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{{Short description|1973 play by Peter Shaffer}}
[[Image:Equusplaybookcover2.JPG|thumb|200px|right|Cover of [[1993]] [[Longman]] edition of ''Equus''.]]
{{italic title}}
'''''Equus''''' is a play by [[Peter Shaffer]] written in [[1973]], telling the story of a [[psychiatrist]] who attempts to treat a young man who has a pathological fascination with [[horse]]s.[http://us.penguingroup.com/enwiki/static/rguides/us/equus.html]
{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox play
| name = Equus
| image = Equusplaybookcover2.JPG
| caption =
| writer = [[Peter Shaffer]]
| characters = {{plainlist|
* Martin Dysart
* Alan Strang
* Frank Strang
* Jill Mason
* Hesther Soloman
* Dora Strang
* Nurse
* Harry Dalton
* Horseman
* Nugget
}}
| setting = The Present; Rokeby Psychiatric Hospital, Southern England
| premiere = 1973
| place = [[Royal National Theatre]]
| orig_lang = English
| subject = 17-year-old boy blinds six horses with a spike, case becomes a catalyst for his psychiatrist's own doubts
| genre = Drama
| web =
}}


'''''Equus''''' is a 1973 [[Play (theatre)|play]] by [[Peter Shaffer]], about a [[Child and adolescent psychiatry|child psychiatrist]] who attempts to treat a young man who has a pathological religious fascination with [[horse]]s.<ref name="greatbooks" />
Shaffer was inspired to write ''Equus'' when he heard of a crime involving a teenage boy's apparently senseless [[horse-ripping|injury to horses]]. He set out to construct a fictional account of what might have caused the incident, without knowing any of the details of the crime. The play is essentially a detective story, with the [[psychiatrist]] trying to understand the cause of the boy's actions while wrestling with his own sense of purpose.


Shaffer was inspired to write ''Equus'' when he heard of a crime involving a 17-year-old boy who blinded six horses in a small town in northern England.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/04/13/archives/why-are-there-two-us-in-equus-write-me-said-the-play-to-peter.html|title=Why are there two u's in 'Equus'? |work=The New York Times|date=1975-04-13|access-date=2024-01-29|quote= a boy was supposed to have blinded 26 horses}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.broadway.com/buzz/5750/backstory-saddle-up-for-the-story-behind-the-hype-of-equus/|title=Backstory: Saddle Up for the Story (Behind the Hype) of Equus | publisher=Broadway Buzz |access-date=2024-01-29}}</ref> He set out to construct a fictional account of what might have caused the incident, without knowing any of the details of the crime, and to evoke the same "air of mystery" and "numinous" qualities as his 1964 play ''[[The Royal Hunt of the Sun]]'' but in a more modern setting.<ref name=":0" /> The narrative of the play follows Dr. Martin Dysart's attempts to understand the cause of the boy's (Alan Strang) actions while wrestling with his own sense of purpose and the nature of his work.<ref name="equustheplay" />
==Plot summary==
{{spoiler}}


The original stage production ran at the [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]] in London from 1973 to 1975, directed by [[John Dexter]]. [[Alec McCowen]] played Dysart, and [[Peter Firth]] played Alan Strang. The first Broadway production starred [[Anthony Hopkins]] as Dysart (later played by [[Richard Burton]], [[Leonard Nimoy]], and [[Anthony Perkins]]) and Peter Firth as Alan. When Firth left for Broadway, [[Dai Bradley]] took over the role of Alan in the London production, playing opposite [[Michael Jayston]] as Dr. Dysart.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.infotextmanuscripts.org/webb/webb_nt_equus.pdf |title=''Equus'' Programme |access-date=2017-04-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412181555/http://www.infotextmanuscripts.org/webb/webb_nt_equus.pdf |archive-date=12 April 2016 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> [[Tom Hulce]] later replaced Firth during the Broadway run. The Broadway production ran for 1,209 performances. [[Marian Seldes]] appeared in every single performance of the Broadway run, first in the role of Hesther and then as Dora. Shaffer would later adapt the play for a 1977 film of the [[Equus (film)|same name]] directed by [[Sidney Lumet]].
The play is set in the office of psychiatrist, Dr. Martin Dysart [http://www.equustheplay.com/about/index.php]. It begins with a monologue from Dysart in which he outlines that the case of seventeen-year old Alan Strang is among the strangest with which he has ever dealt. He also divulges feelings that his occupation is not all that he wishes it would be. He sees so many troubled young people and there is a never-ending supply of them for him to "adjust". A court official visits Dysart as she believes he has the skills in his profession to help Alan come to terms with a violent act he perpretrated. Alan had, seemingly inexplicably, blinded six horses at a stable in which he worked.


