The use of formal pleasantries exercised in the art of letter writing often presents misleading circumstances, especially in the demon Screwtape’s correspondence with his apprentice, Wormwood, in the stage adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ “The Screwtape Letters.”
Terms like “dear friend,” “sincerely yours” or “with the utmost affection” merely mask the motivations of the charming and clever Screwtape. While to most people, damning a human soul to the depths of hell hardly requires the formal layout of words on paper sealed in an envelope to be sent to Earth, Screwtape goes the extra mile to reach his supposed victim and puppet, called the Patient.
Although the medium of a novel versed in epistolary style works for the creative means of C.S. Lewis, the image of a conniving Screwtape taking pen to paper might appear anticlimactic in an on-stage translation of the satirical novel.
Lucky for Salt Lake City spectators, director and co-author Max McLean formulated a play offering audience interaction, the creation of a new character and the styling of flashy costumes. Such additives substitute the textual expression in the book.
In this version of “The Screwtape Letters” coming to Salt Lake City this Saturday, Kingsbury Hall’s curtain will be pulled to display two devils, Screwtape and Toadpipe. By presenting the made-up personality of Toadpipe, Screwtape’s loyal secretary, a story line of exchanges manifests, which demonstrates the many metaphors presented in the original 31-chapter book.
For McLean and his co-writer, Jeffrey Fiske, the addition of Toadpipe made it possible to display the thought process behind an inverted plot of good versus evil, where God is presented as a wrongdoing conspirator faced against Satan, who Screwtape and his fellow demons call “Our Father Below.”
The use of on-stage soliloquies in “The Screwtape Letters” would be expected. However, rather than mimicking phrases and quotes from the published work to an audience, Screwtape’s persona interacts with Toadpipe. Therefore, his character is capable of performing his message to Wormwood, as opposed to writing it.
McLean believes audience interaction is an important component in entertainment. In this rendition, the viewers act as the receiver of Screwtape’s letters and actions.
“Sometimes the audience is the role of Wormwood, other times the audience is the Patient,” McLean said.
When imagining the creatures of hell, many conjure up visions of horned creatures or ghoulish monsters. Despite universal pictures of demons, C.S. Lewis believed the devil and his minions emulated the image of man. Commemorating C.S. Lewis’ idea, Screwtape is dressed to impress. In this variation, Screwtape’s scripted qualities go for flare and push aside the conventional style of a suit and tie. Dawning a red and gold robe of silk and satin, Screwtape looks as if his image and words could woo any tempted soul to the dark side.
Like C.S. Lewis, McLean believes small decisions lead to big outcomes. Hopefully, the subtle changes made for the play adaptation of “The Screwtape Letters” will bring huge success to this week’s upcoming performance.