"Primarily lives in this intellectual space, serving as more of an exercise in philosophical reasoning than a theatrical event. McLean does do justice to Lewis' highly theatrical manner...But the play essentially amounts to a 75-minute presentation on Lewis' step-by-step journey from atheism to Christianity...It may not make for an evening of deep emotional catharsis, but your powers of introspection, logical reasoning, and metaphysical theorizing will get a good workout."
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"McLean delivers a mannered performance employing what is almost a parody of an educated British accent...And there is an irritating over-reliance on the use of projections...One feels justified in asking, Are we discussing the existence of God or are we playing a video game? Further gilding the lily is Gromada's original music...pieces that add another level of artificial sweetness to the proceedings. Really, Lewis' words, the elegance of his argument, should be enough."
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"For those looking for an evening of escapist entertainment, the relentlessly intellectual 'C.S. Lewis On Stage: The Most Reluctant Convert' will have a less than winning effect. It becomes an exercise in patience to follow the reasoning of a supremely academic and highbrow mind, as it tries to convey, or reconstruct, its conversion from atheism to religious belief, following a new and 'ravenous' interest in the 'occult.'"
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"Far from what you might expect in a play with only one character and setting, 'The Most Reluctant Convert' doesn’t feel limited in its action...It’s a great credit to McLean and his artistic team that, in a play that’s really just one long monologue, the audience never gets bored or restless. That being said, audience members may find themselves briefly zoning out from time to time...No matter how many times the audience zones out, McLean always brings them back."
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“McLean masterfully embodies British novelist, literary critic, and scholar Lewis…As the title makes clear, Lewis eventually came to his conversion begrudgingly, though McLean’s performance makes clear the great contentment and wonder he felt when he finally got there...McLean wonderfully embodies Lewis, presenting him as a fully formed individual. The character speaks in clear, genial tones and sounds like a welcoming professor inviting his listeners to come in and hear his latest lecture."
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"'The Narnia Chronicles' and 'The Screwtape Letters' have been a source of growth for Christians and conversations with nonbelievers for decades, so it's always great to see this type of work highlighted on a New York Stage...It's pretty dry, even if you are interested in the Christian perspective of Lewis' conversion. McLean's heavily accented voice develops a cadence that tends to lull...But again, it is a blessing to be able to have this kind of faith-based theater offering in New York."
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"Mr. McLean is a very fine actor. His work is precise and meticulous. He gives us all the variety he can find in his stage life...'The Most Reluctant Convert' is an inspired script, and the intellectual workout is masterfully executed. But although the show engages us intellectually, it fails to capture our emotions. Mr. McLean is adept at indicating a new thought, but he too seldom indicates a new emotion."
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“Drawing from several sources, McLean keeps the text pretty much strictly to the thematic point…FPA is at least as much about storytelling as spreading the word, and as such, the narrative is compelling because Lewis’s words are so elegantly crafted, and McLean’s fairly powerful presence is a good match for replicating Lewis’s public persona...Nothing proselytizes as effectively as a good show that eschews open proselytizing.”
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