The narrative centers on religious and [[ritual sacrifice]] themes, as well as the manner in which Strang constructs a personal theology involving the horses and the godhead "Equus". Alan sees the horses as representative of God and confuses his adoration of his "God" with [[sexual attraction]]. Also important is Shaffer's examination of the conflict between personal values and satisfaction and societal mores, expectations, and institutions, and between [[Apollonian and Dionysian]] values and systems.
To begin with, Dysart has a great deal of difficulty making any kind of headway with Alan who responds to any kind of questioning by singing [[television commercials|advertising slogans]]. Slowly, Dysart makes contact with Alan by playing a kind of game where each of them asks a question which must be answered honestly. He finds out that from an early age Alan has been receiving conflicting viewpoints on [[religion]] from his parents. Dora Strang, a devout [[Catholic]] and the mother of Alan, read to him daily from the [[Bible]]. This antagonizes Alan's [[atheist]] father, Frank Strang, who, concerned that Alan took far too much interest in the more violent aspects of the Bible, specifically the [[crucifixion]] of [[Christ]],takes out his frustration by destroying a picture of the crucifixion that Alan has at the foot of his bed. He replaced the picture with one of a horse.


== Plot summary ==
In conversation with Dysart, Frank reveals that one night he saw Alan kneeling in front of the picture of the horse chanting a made-up genealogy of horses parodying that of Christ in the Bible. The list of names ends with "Equus." Whilst kneeling, Alan takes a [[clothes hanger|coat hanger]] and [[Flagellation|flagellates]]. Through further questioning of Alan, it is revealed that he made up for his lack of a focus for his worship by deifying horses. Alan believes that the spirit of Equus resides in all horses.


===Act 1===
Alan has a job working in a shop selling electrical goods which is where he met Jill Mason who visits the shop wanting blades for horse-clippers. Alan was instantly interested when he discovers that Jill has such close contact with horses. Jill suggests that Alan work for her father at their stables and Alan agrees.
[[File:Equus-Dysart02Online.jpg|left|thumb|[[Charles S. Dutton]] as Dysart in ''Equus'', as directed by [[Brad Mays]] in May 1979 in [[Baltimore]]]]
Martin Dysart is a psychiatrist working in a psychiatric hospital. He begins with a monologue in which he outlines the case of 17-year-old Alan Strang, who has blinded six horses. He divulges his feeling that his occupation is not all that he wishes it to be and his dissatisfaction and disappointment with his life. Dysart finds that the supply of troubled young people for him to "adjust" back into "normal" living is never-ending, but he doubts the value of treating these youths, since they will simply return to a dull, normal life that lacks any commitment or "worship". He comments that while Strang's crime was extreme, just such extremity is needed to break free from the chains of existence.


A court magistrate, Hesther Saloman, visits Dysart, believing that he has the skills to help Alan come to terms with what he did. At the hospital, Dysart struggles to engage with Alan, who at first responds to questioning by singing TV advertising jingles.
Alan is held by Jill's father to be a model worker, since he keeps the stables immaculately clean and grooms the horses, including one named "Nugget." Through Dysart's questioning, it becomes clear that Alan is erotically fixated on ''Nugget'' and secretly takes him for midnight rides. Alan rides him [[bareback]] and naked enjoying the feeling of the power of the animal and the smell of the sweat.


Dysart reveals a dream he has had, in a [[Homer]]ic [[Ancient Greece|Grecian]] setting, in which he is a public official presiding over a mass ritual sacrifice. One after another, he slices open the abdomens of hundreds of children and pulls out their entrails. He becomes disgusted with what he is doing, but fears being murdered in the same manner if discovered as a "non-believer" by the other priests, and so continues. Eventually the other priests become aware of his misgivings and grab the knife from his hand, at which point he awakens from the dream.
One day, Jill asks Alan to take her to a [[pornography|pornographic]] theater. While there, they run into Frank. They all leave embarrassed after giving weak excuses for their presence in the theater. Alan walks Jill home but Jill suggests that they go to the stables for sex. Alan is very nervous in the stable as he hears the horses moving around. He is frustrated that his nervousness makes him unable to get an [[erection]]. He threatens Jill with a [[Horse_grooming#Tools_used_for_grooming|hoof pick]] and makes her leave the stable. When she is gone he blames the horses and the spirit of Equus for his embarrassment and punishes the six horses by blinding them for seeing his shame.


Dysart interviews Alan's parents. He learns that, from an early age, Alan has been receiving conflicting views on religion from his parents. Alan's mother, Dora, is a devout Christian who has read to him daily from the Bible, but this practice has antagonized Alan's father Frank, a non-believer.
The play concludes with Dysart, once again, delivering a monologue that he can make Alan's pain go away and that he can ensure that he's not a danger. But Dysart is saddened that the effect of his treatment will remove Alan's passion for horses, severing these extremely intense sexual and religious connections. Dysart also reflects upon his life noticing that it has not yielded any such comparable passion and that he has the [[bit (horse)|bit]] in his mouth and is the priest of the insidious god, normal.


Slowly, Dysart makes contact with Alan by playing a game where each of them asks a question, which must be answered honestly.
==Original productions==


Dysart learns that Frank, concerned that Alan was taking far too much interest in the more violent aspects of the Bible, destroyed a violent picture of the [[crucifixion of Jesus]] that Alan had hung at the foot of his bed. Alan then replaced the picture with one of a horse, with large, staring eyes.
The play was originally staged at the [[Royal National Theatre]] at the [[Old Vic]] in [[London]] in [[1973]]. It was directed by [[John Dexter]] and starred [[Alec McCowen]] as psychiatrist Martin Dysart and [[Peter Firth]] as Alan Strang, the young patient. It was subsequently presented on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] at the [[Plymouth Theatre]] with [[Anthony Hopkins]] and [[Peter Firth]].


