| |
Peter
Shaffer's 1973 Equus is back with a fury, offering up insights
into the mind of both psychiatrist and patient. The play takes
Christianity, Greek mythology, the centaur, self-flagellation,
sexuality, and guilt and with broad strokes creates from
these elements what is in essence a psychiatric
thriller.
The play's main character,
stable hand Alan Strang
(Daniel Radcliffe), lives with an overly religious mother and a
controlling father. Obsessed with horses, he commits an act of
unspeakable violence. Enter Martin Dysart (Richard Griffiths), a
middle-aged child psychiatrist. In the course of his sessions with
Alan, Dysart questions everything from his own professional and
personal life to basic assumptions about normative sexual
development.
Director Thea Sharrock reprises the original
production's innovative staging, including actors in wire horse
heads and hooves and audience members seated in the round above
the stage. Griffiths and Radcliffe give powerful performances, as
does Kate Mulgrew as Hesther Saloman, the magistrate who first
brings Alan to Dysart's attention.
Based on an unverified
anecdote recounted to Schaffer by a friend, Equus won several
Tonys in 1975, including Best Play and Best Director for John
Dexter. The 1977 Sidney Lumet film starred
Richard Burton, Peter Firth, and Joan Plowright. The
production received a standing ovation the night we saw it -
canter don't trot to the Broadhurst Theater, if you can find a
ticket….
See:
Equus,
Broadhurst Theatre
See:
Equus,
the film
Tags:
theatre
broadway
|
|
|
