Jeffrey Fiske and Max McLean, THE
SCREWTAPE LETTERS, which runs 90 minutes without intermission, is
set in an office in hell. The engaging
play follows a senior devil, Screwtape, and his secretary, Toadpipe, as
they train an apprentice demon, Wormwood, on how to “undermine faith
and prevent the formation of virtues” in a young man who has just
converted to Christianity. As Screwtape ridicules Wormwood and
devilishly dictates his letters to Toadpipe, the fantastical creature
transforms into laughingly recognizable figures with whimsical movement
and wordless wit.
Peter Kevoian was most
recently seen in the Court Theatre’s production of Caroline
or Change (Grandpa
Gellman), and in the world premiere of Dangerous
Beauty (Domenico)
at Northwestern
University.
Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune called Kevoian “One of the Top 10
Actors to Watch in 2007.” Other Chicago appearances included a Jeff
nominated role as Tateh in Frank Galati’s
production of Ragtime at
the Oriental Theatre, A Funny thing…Forum (Marcus Lycus)
and Into the Woods (The Narrator), both at
Marriott’s Lincolnshire Theatre. Broadway and National tours
include: The Phantom of the Opera (Original Broadway Cast),
Jesus Christ Superstar (Herod),
Scrooge, Sunset
Blvd., Cats (Gus/Growltiger), Les Miserables and Zorba.
Television Credits include LA Law, Cheers,
Matlock, Becker, The Guardian and ER.
Accompanying Kevioan on
stage is Aislinn J. Mulligan as Toadpipe. Mulligan’s recent credits include Burn
This, Tattoo Girl, Cowboy Mouth, & Mad Forest.
She can also be seen as an Aerialist and Acrobat with the Midnight
Circus, Actors Gymnasium, and at Aloft Aerial Dance, as well as
teaching for Circesteem. Before moving to Chicago
to join the theatre community, Mulligan was a nationally competitive
gymnast in England.
She is a graduate of Northwestern University & The School at
Steppenwolf.
Critics have raved that the show is “Very
smart…richly rewarding…exuberant theatricality!,” (Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune), “Sizzling entertainment…the
intellectual temperature as surely shot up…wonderfully clever. Sensational!,” (Hedy Weiss, Chicago
Sun-Times), “A first rate production…Terribly entertaining…
Screwtape boils over with wit” (Jayne Blanchard, The
Washington Times), a “Hell of a good time…imaginative
theatricality…wonderful performances” (Frank Scheck, New York Post), “Sly,
funny, handsomely produced” (Celia Wren, Washington Post)
and “A thought-provoking, engaging,
entertaining, intelligent, bitingly satirical and funny exploration of profound issues of right and
wrong,” (Daniel Kelley, NYTheatre.com.)
When first published in 1942. THE
SCREWTAPE LETTERS brought immediate fame to C.S. Lewis, a little
known Oxford
don whose field of study was Medieval English and literature. Over the past sixty-five years its wit and
wisdom have made it one of his most widely read and influential works. One of the intellectual giants of the
twentieth century and arguably the most influential Christian writer of
his day, C.S. Lewis was a Fellow and Tutor of English literature at Oxford University
until 1954 when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and
Renaissance English at Cambridge
University,
a position he held until his retirement.
His major contributions in literary
criticism, children’s literature, fantasy literature, and popular
theology brought him international renown. He
wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience,
and his works continue to attract millions of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular
accomplishments include: The
Chronicles of Narnia, Out of the Silent Planet, and Mere Christianity.
The initial production of THE
SCREWTAPE LETTERS opened at Theatre 315 in New York City in January 2006 for a
limited three-week run. Due to popular demand it ran for eleven
sold-out weeks. After building on its
success it reopened in the fall of 2007 at the Theatre at St. Clement’s
for another twelve sold-out weeks to rave reviews from audiences and
critics alike. In April 2008 it transferred to The Shakespeare Theatre
Company’s Lansburgh Theatre in Washington,
D.C. for a five week
run. Again it played to sold out and
standing room-only audiences.
THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS is directed by Jeffrey Fiske. Scenic design is
by Cameron Anderson, costumes are by Michael Bevins, lighting by Tyler
Micoleau, and sound is by Bart Fasbender. For more biographical
or production information, visit www.ScrewtapeOnStage.com.
The performance schedule for THE
SCREWTAPE LETTERS is Thursdays at 8pm, Fridays at
8pm, Saturdays at 4pm and 8pm; and Sundays at 3pm.
Tickets range in price from $29.00 to $48.50.
Tickets are available by calling The Mercury Theater Box
Office at 773.325.1700, TicketMaster at 312.902.1500,
or visiting www.ticketmaster.com.
Discounted tickets for students and groups of 10 or more
are also available. For groups of 15 or more, please call 773.477.7666.
The Mercury Theatre’s convenient location gives audience members
one-stop entertainment and various shopping and dining venues including
Cullen’s Bar & Grill, the restaurant
connected to the theater.