Alan reveals to Dysart that, during his youth, his attraction to horses came about by way of his mother's Biblical tales, a horse story that she had read to him, [[Western film|Western films]], and his grandfather's interest in horses and riding. Alan's sexual education began with his mother, who told him that he could find true love and contentment by way of religious devotion and marriage. During this time, Alan also began to develop a sexual attraction to horses, desiring to pet their coats, feel their muscular bodies, and smell their sweat. Alan reveals to Dysart that he had first encountered a horse at age six, on the beach. A rider approached him, and took him up on the horse. Alan was visibly excited, but his parents found him and Frank pulled him violently off the horse; the horse rider scoffed at Frank and rode off.
Later, [[Tom Hulce]] played the role of Alan Strang, and [[Anthony Perkins]] replaced Hopkins as Martin Dysart. Perkins was briefly replaced by [[Richard Burton]] for the star's return to Broadway for a limited run. Perkins resumed the part when Burton's run ended. The play received a [[Tony Award]] for best play in [[1975]].


Dysart hypnotizes Alan, during which he reveals elements of his dream about human sacrifice. He begins to jog Alan's memory by filling in blanks and asking questions. Alan reveals that he wants to help captive horses by removing the [[Bit (horse)|bit]], which enslaves them.
''Equus'' was acclaimed not only for its dramatic craftmanship and the performances by the stars, but also for its brilliantly original staging. The horses were portrayed by actors in brown track suits, wearing a wire abstraction of a horse's head. The entire cast, including the actors playing the horses, remained seated on stage for the play's duration, watching the action along with the audience. Part of the audience was seated on the stage as well, in [[bleachers]] that looked out into the auditorium, creating the effect that the spectators surrounded the action.


After turning 17, Alan took a job working in a shop selling electrical goods, where he met Jill Mason, an outgoing and free-spirited young woman who works for a local stable owner. She visited the shop wanting to purchase blades for horse-clippers, which piqued Alan's interest. Jill suggested that Alan work for Harry Dalton, the owner of the stables, to which Alan agreed.
==Film adaptation==
{{main|Equus (film)}}
Shaffer adapted the play for a [[1977]] film starring [[Richard Burton]], [[Peter Firth]], [[Eileen Atkins]], [[Colin Blakely]], [[Joan Plowright]], and [[Jenny Agutter]], directed by [[Sidney Lumet]].


Dysart meets with Dalton, who tells him that he first held Alan to be a model worker, since he kept the stables immaculately clean and groomed the horses, including one named Nugget. Through Dysart's questioning, it becomes clear that Alan is erotically fixated on Nugget (or "Equus") and secretly takes him for midnight rides, bareback and naked. Alan envisions himself as a king astride the godhead Equus, both destroying their enemies.
==Revivals==
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Stage page thumb.jpg|thumb|Daniel Radcliffe in Equus]] -->
[[Massachusetts]]' [[Berkshire Theatre Festival]] revived ''Equus'' in the Summer of [[2005]], staged by [[Scott Schwartz]], with [[Victor Slezak]] as Dysart and [[Randy Harrison]] as Strang. ([[Roberta Maxwell]], who originated the role of Jill, in the original [[1970s]] Broadway production played a judge in this revival.


===Act 2===
[[George Takei]] played Dysart in a 2006 revival, featuring an [[Asian Pacific American|Asian Pacific]] cast, done at [[East West Players]] in Los Angeles, California.
[[File:Equus-Jill&Alanoline.jpg|thumb|Lauren Raher and [[Brad Mays]] as Jill and Alan in ''Equus'', as directed by Mays in May 1979 in Baltimore]]
Dysart gives Alan a [[placebo]] "truth pill". Revealing a tryst with Jill, Alan begins to re-enact the event:


Jill, who has taken an interest in Alan, asks him to take her to an [[adult movie theater]]. While there, they run into Frank. Alan is traumatized, particularly when he realizes that his father is lying to justify his presence in the theatre; however, this allows Alan to realize that sex is a natural thing for all men, even his father. Alan walks Jill home after they leave and she convinces Alan to come to the stables with her.
''Equus'' was revived in 2007 in London's West End, with [[Richard Griffiths]] and [[Daniel Radcliffe]] in the leading roles, and is currently playing. This production is directed by [[Thea Sharrock]], and opened in [[February 2007]] at the [[Gielgud Theatre]]. The production attracted a lot of press attention, as Radcliffe and Griffiths appear in the ''Harry Potter'' film franchise. In particular the casting of seventeen year-old Radcliffe caused some controversy, since the role of Alan Strang required him to appear naked on stage.<ref>{{cite web | year = 2006 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5223520.stm | title = Naked stage role for Potter star | work = BBC News | accessdate = 2007-02-22}}</ref> However, Radcliffe insisted it is right that he plays the character the same way [[Peter Firth]] did more than 1,000 times.


