Plant City Entertainment will present Screwtape, a play by James Forsyth based on the book by C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, in April and May. This provocative play contains themes that may be inappropriate for young audiences.
Screwtape will be presented on Friday, April 29 and May 6 and Saturday, April 30 and May 7 at 8 p.m. A Sunday matinee will be presented on May 1 and 8 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are available online at www.plantcityentertainment.com ($1 service fee applied). General admission tickets are $20. Tickets for seniors and students are $18. Tickets for Plant City Entertainment members and groups of 10 are $15.
Screwtape is directed by Jennifer Groff. The play features a character named Screwtape, a senior devil from hell. He delegates some authority to a junior fiend, Wormwood, who is to seize the soul of a very human and lovable young man. The rather charming Wormwood is critically supervised. Advice from Screwtape is devastatingly perceptive of human foibles and, despite the love of a wonderful young girl, our young man is in terrible danger. Screwtape has a dazzling resolution, and you will learn something important about hell, heaven, religion and humanity.
This is Groff’s first opportunity to direct a full-length play. She has a lot of experience directing small programs and skits. She has been acting since she was 12 years old.
Groff explained, “I picked up The Screwtape Letters a few years ago. The version was a full cast dramatization audiobook produced by Focus on the Family Radio Theatre.”
Groff added, “Many view demonic encounters as horrific, overwhelming occurrences. Circumstances such as hauntings or exorcisms are commonly understood as such. C.S. Lewis’ perspective is quite different. He describes how subtly demons use the power of suggestion to lead humans to make one bad decision after another until finally they have given up their very souls.”
Groff said, “I could not be prouder of the work this cast has accomplished to bring Screwtape to life. They have worked diligently, maintaining professionalism and positivity even while facing adversity. We know there would be burdens to bear while working on a play about spiritual warfare.”
She added, “It is my desire that this production will affect the audience by awakening mindfulness. I hope that those not familiar with C.S. Lewis’ masterpiece, The Screwtape Letters, will choose to read it with an open heart and open mind.”
