A Small Town's Big Problem: Everyone's Turning into Rhinos

Imagine waking up on a perfectly normal Sunday, only to find your neighbors inexplicably morphing into rhinos. Not a metaphor. Actual, horn-and-hide-wearing rhinos. This is the charming premise of "Rhinoceros," the American Repertory Theater's (A.R.T.) latest production, kicking off their 2026-2027 season.

Based on Eugène Ionesco's absurdist 1959 play, this isn't just a quirky creature feature. It's a surprisingly sharp look at what happens when the herd mentality takes over, directed by Diane Paulus '88 and starring a lineup that could make a prestige TV show blush: Emmy winners Paul Giamatti, Tatiana Maslany, and John Turturro. The show opens Friday and runs through September 27.

Paul Giamatti, fresh off his Oscar-nominated turn in "The Holdovers," plays Jean, one of the first to sprout a horn. He describes the play as both serious and childish, noting, "The more bizarre and funnier it is, almost the more serious it becomes in a strange way." Which, if you think about it, is a pretty accurate description of most things worth discussing.

John Turturro, who plays the bewildered protagonist Berenger, was drawn to the play's enduring question: how do you hold onto your humanity when everyone around you is stampeding in the same, increasingly horned direction? He observes that the fear of being different can lead people to embrace "barbaric" ideas, turning a minor disagreement into a full-blown stampede.

Paulus explains that Ionesco penned the original as a metaphor for the rise of Nazism and other collective madnesses he witnessed. Fast-forward to today, and the story still feels ripped from the headlines, even with its decidedly non-human antagonists. "We’re talking about rhinoceroses taking over a little, small town," Paulus says, "and yet it allows us space to look at things that are going to feel like they’re ripped out of the headlines."

Tatiana Maslany ("Orphan Black") felt "bowled over" by the script, finding it "really funny and felt like it couldn’t have been more prescient." She plays Daisy, an office receptionist and Berenger's love interest, who has to navigate this increasingly rhinocerous world.

Giamatti, ever the philosopher, sees the play asking vital questions in our age of social media and AI. "What makes you a human being, what makes you an individual?" he muses, pointing out that Berenger's struggle to be an individual despite being a mess is precisely what makes him human. Because sometimes, being a wreck is the most authentic thing you can be.

The Rhinoceros Transformation, Unveiled

Rounding out the cast are talents like Harriett D. Foy, Peter Francis James, and Kristine Nielsen, all working to inject new life into this classic. Maslany praises Turturro's collaborative spirit, noting his knack for spotting and amplifying the unique contributions of each performer. "He sees something, and he’s like, ‘Oh yes! Let’s invite that more into the show,'" she says. It's the kind of generosity that makes you want to join the cast, even if it means risking a horn.

This production marks Paulus's final directing project at the Loeb Drama Center before the A.R.T. relocates to its new Allston home. She calls working with this cast a "dream," highlighting their blend of skill, focus, and playful creativity.

As for the burning question — how, exactly, do actors turn into rhinos on stage? Giamatti's answer is perfectly dry: "You have to buy a ticket." He admits to loving stories where people "unlace and let their animal out," and he's clearly enjoying the challenge. Because who wouldn't want to explore their inner rhino, even if it's just for a few weeks?