Once there, Jill seduces Alan and the two undress and attempt to have sex. However, Alan hesitates when he hears the horses making noises in the stables beneath, and he is unable to get an erection. Jill tries to ask Alan what the problem is, but he shouts at her to leave. After Jill dresses and walks out of the stables, the still-nude Alan begs the horses for forgiveness.
==Popular culture==
*In an episode of the television series ''[[Get a Life (TV series)|Get a Life]]'' (2007, "Chris the Escort"), [[Chris Elliott]]'s character attends a performance of Equus starring [[Max Baer Jr]]. and [[Ron Palillo]].


"Mine!...You're mine!...I am yours and you are mine!" cries Equus through Dysart's voice, but then he becomes threatening: "[[Va'etchanan|The Lord thy God is a jealous God]]," Equus/Dysart seethes, "He sees you, he sees you forever and ever, Alan. He sees you!...He sees you!" Alan screams, "''God seest!''" and then says "No more. No more, Equus!" Alan then uses a steel spike to blind the six horses in the stable, whose eyes have "seen" his very soul.
*In the ''[[The Simpsons|Simpsons]]'' episode [[The Seven-Beer Snitch]], a theatre marquee in [[Shelbyville (The Simpsons)|Shelbyville]] advertises "[[Sideshow Mel]] in ''Equus''". Recently, it was also in another episode, [[Springfield Up]], where Homer decides as one of his new jobs to make [[Play-doh]] scenes which shows a scene from Equus. Interestingly, this episode originally aired on the same weekend the 2007 revival premiered in London.


In the final scene, Dysart delivers a monologue questioning the fundamentals of his practice and whether his methods will help Alan, as the effect of his treatment will make him "normal", but at the cost of his humanity.
*In the popular book, (later made a film adaption starring James McAvoy) '[[Starter for Ten]]' by [[David Nicholls]], it is mentioned that Bristol University's Theatre club is putting on Equus that year.


== Original Broadway production ==
*The play was the focus of a 2006 article by the satirical newspaper ''[[The Onion]]'' with the headline "[http://www.theonion.com/content/node/44683 Second-Graders Wow Audience With School Production Of ''Equus'']".
The play opened on Broadway at the [[Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre|Plymouth Theatre]] on 24 October 1974, ending on 11 September 1976. It then opened at the [[Fulton Theatre|Helen Hayes Theatre]] on 5 October 1976, ending on 2 October 1977, for a total of 1,209 performances.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/equus-3484 |title=Equus – Broadway Play – Original |website=[[Internet Broadway Database]] |access-date=9 May 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010075301/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/equus-3484 |archive-date=10 October 2017 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>


== Film adaptation ==
*[[Blonde Redhead]]'s album ''Misery is a Butterfly'' includes a track entitled "Equus".


{{Main|Equus (film)}}
*The [[Barnes & Barnes]] album ''Voobaha'' includes a song called "Clip Clop (Ode to Equus)".


Shaffer adapted the play for a 1977 film starring [[Richard Burton]], [[Peter Firth]], [[Eileen Atkins]], [[Colin Blakely]], [[Joan Plowright]], and [[Jenny Agutter]], directed by [[Sidney Lumet]]. Unlike stage productions, where the horses are portrayed by human actors, often muscular men wearing tribal-style masks,<ref>Smith, Richard Harlan. "[http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/17106/Equus/articles.html Equus (1977)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161025114601/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/17106/Equus/articles.html |date=25 October 2016 }}," ''[[Turner Classic Movies]]'', accessed 24 October 2016.</ref> Lumet did not believe this could adequately be done in a film version "because the reality he [Alan] was being watched he was going to create the dilemma within him."<ref>{{cite book |first=Ralph |last=Applebaum |title=Sidney Lumet: Interviews |publisher=University Press of Mississippi |year=2006 |page=75 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ysUIzzpngZQC&q=equus | access-date=7 November 2019 |isbn=978-1-5780-6724-4}}</ref>
*In an episode of ''[[The Golden Girls]]'' entitled "Mrs. George Devereaux", Dorothy mentions that [[Sonny Bono]] and [[Lyle Waggoner]] played the lead roles in a production of ''Equus''.


Comparing the film to the play, English professor James M. Welsh felt using real horses in the film was understandable, but argued the outdoor scenes infringed on the "abstract theatrical design" that gave the play its creativity.<ref>{{cite book |first=James M. |last=Welsh |title=Video Versions: Film Adaptations of Plays on Video |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WsJNknw8tx8C&q=equus |publisher=Greenwood Press |year=2000 |page=111 |isbn=978-0-3133-0185-8}}</ref> Welsh also felt the explicit depiction of the blinding was "potentially repulsive" and that "much of the spirit of the play is lost as a consequence."<ref>Welsh, p. 112.</ref>
*In [[John Morgan Wilson|John Morgan Wilson's]] book ''[[The Limits of Justice]]'', the plot centers heavily on a pedophile's ranch, named "Equus".


