"As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a ..."

I get familiar with Eugen Ionesco by “Rhinoceros”. An absurd play about the people of a small city in France who are gradually transformed into rhinoceros. The first episode of this three act play is about the fact that how surprised were the people when the encounter the first rhinoceroses. There is a character of a “logic man” who tries to convince the shocked citizens that they were wrong by making logic reasons to ignore the reality. “ Sheep has four legs, rhinoceros has four leg so you have seen sheep”

By time, the “normality” shift to something completely contradictory to their first beliefs. Consequently, from now on not being a rhinoceros is abnormal. Till the last act, "Humanism expired! “ and considered as an old ridiculous essentialism. Thus all the citizens of the city transformed to the new normality except Bérenger (an alcoholic man who were not happy about the life), his mate and a worker.  The worker decides to follow his leader and the mass and become a rhinoceros. But Bérenger and her love decided to stay Human and save the Man race. Later on the women become reluctant and frustrated. She gave up the survival of the human being and transformed to a rhinoceros. Bérenger decided resist the metamorphosis and abide as the only human. He was always crying afterward, because he cannot become regretful and transform into rhinoceros anymore even if he wants so.

                          

   

Rhinoceros By Farhad Ayish - Tehran 

I have seen two performance of this play; one in Paris and the other one in Tehran. Honestly, the one in Tehran, performed by Naqshineh group in furnace room of the Tehran theatre was amazing. At the end, they have not finished the play as it has been written. They stopped the theatre at decision point of Bérenger. Then the director come to the stage and asked the audience which side they chose to stand? Bérenger (human) or all te others (the Rhinoceroses). And the majority preferred the majority.

Every now and then I stand in front of the mirror and look at myself to see if I am still a non-metamorphosed man in the city of the rhinoceroses?

I have found this interview with Ionesco on youtube. These days you may find everything there!