“Rhinoceros” at Yale Repertory Theatre
“Rhinoceros” at Yale Repertory Theatre is a devastating evening of theatre. Running a fleet 90 minutes, with no intermission, this show grabs hold of a viewer and doesn’t let go until the final, eerie moments. “Rhinoceros,” written by Eugene Ionesco in 1959, concerns the phenomenon of residents in a small town in France all gradually turning into a rhinoceros. This play is one of the seminal works of the Theatre of the Absurd, with the playwright using this phenomenon in the play as a metaphor for the rise of fascism. That said, even if one sees the show without this knowledge, the production still packs a wallop.
Reg Rogers, in a galvanizing, monumental performance, is the hero of “Rhinoceros” and he is one of the first people in the town to observe that humans are being transformed into animals. The entire cast is strong, with several performers standing out and director Liz Diamond has done a tremendous job of staging this show and allowing Eugene Ionesco’s words to resonate with a present-day audience. Even if one may be put off by seeing a play where a metaphor is so prevalent, “Rhinoceros” at Yale Repertory Theatre is a riveting show and ranks as something of a must see.
As the lead character of Berenger, Reg Rogers is first seen sitting with his friend Gene (the brilliant Phillip Taratula) at an outside French café. The opening dialogue is Berenger and Gene arguing with each other, mostly about Berenger drinking too much. It is within the first ten minutes that the sound of a rhinoceros is first heard coming and, courtesy of the stunning sound design and the use of smoke onstage, the whole theater practically shakes. From that moment on, nothing is what it seems in this play, as people onstage begin to argue whether the rhinoceros has one horn or two and there is even some talk questioning whether the rhinoceros even exists at all.
Rogers works in an office with Tartuala, and other major characters include Dudard (portrayed chillingly by Will Dagger) and Daisy (the superlative Elizabeth Stahlmann), the woman whom Rogers is secretly in love with. I saw Stahlmann give a powerhouse performance several years ago in a play called “Grounded” (also directed by Liz Diamond) and, while this current production doesn’t give this actress the same opportunities that “Grounded” did, she certainly makes the most out of her supporting role. In the play, there is also the character of Botard (an excellent Richard Ruiz Henry) and, portraying both the owner of the cafe and the part of M. Papillon, Tony Manna does a beautiful job. Actually, the entire cast is pretty great and there are even some especially scary moments when actors are seen in silhouette wearing rhinoceros head dresses.
“Rhinoceros” proves to be quite a terrifying experience and it actually operates on several different levels. There is definitely the idea of nearly all the inhabitants in the town going along with the herd, as, one by one, they become a rhinoceros. Also, one can see the hysteria of the characters just trying to make sense of a senseless phenomenon. In perhaps the most disturbing scene, Reg Rogers and Phillip Taratula are seen in the latter’s apartment, with Taratula slowing going through the transformation. Without giving too much away, one is shown this character’s skin turning grayer, as well as the beginning of a bump on his forehead. Through all of this, things become so hallucinatory that one begins to wonder what is real and what is imaginary.
In addition to working wonders with her cast, the director has a terrific design team, with Jennifer Yuqing Cao’s set design being totally apt, as one scene bleeds into the next. Costume designer Tricie Bergmann also does a fantastic job, using bright colors initially for some of the character’s outfits, before the costumes become more subdued. The lighting design by Donald Holder is sensational and the work of the sound designer Xi (Zoey) Lin (who is also responsible for the hypnotic original music) is perhaps the best use of sound that I have ever experienced in a theater, making the presence of a rhinoceros totally palpable onstage without an audience member ever actually seeing these creatures.
As things get more and more frightening in “Rhinoceros,” it is Reg Rogers as Berenger whom one can count on to keep some semblance of normality. This production has a dreamlike quality that can shake one to one’s core, while also remaining a cogent and rewarding theatrical experience. The events in “Rhinoceros” at Yale Repertory Theatre become almost indescribable and any number of theories can be applied to the characters, one by one, being transformed into animals. Eugene Ionesco certainly knew what he was doing when he wrote “Rhinoceros” and it is enormous praise that this production fully lives up to the playwright’s lofty standards.
“Rhinoceros” runs through March 26, 2026, at Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel St., New Haven CT. For tickets and information, please call 2203-432-1234 or visit Yalerep.org.
Photo: Reg Rogers and Phillip Taratula
Photo by Carol Rosegg
Reviews by Zander Opper 