”The House by the Stable” by Charles Williams (with Jason Will)

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Chris is joined by actor Jason Will to discuss Charles Williams' nativity play, The House by the Stable, recently staged by the Acacia Theater Company with Grab and Grace.

Together, they weigh the following questions (among others):

• How can modern theater companies make up for the fact that audiences are not familiar with verse plays?
• What is the context of this play?
• Who was Ruth Spalding?
• Why did Williams' choose to combine medieval allegorical and medieval Bible ("mystery") plays, and what does that have to do with Man, Pride, Hell, Gabriel, and the Holy Family?
• How should one read verse drama?
• Could this be Williams' clearest piece of fiction?
• Also, is there tobacco in heaven?

Episode links:

• The House by the Stable
• Grab and Grace
• Acacia Theater Company
• What Prominent Charles Williams Scholars Are Saying
• Also, see the Oddest Inkling Blog entry
• What Critics Are Saying

Next week: We're talking with Connor Salter about Nightmare Alley by Joy Davidman's ex, Bill Gresham!  At long last, a connection between the Inklings and film noir!  And it's a really good film noir, too (and yes, I know that Gresham didn't direct the movie but wrote the book that inspired the movie--don't be such a geek).