FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 9, 2021

Contact: Jennifer Allen

Executive Director 936-633-5234, jennifer@angelinaarts.org

"Acclaimed Actor David Payne Stars in “An Evening with C.S. Lewis”

Lufkin, TX – As part of the Arts Alive Series presented by Angelina Arts, patrons can enjoy a captivating evening when AN EVENING WITH C.S. LEWIS comes to the Temple Theater on Friday, March 26 at 7:30 PM. Tickets are now 50% off with the code “WRITER”. Tickets are on sale now at AngelinaArts.org or by calling 936-633-5454.

As with the other performances that have recently been presented, this will be a socially distanced seated event. Masks are required while entering the building, during the performance and while exiting the building.

The year is 1962 and C.S. Lewis, the famous British author, is hosting a group of American writers at his home near Oxford. They are about to experience a captivating evening with a man whose engaging conversation and spontaneous humor made him one of the great raconteurs of his day. Seated in his living room, he recalls the people and events that inspired his thoughts and shaped his life; of his friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien, why he nearly abandoned the Narnia Chronicles, how he came to embrace Christianity and of the American woman who turned his life upside down. David Payne’s AN EVENING WITH C.S. LEWIS has proved to be an enthralling theatrical experience, one which has led many thousands to discover, or rediscover, the continuing impact of a man who died over 50 years ago and whose collected works made him one of the literary giants of the 20th Century.

London born actor/playwright David Payne’s first encounter with C.S. Lewis was when, as a teenager, he was given a copy of Lewis’ best-selling book Screwtape Letters. Little did he realize that some 40 years later he would be gaining a reputation for his portrayals of its famous author. He has played Lewis in a number of productions of Shadowlands, in his self-penned Weep for Joy, in more than 500 presentations of An Evening with C.S. Lewis (My Life’s Journey) and St. Jack & The Dragon a touching yet sometimes hilarious account about the relationship between Lewis and his adopted mother, Janie Moore. Payne’s latest self-penned Lewis based show is Wardrobes & Rings, which focuses on the very last meeting between Lewis and his great friend, J.R.R. Tolkien. To learn more about David Payne, visit www.aneveningwithcslewis.com.

The final show in the Arts Alive Series includes:

MONTOPOLIS: THE LEGEND OF BIG BEND Saturday, April 10, 2021 | 7:30 PM

Temple Theater

Tickets are $20 each

Montopolis turns west Texas tales into song in this concert inspired by Big Bend National Park. The performance weaves history, poetry and personal stories into music inspired by the land and the people that have walked upon it. Actor Jared Austin narrates the journey accompanied by music and breathtaking photography that captures the epic grandeur of the vast high desert wilderness.

The Angelina Arts Alliance is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to enrich, entertain and educate by presenting and promoting the arts in East Texas.