‘Shadowlands’ Pulls on the Heartstrings

Rarely does biography lend itself to a lofty theme with the eloquence of “Shadowlands,” William Nicholson’s exquisitely literate tear-jerker about the late-in-life marriage between reserved Oxford don C.S. Lewis and brash American poet Joy Davidman.

After his wife is diagnosed with bone cancer, Lewis’ philosophical musings about love and suffering take on an all-too flesh-and-blood intensity in this solid but sometimes stodgy staging from the Occidental Theater Festival.

The production at Keck Theatre is nonetheless worth seeing for Tom Shelton’s magnetic portrayal of Lewis as a smug intellectual who finds his complacency shattered by awakening passions and the realization that this life is more than a shadowy interlude on the path to a more perfect existence. Grief, compassion and quiet nobility flow freely from Shelton’s Lewis as he grows in human stature.

His present happiness is part of the pain that will follow, his wife (Hillary Spector) stoically points out. Unfortunately, her insights emanate from the script rather than from the performance, which rarely evokes Joy’s unique feisty spirit. Jim Freiburger brings dignity and class to Lewis’ bachelor brother, but Christopher Coddington could inject more acidity into Lewis’ cynical intellectual sparring partner.

John Bouchard’s respectful direction hits all the right notes, though pacing is hampered by Susan Gratch’s handsome but unnecessarily detailed set; the awkward scene changes detract from what should be an intimate, performance-based drama.

* “Shadowlands,” Occidental College, Keck Theatre, 1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles. Saturday and July 28, Aug. 3, 12 & 23, 8 p.m.; July 30, Aug. 20 & 27, 2 p.m. Ends Aug. 27. $14-$18. (213) 259-2922. Running time: 2 hours, 45 minutes.