Tickets

Full Pass

All Sessions + BareFace

Includes Friday reception, Saturday breakfast, BareFace performance, and Saturday dinner.

Price: $250 + fees

Buy Full Pass — $250 + fees Invite a friend

Show Only

Performance Ticket

Admission to BareFace only. Does not include conference sessions or meals.

Price: $45 + fees

Show Only Ticket — $45 + fees Watch a teaser

BareFace

Love destroys the mask. We cannot see, until we are truly seen.

BareFace retells the myth of Cupid and Psyche—probing love, jealousy, and the case against the gods. Dancers peel back layers of expectation to confront the selves we hide and the grace that finds us. Set in the Grecian fairytale world of Glome, the story moves with cinematic staging, sweeping pictures, and gliding sets.

Short synopsis Orual, Psyche, and the love that won’t stay quiet

In a kingdom hungry for answers, Orual’s love for her sister Psyche turns fierce—protective, possessive, and finally confrontational. When the gods demand what Orual cannot bear to lose, she argues her case against heaven itself. But the deeper question remains: what if the mask we wear is the very thing keeping us from love?

What you’ll experience Big ideas, embodied — not lectured

Expect a story-first ballet with theatrical clarity, emotionally driven movement, and imagery that lingers. If you’ve read Till We Have Faces, you’ll notice resonances. If you haven’t, you’ll still follow the arc—and feel the question.

“Technically precise and beautifully graceful.” — Third Coast Review

“It is my definition of phenomenal.” — See Chicago Dance

Buy Full Pass — $250 + fees Show Only — $45 + fees

Myth reimagined

Lewis-inspired lens

Female-driven story

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Watch

Quick picks below—then the full playlist if you want to fall down the rabbit hole (respectfully).

Excerpt 1

A first taste of the tension—and the tenderness underneath.

Excerpt 2

Movement that argues—without ever raising its voice.

Excerpt 3

A longer glimpse: atmosphere, stakes, and that moment the mask slips.

Full YouTube Playlist

All BareFace videos in one place.

Open on YouTube

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Make it a night (or a whole weekend)

Invite a friend to The Thick & the Clear and the performance of BareFace— a dance retelling of Cupid & Psyche inspired by C.S. Lewis’ Till We Have Faces.

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About the Conference

How do the arts make the invisible visible? How can beauty, imagination, and craft awaken our understanding of truth? What is a baptized imagination—and what does C.S. Lewis reveal through Till We Have Faces?

The Thick & the Clear: C.S. Lewis and the Arts brings together artists, scholars, and audiences to explore an artistic vision that is both intellectually rich (thick) and spiritually transparent (clear). Hosted in collaboration with the Marion E. Wade Center, the weekend culminates in a performance of BareFace by Ballet 5:8.

Hosted with the Marion E. Wade Center

Speakers

Featured Speaker

Terry Glaspey

Writer, editor, and teacher on spiritual formation, the arts, and the Oxford Inklings. Author of books including Not a Tame Lion, Discovering God Through the Arts, and 75 Masterpieces Every Christian Should Know.

Bio Topics

Special Appearance

Dr. Jim Beitler

Director of the Marion E. Wade Center and Professor of English at Wheaton College; his work explores Christian witness and the craft of writing, with C.S. Lewis and other communicators as guides.

Bio Listen

Conversation Guide

David Bates

Co-host of the Pints with Jack podcast, exploring the truth and beauty of Christianity through the works of C.S. Lewis.

Bio Till We Have Faces episodes

Partner

Karl “KJ” Johnson

Director of the C.S. Lewis Institute in Chicago, fostering discipleship of heart and mind.

Bio CSLI Chicago

Listen & Read

Want a smooth on-ramp before the weekend? Start here.

Pints with Jack · Till We Have Faces hub

A curated page of episodes, resources, and links for Till We Have Faces.

Open

S8E34 · “Till We Have Faces Primer”

A friendly primer episode to orient you before diving deeper.

Listen

S9E1 · “It’s All In Till We Have Faces” (After Hours)

A recent conversation kicking off a new season with Till We Have Faces center stage.

Listen

Till We Have Faces Archive

Browse more episodes and posts tagged for the book.

Browse

Inspiration Playlist

Music that shaped the temperature of the work—what it feels like before it’s what it means.

Schedule

Times and locations subject to change. Full program sent to registrants.

Friday, March 13 Opening Session & Reception

7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Opening Session & Reception at the Wade Center

Saturday, March 14 Sessions · Performance · Dinner

9:00 a.m. Breakfast & Morning Session (meal included)

10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Breakout sessions and discussions

11:30 – 12:30 p.m. Lunch (on your own)

12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Pre-show discussion

2:00 – 4:15 p.m. Performance: BareFace by Ballet 5:8 (included with Full Pass)

5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Roundtable Discussion & Catered Dinner

Get Full Pass Get Show Only

FAQ

Do I need to read Till We Have Faces?

No. We’ll offer accessible on-ramps. If you know the novel, you’ll catch deeper resonances.

Is the performance family-friendly?

Recommended for ages 12+ for mature themes (identity, envy, spiritual longing). Parental discretion advised.

Are meals included?

Friday reception, Saturday breakfast, and Saturday dinner are included with the Full Pass. Saturday lunch is on your own.

Accessibility

Accessible seating is available. Please share any needs during registration and we’ll be ready.