As FPA Founder and Artistic Director Max McLean exited the stage after the final dress rehearsal of the two-week workshop of C.S. Lewis On Stage: Further Up & Further In in Houston last March, he sensed something different.

“I’d been doing this sort of work for a long time, and the combination of story, mission and artistic expression was at a level that we had not reached before,” Max recalled.

Following the invitation-only performance to a small group of Fellowship Circle donors, the creative team went back to work. The script needed tightening. The projections weren’t quite right. Every element of the production design, including better use of the massive state-of-the-art LED screen that dominated the stage, needed examining.

This attention to detail among the veteran creative team opened the door for the Holy Spirit to do His work before one final week of development and a preview performance in Phoenix in May.

“The work that we did between Houston and Phoenix pushed the boundaries of art, ministry and evangelism even farther,” Max said. “We knew we were ready to begin our national tour that would take our audiences deep into the mind of C.S. Lewis.”

Since then, Further Up has toured nine cities reaching an audience of 15,000 people. The stage manager’s reports captured the depth of their responses. Audible gasps of astonishment along with dozens of laugh moments reveal their immersion deep into the converted mind of Lewis.

The post-show surveys reinforce this. They have logged the highest rating of any show FPA has produced. And the supporting comments are among the strongest expressions of engagement we have ever received. 

This dazzling, multimedia theatrical event will be coming to a city near you. When it comes, please join thousands of others in an experience that will encourage your own spiritual journey to go further up and further in.

This is all made possible by our Fellowship Circle of supporters, whose visionary generosity is bringing C.S. Lewis to life on stage, on the big screen and on university campuses around the country.