Rhinoceros and Other Plays

In Rhinoceros, as in his earlier plays, Ionesco startles audiences with a world that invariably erupts in explosive laughter and nightmare anxiety. A rhinoceros suddenly appears in a small town, tramping through its peaceful streets. Soon there are two, then three, until the “movement€ is universal: a transformation of average citizens into beasts, as they learn to move with the times. Finally, only one man remains. “I€m the last man left, and I€m staying that way until the end. I€m not capitulating!€

Rhinoceros is a commentary on the absurdity of the human condition made tolerable only by self-delusion. It shows us the struggle of the individual to maintain integrity and identity alone in a world where all others have succumbed to the “beauty€ of brute force, natural energy, and mindlessness.

Includes Rhinoceros, The Leader, The Future Is in Eggs or It Takes All Sorts to Make a World