British playwright David Payne wrote and starred in "Christmas with C.S. Lewis." In it, Payne portrayed the famous author in a one-man show, which takes place entirely in Lewis's living room during the holiday season.

Payne's son Daniel has now taken over the starring role in this play, which opened Tuesday evening at Chicago's Broadway Playhouse.

Although billed as a on-man show, Payne involves the audience, addressing his questions directly to the crowd and responding to their reactions. He fills the room with stories of his close friend J.R.R. Tolkien, with whom he often discussed and debated religion, and of his wife Joy, an American expatriate who married Lewis to remain in England. Although their marriage was one of convenience (Lewis was a confirmed bachelor in his 50s at the time), they eventually found love and passion, fueled by Joy's cancer diagnosis.

Payne fills the production with humorous stories and poignant moments. He talks of his religious conversion and acceptance of the divinity of Jesus. He talks of the unexpected death of his mother and the coldness of his father. And he talks of his evolving relationship with Joy.

It felt like a pleasant evening with a close friend.