Harriett D. Foy plays Housewife in “Rhinoceros” at A.R.T.

A herd of rhinoceroses stampede into a small French town.

… No, it’s not the beginning of a knock-knock joke, although you might find yourself laughing (or crying) at the poignancy of Eugène Ionesco’s 1959 play “Rhinoceros” opening at the American Repertory Theater this weekend.

The absurdist play centers on a French community that’s going about its normal business, until a rhinoceros barrels in. One by one, the people around protagonist Berenger join the herd and turn into rhinoceroses. The comical premise also represents a clear commentary about following a crowd — no matter how insane its actions are.

“It’s so timely and very funny,” said Harriett D. Foy, who plays the Housewife. “I remember it was on our required list in college at Howard University and I read it. But coming back to it and reading again, I was like, wow, this is so powerful.”

Ionesco wrote the play in the wake of World War II when many were staying quiet against injustice or tacitly aligning themselves with fascism. The message is one against authoritarianism, for it’s the free thinker Berenger who clings to his humanity as everyone around him joins the crowd.

The anti-totalitarian core is sure to strike a chord in the current political and social context of the United States, from increased, often illegal political control in the Trump administration to homogenized imagery and “culture” generated by AI models.

The core cast is a star-studded one. It was John Turturro of “Severance” who approached A.R.T. artistic director Diane Paulus about the project initially; he plays Berenger. Turturro will be joined by Paul Giamatti of “Billions” and “The Holdovers,” playing Jean, and Tatiana Maslany of “Orphan Black” playing Daisy as well as others. This is the A.R.T. debut for each of the three main actors, all of whom have won Emmy Awards.

For Foy, the play is a parallel to our current moment but also a bit of a warning about the vicious cycle of history.

“I can’t believe that he wrote this back in the day, and here we are because, as we know, history repeats itself until we actually get to that higher level where we all come together and work as one,” she said.

The A.R.T. adaptation, based on a translation by Derek Prouse, makes some changes, says Foy. These are mostly editorial cuts that make the action more immediate and the message as aligned with contemporary audiences as possible.

“Rhinoceros” runs through Sept. 27. Tickets start at $45; performances are selling out quickly.

Foy hopes the performance provides a humorous night out and a strong reminder to stay true to your values.

“Keep your faith, stay on your path of what you believe in and take care of your fellow man,” she said. “Don’t lose sight of who you are in these spaces with everything that’s going on around you.

Know who you are and stand in your power.”

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