Rhinoceros

In Ionesco's absurdist classic, giant rhinoceroses invade a small French town, disrupting the petty philosophizing of a coffee klatch at a local cafe. Dismayed at first by the takeover, the residents soon give way to societal pressure and slowly transform into horned pachyderms themselves. A disheveled alcoholic named Berenger becomes the last of the Homo sapiens, desperately resisting the transformation from man to beast. The essence of Rhinoceroslies in its conflicting messages about the human condition: Ionesco takes a dig at man's pathetic inability to resist conformity, as the townspeople all jump on the rhino bandwagon, but he also indicts man for his fear of change, as Berenger clings blindly to his "identity" as a human. Berkeley Rep's production, under Barbara Damashek's innovative direction, does well to play up this thematic duality, casting local clown actor Geoff Hoyle as Berenger, the bumbling preacher of autonomy, who watches his best friend, his boss, and his main squeeze all get rhino fever. Often described as the hero -- an emblem of individuality -- Berenger is a more complex creature here; Hoyle's discombobulated portrayal emphasizes the character's delusional and closed-minded tendencies. Under the guise of fighting for a free world, he declares that we have to "root out the evil." (Sound familiar?) The political relevance makes the production more potent, as does the sharp stage design. Christopher Barreca's minimal set (minimal for Berkeley Rep, that is) works well in contrast with York Kennedy's fabulous lighting design, which includes flashing green and yellow hues to signal the impending metamorphosis for poor Berenger. As they say: You can run from the rhinos, but you can't hide.