== Revivals{{anchor|Radcliffe}} ==
*[[Goran Visnjic]] got his start in acting when he was 12, with a part in a Croatian stage production of ''Equus''. He received a standing ovation.
<!-- Please DO NOT add your production to this list unless it meets http://enwp.org/WP:42 . This is not a brochure for productions. -->


The first Midwest U.S. production of ''Equus'' opened March 1978 in Lansing, Michigan, at Boarshead Theatre. Directed by John Peakes, it featured Richard Thomsen as Dysart, David Kropp as Alan, Carmen Decker as Dora, and Lisa Hodge as Jill. Local controversy over the nude scene was largely mitigated by casting a married couple as Jill and Alan. This production went on to win Boarshead Theatre's annual awards for Best Production and Best Supporting Actor (Kropp).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/210449495/|title='Equus' Rips Bodies, Souls |date=May 12, 1984 |page=24 |newspaper=[[Lansing State Journal]] |language=en |access-date=7 November 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202052933/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/210449495/ |archive-date=2 February 2017 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
* In the penultimate episode of [[Dead Ringers]] Series Seven, Equus was parodied in a [[Harry Potter]] sketch where Professor Snape tells the Hogwarts students that religious clothing is banned from the school. When Snape asks Harry Potter to take his veil off, Potter does so and he stands up in the nude. This is a possible reference to [[Daniel Radcliffe]] who plays Harry Potter and also appears in the play.


The Lovegrove Alley Theatre of [[Baltimore]] staged a production of ''Equus'' in 1979. The production starred a pre-Broadway [[Charles S. Dutton]] in the role of Dysart. Director [[Brad Mays]] did double duty in the role of Alan Strang. Lauren Raher played Jill Mason, and her real-life mother Rhona Raher portrayed Dora, Alan's mother.<ref name="Lord 1979" /><ref name="Strausbaugh 1979" /><ref name="Giuliano 1979" />
==References==
<references/>


[[File:Daniel Radcliffe NY9.jpg|thumb|[[Daniel Radcliffe]] arriving for a performance of ''Equus'' in 2008.]]
==External links==
West End producers [[David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers]] revived ''Equus'' in 2007, starring [[Richard Griffiths]], [[Daniel Radcliffe]], and [[Joanna Christie]] in the leading roles. The production was directed by [[Thea Sharrock]], and opened in February 2007 at the [[Gielgud Theatre]]. The production attracted press attention since both Radcliffe and Griffiths had starred in the [[Harry Potter (film series)|''Harry Potter'' film series]] (as [[Harry Potter (character)|Harry Potter]] and [[Vernon Dursley]], respectively). In particular, the casting of seventeen-year-old Radcliffe triggered some controversy since the role of Alan Strang required him to appear nude onstage.<ref name="BBC 28 July 2006" /> Radcliffe insisted that the nude scene was not "gratuitous", and that he should portray the character and the scene as called for by the script.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}} This revival was subsequently transferred to Broadway, running at the Broadhurst Theatre through 8 February 2009. Radcliffe and Griffiths reprised their roles, and Thea Sharrock returned as director. The cast also included [[Kate Mulgrew]], [[Anna Camp]], [[Carolyn McCormick]], Lorenzo Pisoni, [[T. Ryder Smith]], Graeme Malcolm, and Sandra Shipley, with Collin Baja, Tyrone Jackson, Spencer Liff, Adesola Osakalumi, and Marc Spaulding.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/horse-power-equus-revival-opens-on-broadway-sept-25-com-153625 |title=Horse Power: Equus Revival Opens on Broadway Sept. 25 |work=Playbill |access-date=20 August 2015 |url-status=live |last=Gans |first=Andrew |date=25 September 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029193351/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/121672-Horse-Power-Equus-Revival-Opens-on-Broadway-Sept-25 |archive-date=29 October 2013 |df=dmy }}</ref> Radcliffe was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play.
*{{imdb title|id=0075995|title=Equus}}
*[http://www.equustheplay.com/ 2007 West End revival] Official website
*[http://www.theatre.com/show/id/3004510/Equus Info and Photos on the 2007 West End Revival at Theatre.com]
*[http://www.theatre.com/photo_op/id/3006186] Onstage Photos of Daniel Radcliffe, Richard Griffiths, Jenny Agutter and Joanna Christie in the 2007 Revival
*[http://www.gielgud-theatre.com Gielgud Theatre London]
*[http://www.theonion.com/content/node/44683 Second-Graders Wow Audience With School Production Of ''Equus''] ([[satire]]) in [[The Onion]]
*[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=410165&in_page_id=1773 Audience get up close and personal for Harry Potter star's nude debut]
*[http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=15430 BroadwayWorld.com] Daniel Radcliffe Stars in West End's EQUUS
*[http://logan-1.mirror.waffleimages.com/files/ea/eae9b423b726d45683dffd348af6e1fb0121d5cd.jpg] - promotional picture gallery for the 2007 West End revival
*[http://www.harrypotterforever.org/films_equus.php Dossier sur la pièce (fr)] - Hpf.org
*[http://acedmagazine.com/content/view/114 An interpretation of the play focusing on religious and mythological elements]
[[Category:Broadway plays]]
[[Category:Peter Shaffer plays]]
[[Category:Tony Award winners]]


The first illustrated edition of the play text was produced as a large-format artist's book by the Old Stile Press, with images and an afterword by the British artist [[Clive Hicks-Jenkins]], in 2009.<ref>Campbell, Nancy, Frances McDowall, Nicolas McDowall, The Old Stile Press... the Next Ten Years: A Bibliography 2000–2010 (2010: Old Stile Press) {{ISBN|978-0-907664-85-7}}</ref>
[[nl:Equus (toneelstuk)]]

