I’ll admit that I’m a bit skeptical when it comes to movies or plays that are based on famous (and sometimes, not so famous) books. Usually, the tweaking of characters, the condensing of time, and the whittling down of language that is so often required to fit the different mediums of film and stage does a disservice to the original work. In fact, such pushing and pulling, stretching and shortening very often results in the watering down of the book’s essential power.

Not so with the Round House Theatre’s new production A Prayer for Owen Meany, based on author John Irving’s classic 600-page novel of faith and redemption. The play, originally staged by London’s Royal National Theatre in 2002, triumphantly distills the essential themes from Irving’s challenging, hilarious work and is likely to be one of the most talked about shows of the season here in D.C. Fans of the book: you will not be disappointed (and yes, they actually DO manage to pull off the harrowing, triumphant end of the novel in all of its shattering glory.)

Don’t miss this amazing show! If you live in the D.C. area, you can see it at the Round House Theatre in Bethesda, MD.