ORANGE COUNTY : THEATER REVIEW : Moments of Joy, Sorrow Fill ‘Shadowlands’

Lewis and Joy Davidman Gresham never would have met through the personals.

On paper, they couldn’t have been more different. Yet each turned out to be just what the other needed. “Shadowlands” is a tribute to the adage that meeting the right person can change your life.

The 1985 play, at the North Coast Repertory Theatre through Feb. 26, is based on the true story of the deeply religious and proper Lewis, Oxford don and literary lion, and his astonishing friendship with Gresham, the remarkably unrepressed, divorced, self-described “Jewish Communist Christian” poet, who ultimately became his wife and the love of his life.

The North Coast, a classy semiprofessional operation, is far from setting a new standard for “Shadowlands.” Despite the talent and grace of its leads, the production is but a shadow of last year’s film version with Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger, or the acclaimed 1993 South Coast Repertory production with Dakin Matthews and Kandis Chappell.

But for those who merely want good theater and a good cry, William Nicholson’s intelligent, feeling script gets respectful and inspired moments here.

Director Olive Blakistone lavishes understanding on the curious mating dance of Gresham and Lewis but slides over details in the overall production.

Similarly, Peter Rose’s quiet performance as Lewis may not hit every subtle nuance, but he gets the major notes of this major writer’s life right: the smug lecture on grief as he tells his audience why God allows suffering; his resistance to the stirring of his feelings for Gresham; his ultimate acknowledgment of love; his utter despair when he learns of her cancer, and his final lecture on loss--this time with feeling.

Devorah--who goes by that single name--steals the show as Gresham. With a dry delivery that packs punches like a prizefighter, she shows how her character can look through Lewis and yet still love him.

The supporting cast is uneven. The best help comes from Joe Nesnow as Lewis’ brother, Warnie. Nesnow, less forced than any character here, looks and acts exactly as rumpled, skeptical and ultimately believing as he should.

Set designer Marty Burnett struggles to get the staid and sturdy English settings right. The obviously painted pictures of books on pseudo shelves are distracting, and the turntable in the middle of the stage, while a good idea, moves too slowly. Loralie McGill’s costumes do not consistently evoke the period or the place.

But if you can keep your eye on the main characters and the story itself, “Shadowlands” is one of those plays that is not only satisfying for the moment but yields insights after it’s over.

Playwright Nicholson demonstrates his craft in the unfussy way he shows, more than tells, the story of how Lewis’ loss of Gresham parallels the loss of his own mother when he was 8. And when he cries for Gresham, it is as if the 8-year-old inside him is crying alongside the man he has become.

While there can be no happy ending in such a story, it is uplifting to see a man grow, through his suffering, from a wooden Pinocchio to a real man--and to have a greater understanding about grief and its place in the world to match the already considerable knowledge in his head.

* “Shadowlands,” North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987-D Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach. Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Ends Feb. 26. $12-$16. (619) 481-1055. Running time: 2 hours, 21 minutes.

Peter Rose: C. S. Lewis

Devorah: Joy Davidman Gresham

Joe Nesnow: Warnie Lewis

David Rethoret: Christopher Riley

Michael Moerman: Rev. Harry Harrington

Jack Winans: Dr. Maurice Oakley/Clerk/Priest/Waiter

Harry Preston: Alan Gregg/Doctor

Wendy Cullum: Registrar/Nurse/Woman

Zachary Hendlin and Todd Jones: Douglas

A North Coast Repertory Theatre production of William Nicholson’s play. Directed by Olive Blakistone. Sets: Marty Burnett. Lights: Lisa M. Lane. Sound: Michael S. Pieper. Costumes: Loralie McGill. Wig design: Anthony Reabold. Stage managers: Alison Holman and Dale Hitesman.