City Lights Theater Company of San Jose, California revived ''Equus'' in March 2011.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sanjose.com/2011/03/23/review_equus/|title=City Lights Theatre: 'Equus' |last=Conwell |first=Sean |date=23 March 2011 |website=SanJose.com |access-date=7 November 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230090440/http://www.sanjose.com/2011/03/23/review_equus/ |archive-date=30 December 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> This production, featuring actors Sean Gilvary as Alan Strang and Steve Lambert as Martin Dysart, received rave reviews. The ''[[The Mercury News|San Jose Mercury News]]'' labelled Gilvary and Lambert as "haunting," stating Gilvary "...exposing emotions and epidermis, rides bareback in every sense. He gradually manages to make a rather unattractive young creature seem not only sympathetic but redeemable while retaining his hostility and humanity."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/2011/03/21/review-equus-at-san-joses-city-lights/ |title=Review: 'Equus' at San Jose's City Lights |newspaper=San Jose Mercury News |access-date=29 December 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230090705/http://www.mercurynews.com/2011/03/21/review-equus-at-san-joses-city-lights/ |archive-date=30 December 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> ''StarkInsider'' rated the production 4.5 out of 5 stars, calling Lambert "superb" and having a "pitch-perfect performance," while calling Gilvary "dazzling" and having "a preternatural ability to inhabit the very soul of his character. Like the troubled teen that he portrays, both he and Strang possess a passion for something that is an inseparable part of their personality."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.starkinsider.com/2011/03/theater-review-equus-at-city-lights-san-jose.html |title=Theater Review: 'Equus' at City Lights, San Jose |date=22 March 2011 |newspaper=Stark Insider |language=en-US |access-date=29 December 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230160603/http://www.starkinsider.com/2011/03/theater-review-equus-at-city-lights-san-jose.html |archive-date=30 December 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> This production received a Standout Classic Production Award by Silicon Valley Small Theatre Awards.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://artsalot.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/6th-annual-silicon-valley-small-venue-theatre-awards-the-2011-honorees/ |title=6th Annual Silicon Valley Small Venue Theatre Awards – The 2011 Honorees! |date=2 August 2011 |website=Artsalot |access-date=29 December 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230090644/https://artsalot.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/6th-annual-silicon-valley-small-venue-theatre-awards-the-2011-honorees/ |archive-date=30 December 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

''Equus'' was revived in [[Houston]] for a limited run in July 2014 at Frenetic Theater. The production was largely funded by donations on [[Kickstarter]] and was well received by critics and audiences alike. ''Broadway World'' called the production "dark, daunting and sensual" and commending its "stellar cast".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/houston/article/BWW-Reviews-Matthew-Logans-Production-of-EQUUS-is-Intense-and-Beautifully-Poignant-20140727#.U9WSXBZ8v1o |title=BWW Reviews: Matthew C. Logan's Production of EQUUS is Intense and Beautifully Poignant |first=Nyderah |last=Williams |work=BroadwayWorld.com |access-date=20 August 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924064902/http://www.broadwayworld.com/houston/article/BWW-Reviews-Matthew-Logans-Production-of-EQUUS-is-Intense-and-Beautifully-Poignant-20140727#.U9WSXBZ8v1o|archive-date=24 September 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> ''[[Houston Press]]'' said it was "astonishingly good... a must see"<ref>{{cite news |url=http://blogs.houstonpress.com/artattack/2014/07/_the_setup_sir_peter.php |title=A Kickstarter-Funded Revival of Equus: Well-Handled With a Strong Lead Performance |first=Jim |last=Tommaney |work=Houston Press |access-date=20 August 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20150820073840/http://blogs.houstonpress.com/artattack/2014/07/_the_setup_sir_peter.php |archive-date=20 August 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> while Culturemap listed the show as one of the "hottest" of the year.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://houston.culturemap.com/news/arts/07-28-14-houstons-hottest-summer-theater-full-frontal-nudity-rich-babes-behaving-badly-and-a-falstaff-party-titillate/ |title=Houston's hottest summer theater: Full frontal nudity, rich boobs behaving badly and a Falstaff party titillate |first=Eric |last=Sandler|work=CultureMap Houston |access-date=20 August 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102210249/http://houston.culturemap.com/news/arts/07-28-14-houstons-hottest-summer-theater-full-frontal-nudity-rich-babes-behaving-badly-and-a-falstaff-party-titillate/ |archive-date=2 January 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Awards and nominations==

