Cleofas: The Clash of the Clowns

ISBN-13: 9781518601514 / Angielski / Miękka / 2015 / 150 str.

Okechukwu Okugo

Opis

This drama is set in one of the developing towns in the deltas of Nigeria. It is a comedy of distinctive plotting written thoughtfully to evoke laughter, at the same time bears an immeasurable message. The story revolves round two witty incompatible ex-convicts deported from Botswana, in the southern part of Africa, coming back to their town with highly synchronized scams of manipulating and swindling people in the name of God. The main objective of writing this play is to help curb the increasing trends of lots of people falling into the ploys of manipulators, who are earnestly seeking for unwary souls to -radicalize- in whatever form. This radicalization is what they use in making people yield to their whims and caprices, in different ways. Either they rip money off the people or they send a large number to unwittingly go and do their bidding. Everyone needs to watch out for their capricious turn of people's mind, in whatever guise, be it religion or other. For one thing, they are clever and know how to take advantage of situations and events. There is no part of the world you cannot find them. They are everywhere, in the east, west, north and south. You can also find them outside the religious circle. Religion should not be a tool to harm oneself or others; and not for the pursuit of some personal or other evil ambitions. But this is primarily what majority of the so called religious leaders are doing with it. If there is one fruit religion should yield in one's heart that should be love because all humanity is one. Religious ideologies must not nudge one to hate another. It should yield love as the primary fruit. Love produces tolerance and true friendliness. It enables all, despite the massive differences, to live together in peace, obey the laws of the land and shun all forms of corruption - especially religious corruption - to move the society forward. This play will show the major reason why people differ with us is not to hate and persecute them, but to see how diverse and tasteful humanity can be. We disagree to agree and not disagree to fight. There are many religions in the world. And one thing they are supposed to have in common is love, because almost all of them preach love and peace. Ironically, just as you can find in the play, you will see even amongst themselves, there are a lot of tussles and internal fights. Then, how can it be possible for them to show love to others outside, if they cannot maintain harmony internally? This may explain why all we have gotten in history, round the globe, are countless plundering, squandering, conflicts and brutal bloodsheds in the name of religion. This is a comical play that does not seek to ridicule any religion at all, rather by replicating what we see in the society, this play intends to entertain, evoke laughter, and cause happiness.