RHINOCEROS Comes to the Pavilion Theatre in October

Penn State Centre Stage, in the College of Arts and Architecture, will present "Rhinoceros," by Eugène Ionesco, directed by Sam Osheroff, Oct. 6-18, in the Pavilion Theatre.

What happens when everyone you know turns into a rhinoceros? In Eugene Ionesco's razor-sharp absurdist comedy “Rhinoceros,” a sleepy town is suddenly overrun—literally—by a stampede of conformity. As neighbors, coworkers, and friends transform into horned beasts, one person must decide whether to follow the herd or stand alone. Equal parts hilarious and haunting, “Rhinoceros” is a wildly imaginative exploration of identity, peer pressure, and the power of one voice in a crowd of chaos. Dare to resist. Or join the stampede.

Artistic Director A. Kikora Franklin said “In our current cultural and social climate—where voices, choices, and beliefs are so often influenced by mass movements, online echo chambers, and public opinion—Rhinoceros feels both urgent and eerily familiar. Ionesco's allegory asks us not only to laugh at the absurdity of human behavior, but also to reflect on our own courage to resist becoming swept along by the herd.