Eugène Ionesco lived in France as World War II broke out. In the heart of Europe, he was able to observe firsthand the virtually unchecked spread of Fascism and Nazism among a seemingly reasonable population, and this sudden transformation had a deep effect on him. A generation of European artists saw the same, and from the inexplicable carnage of the last great war, the Absurdists explored the new boundary lines set by man’s ability to be senseless and cruel on a large scale. To open its season, UVA’s drama department stages Ionesco’s Rhinoceros, a bizarre and poignant metaphor of those chaotic times.
Through 10/13 $8-14, 8pm. UVA’s Helms Theater, 109 Culbreth Rd. 924-3326.