Island Players in ‘Shadowlands’

‘Shadowlands.’ Submitted.

The Island Players summer show, Shadowlands by William Nicholson, is fully cast and into rehearsals. The show is based on the true story of C. S. Lewis’s mid-life love affair with Joy Davidman Gresham, a 41-year-old American woman from New York. They have become acquainted via letters, and, as the play opens, Joy has come to England with her son, Douglas, to meet Lewis. Joy Davidman Gresham bursts like spring into his life and forces Lewis to wrestle with past certainties and search for answers he thought he knew.

Shadowlands wrestles with a universal longing to make sense of the human condition, which includes the joy of love and the pain of loss.

Director Dave Ranney has formed an ensemble of talented actors, some familiar and some new to the Island Players’ stage. The cast includes Doug Kibbee, David Buege, Josh Wick, 14-year-old Jake Kooiker, Howard Scott, Jennifer Munao, Tony Woodruff, Bill Nauta and Mari Anderson.

Shadowlands opens July 20, 7:30 pm at the Trueblood Performing Arts Center. Other performance dates include July 21 at 7:30 pm and July 22 at 2 pm. For more information visit washingtonislandplayers.org.