===Original Broadway production===
{| class="wikitable" width="95%"
|-
! width="5%"| Year
! width="25%"| Award ceremony
! width="40%"| Category
! width="20%"| Nominee
! width="10%"| Result
|-
| rowspan="19" align="center"| 1975
| rowspan="5"| [[Tony Award]]
| colspan="2"| [[Tony Award for Best Play|Best Play]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play|Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play]]
| [[Peter Firth]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play|Best Performance by Featured Actress in a Play]]
| [[Frances Sternhagen]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play|Best Direction of a Play]]
| [[John Dexter]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Tony Award for Best Lighting Design|Best Lighting Design]]
| [[Andy Phillips (lighting designer)|Andy Phillips]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="8"| [[Drama Desk Award]]
| colspan="2"| [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play|Outstanding Play]]
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play|Outstanding Actor in a Play]]
| [[Anthony Hopkins]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Peter Firth]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play|Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play]]
| [[Frances Sternhagen]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play|Outstanding Director of a Play]]
| [[John Dexter]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design|Outstanding Set Design]]
| rowspan=2|[[John Napier (designer)|John Napier]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design|Outstanding Costume Design]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design|Outstanding Lighting Design]]
| [[Andy Phillips (lighting designer)|Andy Phillips]]
| {{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=4|[[Outer Critics Circle Award]]
|colspan=2|Outstanding Play
|{{won}}
|-
|rowspan=2|Outstanding Performance
|[[Anthony Hopkins]]
|{{won}}
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Peter Firth]]
|{{won}}
|-
|Special Award
|{{won}}
|-
|[[New York Drama Critics' Circle]]
|Best Play
|[[Peter Shaffer]]
|{{won}}
|-
|colspan=2|[[Theatre World Award]]
|[[Peter Firth]]
|{{won}}
|}

== References ==

{{Reflist|30em
| refs =

<ref name="greatbooks">
{{cite web
|title=Equus
|url=http://www.greatbooks.org/library/guides/equus.html
|work=Discussion Guides for Penguin Classics
|publisher=The Great Books Foundation
|access-date=20 October 2008
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080617221335/http://www.greatbooks.org/library/guides/equus.html
|archive-date=17 June 2008
|url-status=dead
|df=dmy
}}
</ref>

<!-- <ref name="Pearce">
{{cite web
|last = Pearce
|first = Ian
|title = Review: EQUUS
|url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/threecounties/content/articles/2008/03/18/equus_review_feature.shtml
|work = BBC News: Theater and Dance Reviews
|date = 18 March 2008
|access-date = 1 February 2010
|url-status = live
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080511093958/http://www.bbc.co.uk/threecounties/content/articles/2008/03/18/equus_review_feature.shtml
|archive-date = 11 May 2008
|df = dmy-all
}}
</ref>-->

<ref name="equustheplay">
{{cite web
|title=EQUUS: About The Show
|url=http://www.equustheplay.com/about/index.php
|publisher=The Shubert Organization
|work=EQUUS on Broadway
|access-date=18 June 2008
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080415030320/http://www.equustheplay.com/about/index.php
|archive-date=15 April 2008
|url-status=dead
|df=dmy
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Lord 1979">
{{cite journal| last =Lord| first =Sarah| title =Jolted to the Roots ('''Review''')| journal =The Columbia Times| date =4 May 1979| url =http://bradmays.com/print/joltedtotheroots.jpg| url-status=live| archive-url =http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20100427054304/http://bradmays.com/print/joltedtotheroots.jpg| archive-date =27 April 2010| df =dmy-all}}

</ref>

<ref name="Strausbaugh 1979">
{{cite journal| last =Strausbaugh| first =John| title =Carefully Crafted 'Equus' at Lovegrove Theatre ('''Review''')| journal =Baltimore City Paper| date =10 May 1979| url =http://bradmays.com/print/citypaperequusreview.jpg| url-status=live| archive-url =http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20100427113301/http://bradmays.com/print/citypaperequusreview.jpg| archive-date =27 April 2010| df =dmy-all}}

</ref>

<ref name="Giuliano 1979">
{{cite journal| last =Giuliano| first =Mike| title =Lovegrove's 'Equus' Powerful First Production ('''Review''')| journal =Baltimore News-American| date =21 May 1979| url =http://bradmays.com/print/equusnewamgiuliano.jpg| url-status=live| archive-url =http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20100425221902/http://bradmays.com/print/equusnewamgiuliano.jpg| archive-date =25 April 2010| df =dmy-all}}
</ref>

<ref name="BBC 28 July 2006">
{{cite news
|author = Staff writers
|title = Naked stage role for Potter star
|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5223520.stm
|work = BBC News
|date = 28 July 2006
|access-date = 18 June 2008
|url-status = live
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090111113627/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5223520.stm
|archive-date = 11 January 2009
|df = dmy-all
}}
</ref>

}}

== Further reading ==

* {{cite book
| last = Shaffer
| first = Peter
| title = Equus
| location = New York
| publisher = Simon and Schuster
| year = 2005
| isbn = 978-0-7432-8730-2
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=5xit9YQw8hkC
}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Equus (play)}}
* {{IBDB show|3358|Equus}}
* {{IBDB title|3484|Equus|(1974 production)}}
* {{IMDb title|qid=Q496734|title=Equus (1977 film)}}
* [https://archive.today/20130505080524/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/showbiz/article-23370619-audience-get-up-close-and-personal-for-harry-potter-stars-nude-debut.do Audience get up close and personal for Harry Potter star's nude debut.] ''The London Standard'', 12 October 2006. Dead link.
* Wolfe, G. [http://www.psyartjournal.com/article/show/wolfe-enjoying_equus_jouissance_in_shaffers_pl Enjoying ''Equus'': ''Jouissance'' in Shaffer’s Play.] ''PSYART: A Hyperlink Journal for the Psychological Study of the Arts''. 15 December 2009.
* Mahmood, R. [http://tribune.com.pk/story/348988/equus-saving-the-best-for-last/ ''Equus'': Saving the best for last.] ''The Express Tribune'' 12 March 2012.

