Performances Friday, September 21, 2012 and Saturday, September 22, 2012

A cast of performers continues their award-winning exploration of Eugene Ionesco’s work—with "Rhinoceros," under the direction of Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota.

Looking at the famed playwright in a new framework, this restaging and U.S. premiere of Ionesco’s "Rhinoceros" is performed by the same troupe that debuted it at Paris’ Théâtre de la Ville in 2004, where Demarcy-Mota was named director in 2008. Ionesco’s metaphorical cautionary tale takes aim at the powerful grip of social and political ideology and its power to eclipse the identity of the individual and strip away intellectual pursuit.

The story of protest and conformity is reflective of Ionesco’s personal and emotional reaction to the rise of Fascism and French collaboration with the Nazis. "Rhinoceros" is considered by many to be his finest work and revered as a gripping piece of the Theatre of the Absurd era of theatre history.

"Rhinoceros" begins in a small French town square where Ionesco’s semi-autobiographical everyman Bérenger apathetically witnesses a rhinoceros running through the square while his fellow citizens react with shock and, later, conformity. The square is soon overrun with townsfolk joining the herd. Only Bérenger transforms from indifference to an empowerment—becoming an individual determined to fight against the tyranny of the collective.

Performed in French with English supertitles.
Directed by Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota

Fri, Sep 21, 2012 at 8:00 PM
Sat, Sep 22, 2012 at 8:00 PM
Royce Hall
$25 - $70 ($20 UCLA Students)

About the sponsor:
Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA (CAP UCLA) is dedicated to the advancement of the contemporary performing arts in all disciplines — dance, music, spoken word and theater, as well the emerging digital, collaborative and cross-art platforms inspired by today's leading artists and creators. CAP supports the creation, presentation and critical dialogues vital to the ongoing innovation and expressive potential of artists whose work, whether vibrantly emerging or internationally acclaimed, forms the dynamic and evolving heritage of contemporary performance.