What happened to Barabbus? Neither Bible nor wikiAnswers will tell you that. But you can hear that out from Barabbus himself – played by Bala – starting this Thursday evening.
Play: Barabbus
Venue: Alliance Francaise de Chennai, College Road, Nungambakkam
Actor cum Director: Bala (he runs theatre Nisha)
Shows:
06 November 2008 (Thursday) – 7 PM (one show)
07 (Friday) – 09 (Sunday) November 2008 -3 PM and 7 PM (two shows daily)
Tickets: 100 bucks (students get discount)
I am going for the Friday 7 PM show. CU there.
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Play overview as put forth by Bala:
The play is based on a short novel by a Nobel Prize winner dude (Par Lagerkvist) that tries to explain what happens to Barabbas – the criminal, after the crowd chooses to crucify Jesus and spare his life. The play begins with Barabbas being freed. He is in a state of bewilderment, and something within him leads him to follow Christ to the cross, where he witnesses the death. Afterwards, he tries to pick up the pieces of his life and wanders through town. By coincidence, he encounters some of the 12 apostles at a small cafe without knowing who they are, though they know who he is. When he discovers their identities, he is somewhat drawn to them yet repulsed by their poorly-concealed anger. In quick succession, he witnesses the stoning of a female friend, works as a laborer on a wealthy estate, and travels to Rome. There he sees Rome burn down around him, discovers that this was done on orders of the emperor to be blamed on the Jews. He is captured along with some Jews (some of whom he recognizes from Golgotha) and killed.
The theme of death is pervasive throughout the play, as it starts with the death of Christ and ends with the death of Barabbas. Death seems to follow Barabbas at every step. He somehow feels this, but does not try to run; he has nowhere and no one to run to. Nearly all the people he meets end up dying; often at the hand of others. Death is truly inescapable in the life of Barabbas, and he comes to realize near the end of the play that it is not how or when you die, but what you die for, something Christ tried to show him and everyone else.