Eugène Ionesco’s 1959 play Rhinoceros is an absurdist triumph considered to be a social commentary on the growth of Fascism and Nazism prior to World World II. There are many themes which underscore that premise including conformity, mob mentality and morality. From his mother’s side, Ionesco was ethnically Jewish during the rising antisemitic atmosphere. The radical right was pushing for the removal of these illegal aliens from their country.
By the time he got to the University of Budapest, one of his philosophy professors was using his lectures to recruit students into the Iron Guard. This fascist legion was violently antisemitic. In a 1970 interview, the playwright noted that during this time one person after the next was becoming an Iron Guard. Trapped in the mechanism, they fell into line, accepted the doctrine and “became a rhinoceros.”
The play begins in a small French village where intellectual Gene is waiting for the kindhearted drunkard Berenger (the program spellings were in English). An important discussion was planned but Gene decided to berate his friend for his tardiness and general drunkenness. This continues until a rhinoceros is spotted rampaging through the square. Another rhinoceros appears and crushes a woman’s cat. We are told the cat’s name was Marmalade.
Berenger heads to the newspaper office where he works and is, of course, late. The staff are arguing about whether or not a rhinoceros could appear in France despite all of the eyewitness accounts. Botard (Jomar Tagatac) argues that the locals are too intelligent to be tricked into the empty rhetoric of a mass movement. From there, you can guess what happens.
This production at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco is a mixed bag of absurdity. Although written in three acts, this version is performed in two. The second half dragged on. The last, long scene between Berenger and Daisy (Rona Figueroa), the woman he loves, was a dud. There didn’t seem to be any bond between the two and, as a result, no sparks were generated which is definitely needed with this material.
Two performances stood out for me in terms of their inspired characterizations. Mrs. Boeufs’ husband works with Berenger but her husband has turned with the tide. She literally falls for him despite the fact that he is now a rhinoceros. Trish Mulholland was hilarious in the role. As the boss Mr. Papillon, Danny Scheie was probably my favorite absurdist on the stage.
David Breitbarth and Matt Decaro were entertaining as Berenger and Gene but there were more laughs to be had, most notably in Gene’s bedroom scene. Directed by Frank Galati, the pacing seemed to slow down and, as a result, so did the play’s effectiveness. I thoroughly enjoyed Robert Perdziola’s scenic design which suggested very good fun.
This is a perfect time to stage this Ionesco masterpiece. Imagine how many times in history we’ve seen people blindly follow rhetoric with a mob mentality. Hard not to feel sympathy for Berenger and see that right now. For Rhinoceros to shine brightly, that sort of disturbing fun and absurdity need to be sustained more consistently than was in this production.