Act One

Shadowlands opens with a monologue by C. S. "Jack" Lewis. He addresses the audience as if they were attending a lecture. He talks about how much he knows about pain, love, and suffering, and why God lets tragedies happen to people. Lewis argues that God does not want us to be happy, but rather, he wants us to be worthy of love. He believes that suffering is God's love in action.

In an Oxford dining hall, Lewis sits with his elder brother, Major Warner "Warnie" Lewis, and several colleagues from the university. They discuss how women are different. Lewis' friends chide him for his vast experience with women, especially since he is defending them in this conversation. Lewis tells them about his correspondence with women. As the group breaks up, a slightly drunk Warnie begins to recite poetry. Lewis leads him home. They discuss their friends...