Viking_Yearbook_64

rhinoceros The terrifying sound and shape of insidious, dehumanizing mass conformity crashed across stage in the Idea Theatre's spring production of " Rhinoceros ." lonesco 's "anti– theatrical " play, recently released to amateur production after its Broadway and off-Broadway runs, was an April presentation under direction of drama director Asher Wilson. It takes a strong cast to carry lonesco's at-first pitiably com ic provinc ial towns people through to their compellingly tragic end . It is an end in which the characters , one-by-one let go of their own identities, their individual moralities, and finally their physical shapes to join the bellowing rhinoceros herd that is sweeping the village in ever closing circles of thundering hooves. Gregg Nickerson was Berenger whose uncomfortable and alcoholic struggle to adjust to the narrow, unthinking conformity of his job and the town , hardens into immunization against the herd seduction . Carol Morgareidge was Daisy, Berenger's love and the last to go piteously running from his arms to follow the rhinoceros' bellowing which to her finally has become " singing ." Jean, the always on time , grey-flannel suit friend of Berenger who was almost the first to turn into a rh inoceros was played by Jack Shields . Dudard was W illiam Tate ; Botard was Steven Smith , and The Logician , Ernie Klostermann . Others in the cast included Nicci McBroom as the waitress; Charles Hinkle and Gail Caveny as the grocer and his wife ; Gary Smith as the Old Gentleman ; Stormie Lineberger as the housewife. Paul Staver was the cafe proprietor; Ralph Zusman , Mr. Papillon ; Nancy Drew, Mrs. Boeuf; Dave Collins a fireman , and Paul Stover, the Little Old Man. Kermit Shafer did the stage design with costumes by Mary Collins and her student crew. 146