“Screwtape,” a play based upon the C.S. Lewis novel “The Screwtape Letters,” was presented on the Concordia Seminary, St. Louis campus April 16-18. Groups from as far away as Altamont, Ill., enjoyed the James Forsyth adaptation of the C.S. Lewis novel.

The cast was composed primarily of members from the Concordia Seminary community. Tim Sternberg, a second-year student, served as director. In commenting on the goal of the production, Sternberg stated, “The play does have a moral, of sorts…Temptation, sin, and depravity weave their way through the seemingly innocent and innocuous words and actions of the human characters…Our hope is that you will not be brought down by such weighty matters but be uplifted by our victory in Christ over evil.”

Concordia Seminary Theater began in the winter of 1997-98 with the goal of producing two plays each year. Oversight for the program is provided by Dr. Dean Nadasdy, Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Concordia who also occupies the Gregg H. Benidt Memorial Chair in Homiletics and Literature. It is primarily through this endowed faculty chair that Concordia Seminary Theater had its origin and is able to meet its goal of providing two dramas per year.

Literature chosen for Concordia Seminary Theater productions always carries theological content and imagery. The 1998-99 season served as the “C.S. Lewis Season,” in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of his birth on November 29, 1898. The fall 1998 presentation was C. S. Lewis’ beloved “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.”

Additional information concerning Concordia Seminary Theater may be obtained from Dr. Dean Nadasdy, Concordia Seminary, 801 DeMun Ave., St. Louis, MO 63105; (314) 505-7145.