Jesus: Today, Tomorrow, Forever?

Billed as a “case study in Christian outreach and communication,” this docu-drama centers around the efforts of various churches to bring their message to the community by staging a Passion Play on the streets of Cheltenham, England during Easter weekend 2000. As the title implies, the program is divided into three distinct parts, each addressing five themes: friendship, conflict, betrayal, death, and resurrection. “Jesus for Today” centers on the production itself: the preparation, evolving experiences of the actors, and the enactment--combined with on-the-street interviews of reaction to the play and responses to questions about the themes. “Jesus for Tomorrow” features the actor who played Jesus talking with K-3 level schoolchildren, and fielding questions. “Jesus Forever the Same” combines images from the play with meditations for personal prayer. A smoothly produced, attractive vehicle for adult religious study groups, this is recommended for larger religious collections. Aud: P. (J. Reed)