On March 12, Biolans, La Miradans and members of the wider community packed the La Mirada Theatre to see their favorite Christian apologist speak in “Further Up & Further In.” The lights dimmed and the beginning of creation was demonstrated through the use of the digital background when C.S. Lewis suddenly walked onto stage. The rest of the 90 minutes was filled with Lewis recollecting his past, defending Christianity and pondering the future. Lewis went off stage as the audience applauded and a similar yet different man returned. The man was Max McLean, actor, playwright and performer who played C.S. Lewis.
McLean is a leading figure in the realm of Christian performing arts. He founded and runs the faith-based Fellowship for Performing Arts (FPA). Most of FPA’s productions follow the works and person of C.S. Lewis. Their most popular play is “The Screwtape Letters” with “Further Up & Further In” not far behind. Biola’s Dean of Fine Arts and Communications, Todd Guy, commented: “we are looking for events that mirror and support what we are trying to equip our students in SoFAC to be; thought leaders among culture creators. This production demonstrated that!”
CLOSE AND PERSONAL
“Further Up & Further In” takes numerous different writings from Lewis and combines them into an unforgettable experience. Each section can be bookmarked by Lewis saying a line which ends with “further up and further in.” The first half of the production has Lewis describing his old beliefs and discoveries regarding God. The segment chronicles Lewis’ early career and ends with his famed BBC broadcasts during World War II. This seamlessly transitions into a second part where Lewis is writing to a struggling agnostic. Lewis guides the viewer through different moments in history to help defend the existence of a heavenly father. The third and final portion covers Lewis’ previous skepticism from Heaven to the second coming. It is while discussing judgment day where Lewis enters into a convicting monologue on if it was “the world’s last night.”
After a brief statement on Narnia and a big bow, the persona of Lewis disappears, with McLean now engaging with the crowd for a period of questions and answers. When asked about the acting process, McLean responded by saying how memorizing lines is “the minimum requirement for the job. When I start thinking about them I’m in trouble because you have to live in the moment.” When inquired if there was any line from the show close to his heart, McLean answered, “No, I’d have to do the whole thing over again.”
NEW BEGINNINGS
McLean’s acting techniques were not the only thing revealed as McLean went more in-depth about the play.
“I’m an adult convert to Christianity,” McLean stated. He recalled how he was at drama school in London and saw “great theatre” where he could hear “the Christian themes in the work.” This discovery made McLean wonder how he could integrate his newfound faith with the work he was already doing. McLean gave insight into the identity of the doubtful man Lewis was writing to, saying it was compiled from Sheldon Vanauken’s “A Severe Mercy.”
“There was always so much more,” McLean said in regard to Lewis. “We’ve done five or six Lewis works over the years and we keep going back to them.”
One of the works McLean and his company adapted was “The Most Reluctant Convert” which was later made into a movie. The film is helmed by BBC “Shadowlands” director Norman Stone and follows Lewis’ journey of faith.
Mclean has now moved to Southern California from New York which made me ask if any more movies were in FPA’s future.
“We got two films coming up,” McLean said. “I wish I could tell you more about them but I can’t, but next week I think I can.”
A SPECTACULAR NIGHT
There is another unique aspect which makes “Further Up & Further In” stand out. The play’s production design was mostly traditional, but the set piece which made “Further Up & Further In” different from other plays was its LED screen. The screen helped engage attention by displaying imagery related to Lewis’ words and slowly changing when he switched directions. Other than ancient artworks, Lewis’ office and vivid colors, the most distinct backgrounds projected were those featuring the shape of an eye. From the cosmos unfolding to a spiraling staircase, these locations would form a pupil suggesting a greater intelligence. The device also highlighted the play’s central theme in a reversed order by zooming in on Earth in the opening and flying out to the stars in the finale.
Reception of the one-act performance was more than favorable with applause and a standing ovation. Marketing for the show was the biggest I have seen at Biola, with flyers posted all over campus and custom coffee cup sleeves. Whether they had prior or first-time knowledge of McLean and FPA, every patron I conversed with spoke highly of the evening. During the discussion, McLean mentioned his company’s adaption of “The Screwtape Letters” and how he would love to bring it to Biola. Guy followed McLean’s desire to return by noting how “over 300 Biola students” and “100 Biola Faculty and Staff” attended the performance. “We hope to have him back in the fall or spring next year,” Guy remarked.
If you are interested in learning more about McLean and FPA, or are curious to see their future events, check out the FPA Instagram and McLean’s Instagram profile.
