In the theatrical adaptation
of C.S. Lewis’ novel, “The Screwtape Letters,” now playing at New York’s
Westside Theater, actor Max McLean brings one of Satan’s top demons, Screwtape,
to life.
Garnering positive reviews
in the secular press (“One Hell of a Good Show,” according to the Wall Street
Journal), the play recently extended its run indefinitely. Some answers have
been edited for length and clarity.
Q. So what was it like
playing Screwtape?
A: I hate to admit it, I
loved playing him. Screwtape is the smartest guy in the room. It’s all about
him. He walks in and just sucks the air out of a room. He loves the way he
looks, he loves the way he talks, he loves the way he dresses. He’s pure pride.
To be able to get that across on stage, it’s quite joyous.
Q. Screwtape is a rather
elegant demon in a red brocade smoking jacket. How’d you make that choice?
A: The devil appears in many
guises. He works in deception, in the illusion of grace, power, and elegance,
for the purposes of enticing us into his world. There was an elegance there,
but as soon as Screwtape took off his jacket, you saw that his shirt was ripped
and bloody. He was covering up his true malevolence.
Q. In the book, C.S. Lewis
doesn’t tell readers much about Screwtape himself. How did you fill in the gaps
to create a character?
A: I thought of Shakespeare’s
Iago in Othello, because he was able to get into Othello’s and everyone’s
confidence. He gave the appearance of a man of peace, who wants the best for
everyone, when what he really wants is the best for himself.
There was a little of
Hannibal Lecter from “The Silence of the Lambs,” because he was frightening,
but from a very erudite, calm perspective. Then bits of (British actor) Noel
Coward, just for that la-de-dah elegance and physical grace he exuded. All of
that is to
establish the kind of Illusion
required to entice you. As in, “Oh, he’s a good guy. I can trust him. I want to
be like him. I want what he has.”
Q. You’re a member of New
York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church. How has your faith been affected, after
spending several months in the skin of a devil?
A: In a very positive way.
St. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians that we must not be ignorant of his devices.
That was Lewis’ intent. In Lewis’ books, Christianity does have a villain. He
wants Christians to be more aware that there is an enemy to our souls. That has
been the biggest lesson of Screwtape, being more aware. The way it manifests
itself, it has certainly deepened my prayer life.
Q: As in defensive prayer?
A: Yes. Jesus says Satan
goes about like a roaring lion looking for whom he will devour. In the
temptation, Satan tells Jesus, “All this I will give you if you bow down to
worship me.” Of course Jesus doesn’t take it, because he’s strong enough but we
might say, “Well, let me think about it.” Lewis reveals that, while Screwtape
gives the illusion
of offering stuff, he has
nothing of beauty, of merit, of goodness to offer at all.
Q. You’re getting good
turnout for this play. Do you think your audience is mostly Christians?
A: It’s definitely more of a
mixture. We have a group sales department and about 12 percent of our audience
comes from outreach to religious groups. I don’t think we would still be
running if we were limited to a niche audience. New York is a competitive
theater
environment. There are so
many choices.
I do hear anecdotally, from
people coming up to me who define themselves as either atheistic or agnostic,
and they tell me how much they enjoy the play. They enjoy the language, and the
philosophical and psychological insight. They enjoy the questions that it
raises.
So often I hear about the wonderful conversations
after the play. There’s a buzz about what has been said that I think is really
good. And here’s my favorite comment: “It’s fascinating to spend an evening
with the devil.”