Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA (CAP UCLA) presents the U.S. premiere of Théâtre de la Ville-Paris’ “Rhinoceros” directed by Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota on Friday, Sept. 21, and Saturday, Sept. 22, at Royce Hall. This play kicks off the CAP UCLA season and marks the return of international theater to the programming. Culture Spot readers can win free tickets! Read on for more details.
The story of protest and conformity is reflective of Eugene 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. The piece is performed in French with English supertitles.
This compelling reimagining of one of Ionesco’s finest works first debuted at Paris’ Théâtre de la Ville in 2004 and toured Europe throughout 2006. The director and a company of critically acclaimed performers remounted the play in Paris in 2011 and now bring the work to American audiences starting at UCLA and continuing on to Berkeley at Cal Performances Sept. 27-29; at BAM in Brooklyn Oct. 4-6; and in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at University Musical Society (UMS) Oct. 11-13.
More international theater arrives at CAP UCLA in 2013, with a return appearance from London’s acclaimed Cheek by Jowl performing John Ford’s “‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore” (Jan. 9-12) and the West Coast debut of Australia’s leading independent company Back to Back Theatre with an original production “Ganesh Versus the Third Reich” (Jan 24-27).
Tickets are now available via cap.ucla.edu, Ticketmaster or at the UCLA Central Ticket Office. To be entered into a random drawing for a pair of free tickets, please send an email by noon on Tuesday, Sept. 18, to editor@culturespotla.com with your date preference. Two lucky winners will be notified later that day.