Rhinoceros attacks political conformity

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Rhinoceros attacks political conformity

Ionesco's play challenges acquisence to fascism

by John Erwin

Romanian-born Eugène Ionesco's Rhinoceros is a Kafkaesque example of Theater of the Absurd in which totalitarianism is symbolized as a disease that transforms thoughtful human beings into savage rhinoceroses, and is being performed this weekend.

The main plot consists of three characters: Berenger, Jean and Daisy. Sophomore Morgan Dowsett is quite adept at playing a drunken Berenger who works for a publishing company with his love, a facile Daisy (sophomore Jordan Phaup), and a scintillating interpretation of Jean by junior Cory Wallace. Although Jean is Berenger's closest friend, Berenger seems to always criticize him. Berenger epitomizes the simple, drunken Everyman; Jean seems to be the astute, open-minded intellectual.

Problems begin when both see rhinoceroses charging down the main street of town. After much argument and debate, everyone realizes that the people of the town are being infected with a disease that turns them into rhinoceroses.

The allegorical context of the play becomes apparent when one makes the realization that the town's transformation to rhinoceroses is willful. In the last act, only Berenger and Daisy are humans; everyone else in the town is a rhinoceros. Ionesco attempts to relay the despotic change in pre-World War II Romania he observed through Rhinoceros.

When a person changes into a rhinoceros, he happily relinquishes his personal beliefs in order to ascribe to a powerful collective. Conformity and majority suddenly change. Ionesco once commented on this in an interview with Claude Sarraute when he stated:

"People allow themselves suddenly to be invaded by a new religion, a doctrine, a fanaticism. When people no longer share your opinions, when you can no longer make yourself understood by them, one has the impression of being confronted with monsters-rhinos, for example. They would kill you with the best of consciences. History has shown us during the last quarter of a century that people thus transformed not only to resemble rhinos, but really become rhinoceroses."

When Berenger and Daisy are the last humans, it is suddenly strange and foreign to be a human and not to be a rhinoceros. Daisy eventually can't handle the pressure of individualism and transforms into a rhinoceros, leaving Berenger as the only remaining human.

Berenger can almost be considered an anti-parallel to Gregor in Kafka's The Metamorphosis. Gregor Samsa becomes a bug while the rest of the world remains normal; Berenger remains normal while the rest of the world changes into rhinoceroses. Still, the end effect is the same-both Gregor and Berenger are the aliens. In the end, Berenger proclaims, "I am a monster, just a monster … I'm so ugly! People who try to hang on to their individuality always come to a bad end!" Berenger feels the pains of nonconformity, but, like Ionesco, he is the only one who endures it to remain an individual.

Adam Rhodes has successfully made a lucid and romantic production in Little Theater, but the play does appear unpolished at times. Dowsett, sophomore Rajiv Ranja (Mr. Papillon) and Wallace each inject enthusiasm into their roles and are respectable actors. Some have already professed their worry that the play is too long. According to the stage manager, a half-hour of the play was cut to help with the pace.

At times, the play loses momentum and a sense of purpose, especially when two connected dialogues occur at the same time on stage. The production falls into some classic pits of amateur theater - for example, one character mouthing another's words - but these minor blights don't add up to any serious detractions. Rhinoceros provides sumtuous dramatic, philosophical food for thought in a short time.

Rhinoceros will be performed in Little Theater Nov. 1 and 2 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 2 and 3 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $2 with OCID, $3 for staff and seniors, $4 for others; $2 more at the door. Tickets are available through CTS.

Photo:
Is your father a thief?: Love was simpler when first-yesr Morgan Dowsett, junior Cory Wallace and sophomore Jordan Phaup were humans instead of symbolic monsters of conformity. (Photo by Ben Jones)

Source: https://www2.oberlin.edu/stupub/ocreview/archives/1996.11.01/arts/rhino.html 

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