Design Statement

Ionesco's absurdist play, Rhinoceros, is about how easy it can be to go with the group mentality, no matter how twisted it may be. We wanted the world of Rhinoceros to be unsettling while creating hints of German Expressionism to show how Berenger, the main character, is an everyman stuck in a conforming society. The audience becomes trapped with these conformist characters as they enter into this twisted, caged world. I wanted the audience to feel uncomfortable and claustrophobic in the space. This was accomplished by turning our usual playing space around, putting the audience inside the cage, and having a small, intimate playing space. With the cramped space, we tell the story by laying the ideas of conforming to society right into the audience’s laps.