Photo Flash: Sneak Peek at The Falcon's Eye's RHINOCEROS at Folsom Lake College

The Falcon's Eye opens its ninth season with Eugene Ionesco's absurdist dark comedy, RHINOCEROS. A rhinoceros suddenly appears in a small town, tramping through its peaceful streets. Soon there are two, then three, until the movement is universal; a transformation of average citizens into beasts, as they learn to move with the times. Finally only one person remains, vowing to fight on against the virus of conformity, but feeling lonelier than ever. RHINOCEROS shows the struggle of the individual to maintain identity alone where all others have succumbed to brute force, natural energy, and mindlessness. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the cast!

Over the course of the play, the inhabitants of a small, provincial French town turn into rhinoceroses. The only human who does not succumb to this mass metamorphosis is the central character, Bérenger, a flustered everyman who is criticized for his drinking, tardiness, and slovenly lifestyle. As the world around him surrenders to a mass mentality, he becomes increasingly paranoid and obsessed with the rhinoceroses. The play is often read as a response and criticism to the sudden upsurge of Fascism during the events preceding World War II, and explores conformity, culture, mass movements, mob mentality, philosophy and morality; themes as relevant today as in the 1940s.

Directed by David Harris, the cast features Bert Andersson, Mark Cornfield, Thomas Dean, Rich Kirlin, Chelsea Kopp, Davey Ly, Wesley Murphy, Scott Nipper, Afton Parker, Britt Poole, Arielle Schexnayder, Savannah Selleck, Amir Sharafeh, Ken Thompson, and Ben Woehler.

On the production team are: Production Manager Ian Wallace; Scene Designer Cameron Hoyt; Costume Designer Rebecca Redmond; Lighting Designer Wade McKenzie-Bahr; and Sound Designer Sharon Martinez.

RHINOCEROS opens on Friday, November 6 and will continue through Sunday, November 22, playing Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30pm; $15.00 general admission, $10.00 students and seniors, and Sunday afternoons at 2pm; $15.00 general admission, $10.00 students and seniors. There is one extra performance, Thursday November 19 at 7:30pm. Tickets for this performance only are specially priced for students at only $5.00. Students with any kind of valid student ID from any institution are admitted for only $5.00. Regular ticket prices remain for non-student patrons on these dates. Performances take place in The City Studio at The Harris Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Folsom Lake College. To purchase tickets, visit the Harris Center website at www.harriscenter.net.

Photo Credit: Ken Thompson