VIDEO: RHINOCEROS Star Explains Yiddish Theatre's Influence on Eugene Ionesco

In the video, Caraid O'Brien, Irish-born Catholic actress, playwright, translator and Yiddish expert, explains Yiddish Theatre's influence on legendary absurdist playwright Eugene Ionesco. Check it out!

Caraid is currently in rehearsal for the Yiddish world premiere of Ionesco's Rhinoceros, in which she will play Mrs. Boeff. In the video, Caraid shares a story about Ionesco which supports the idea that 'six degrees of separation' is indeed a universal concept.

Nearly 60 years since its premiere, the agonizingly comedic Rhinoceros is making its Yiddish language debut with a translation by Eli Rosen. The sublime is merged with the ridiculous in this savage commentary on the human condition, in which an individual citizen of a small town watches his friends turn into Rhinoceroses one by one until he alone stands unchanged. Under the direction of Moshe Yassur, the cast of Rhinoceros also features Alec Burko, Amy Coleman, Macha Fogel, Malky Goldman, Sean Griffin, Chezky Israeli, David Mandelbaum, Eli Rosen, Gera Sandler, Luzer Twersky and Melissa Weisz.

Eugene Ionesco (1909 - 1994) was one of the foremost figures of the French avant-garde theatre. Among his most popular plays are Rhinoceros, THE BALD SOPRANO, THE LESSON, THE CHAIRS and THE KILLER.

RHINOCEROS marks the second Yiddish world premiere at New Yiddish Rep, following their groundbreaking production of GOD OF VENGEANCE last season which scored a New York Times Critics' Pick. New Yiddish Rep is dedicated to creating modern theater which speaks to a diverse contemporary audience, including those who never might have thought they could connect to a performance in a language other than their own.

Performances of Rhinoceros will begin next Thursday, September 7th at the Castillo Theatre, 543 West 42 Street (between Tenth & Eleventh Aves.) Presented by New Yiddish Rep in association with the Castillo Theatre, Rhinoceros will be performed in Yiddish with English supertitles.