The masterpiece of Eugène Ionesco's RHINOCEROS opened at G5A as part of the Prithvi Theatre Festival 2018. Gagan Dev Riar has directed this absurd satire which in its original length runs in three acts. It has been edited and presented in a 75 minutes performance. The use of physical theatre in the play gives it an ability of conveying the text in a shorter run. The play opens with all the characters on stage presenting a market scene. The characters use facial make-up like clowns but the make-up is more indicative and minimal.
With a very young cast of seven performers, the play hardly uses blackouts, possibly due to the nature of the writing. Gagan Dev Riar in his direction seamlessly connects the beauty in the movement and the parallel conversations had by the characters on different topics. While few characters are consoling the owner of the dead cat, simultaneously Bergenger (Himanshu Talreja) and Jean (Vivaan Parsahar) are discussing existential philosophy. Many such absurd situations and scenes are presented parallel to each other. The swiftness and pace of the play makes it flow effortlessly from one scene to the other.
Eugène Ionesco's RHINOCEROS was a response to the upsurge of Fascisim and Nazism during the events preceding the second World War. Gagan Dev Riar has chosen to work on some themes from Ionesco's play more vividly than others but the play very much dwells on conformity, culture, responsibility, ethics, philosophy, and morality.
Due to the Hindi-English nature of the play, it has made an attempt to not lose the essence of some of the ontological understanding of terms like pachyderm, collective psychosis, and existentialist notions but there are other references that are missing. The play has satirical nuances in some of its dialogues, for instance, in the use of the term propaganda, and at no point the comic lines are included to titillate the audience.
The names of the characters remain as they are in the original. A very thoughtful choice of musical pieces (arranged and picked by Sachina Rohilla and Gagan Dev Riar) complement the light design by Yugant Patil.
Each actor had an alert stage presence and did only what was required - the play has some specific body movements, facial expressions and gestures and they are meant to be strictly structured. The sincerity of the actor to remain dedicated to the directions convey some powerful scenes in the play. Minimal expressions and well synchronised body movements render the play an aesthetic quality.
*Dr. Omkar Bhatkarteaches at the Department of Mass Media Studies at St. Andrews College. He runs the eclectic St Andrew's Centre For Philosophy and Performing Arts. He is also a theatre director, poet and painter.