{{Navboxes
| title = Awards for ''Equus''
| list =
{{DramaDesk Play 1975–2000}}
{{TonyAwardBestPlay 1947-1975}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Equus (Play)}}
[[Category:1973 plays]]
[[Category:Broadway plays]]
[[Category:Drama Desk Award–winning plays]]
[[Category:British plays adapted into films]]
[[Category:Plays by Peter Shaffer]]
[[Category:Plays set in England]]
[[Category:Royal National Theatre]]
[[Category:Tony Award–winning plays]]
[[Category:Diseases and disorders in theatre]]
[[Category:Zoophilia in culture]]
[[Category:Nudity in theatre and dance]]

Latest revision as of 09:34, 3 December 2024

Equus
Written byPeter Shaffer
Characters
  • Martin Dysart
  • Alan Strang
  • Frank Strang
  • Jill Mason
  • Hesther Soloman
  • Dora Strang
  • Nurse
  • Harry Dalton
  • Horseman
  • Nugget
Date premiered1973
Place premieredRoyal National Theatre
Original languageEnglish
Subject17-year-old boy blinds six horses with a spike, case becomes a catalyst for his psychiatrist's own doubts
GenreDrama
SettingThe Present; Rokeby Psychiatric Hospital, Southern England

Equus is a 1973 play by Peter Shaffer, about a child psychiatrist who attempts to treat a young man who has a pathological religious fascination with horses.[1]

Shaffer was inspired to write Equus when he heard of a crime involving a 17-year-old boy who blinded six horses in a small town in northern England.[2][3] He set out to construct a fictional account of what might have caused the incident, without knowing any of the details of the crime, and to evoke the same "air of mystery" and "numinous" qualities as his 1964 play The Royal Hunt of the Sun but in a more modern setting.[2] The narrative of the play follows Dr. Martin Dysart's attempts to understand the cause of the boy's (Alan Strang) actions while wrestling with his own sense of purpose and the nature of his work.[4]

The original stage production ran at the National Theatre in London from 1973 to 1975, directed by John Dexter. Alec McCowen played Dysart, and Peter Firth played Alan Strang. The first Broadway production starred Anthony Hopkins as Dysart (later played by Richard Burton, Leonard Nimoy, and Anthony Perkins) and Peter Firth as Alan. When Firth left for Broadway, Dai Bradley took over the role of Alan in the London production, playing opposite Michael Jayston as Dr. Dysart.[5] Tom Hulce later replaced Firth during the Broadway run. The Broadway production ran for 1,209 performances. Marian Seldes appeared in every single performance of the Broadway run, first in the role of Hesther and then as Dora. Shaffer would later adapt the play for a 1977 film of the same name directed by Sidney Lumet.

The narrative centers on religious and ritual sacrifice themes, as well as the manner in which Strang constructs a personal theology involving the horses and the godhead "Equus". Alan sees the horses as representative of God and confuses his adoration of his "God" with sexual attraction. Also important is Shaffer's examination of the conflict between personal values and satisfaction and societal mores, expectations, and institutions, and between Apollonian and Dionysian values and systems.

Plot summary

[edit]

Act 1

[edit]
Charles S. Dutton as Dysart in Equus, as directed by Brad Mays in May 1979 in Baltimore

Martin Dysart is a psychiatrist working in a psychiatric hospital. He begins with a monologue in which he outlines the case of 17-year-old Alan Strang, who has blinded six horses. He divulges his feeling that his occupation is not all that he wishes it to be and his dissatisfaction and disappointment with his life. Dysart finds that the supply of troubled young people for him to "adjust" back into "normal" living is never-ending, but he doubts the value of treating these youths, since they will simply return to a dull, normal life that lacks any commitment or "worship". He comments that while Strang's crime was extreme, just such extremity is needed to break free from the chains of existence.

A court magistrate, Hesther Saloman, visits Dysart, believing that he has the skills to help Alan come to terms with what he did. At the hospital, Dysart struggles to engage with Alan, who at first responds to questioning by singing TV advertising jingles.

Dysart reveals a dream he has had, in a Homeric Grecian setting, in which he is a public official presiding over a mass ritual sacrifice. One after another, he slices open the abdomens of hundreds of children and pulls out their entrails. He becomes disgusted with what he is doing, but fears being murdered in the same manner if discovered as a "non-believer" by the other priests, and so continues. Eventually the other priests become aware of his misgivings and grab the knife from his hand, at which point he awakens from the dream.

Dysart interviews Alan's parents. He learns that, from an early age, Alan has been receiving conflicting views on religion from his parents. Alan's mother, Dora, is a devout Christian who has read to him daily from the Bible, but this practice has antagonized Alan's father Frank, a non-believer.

Slowly, Dysart makes contact with Alan by playing a game where each of them asks a question, which must be answered honestly.

Dysart learns that Frank, concerned that Alan was taking far too much interest in the more violent aspects of the Bible, destroyed a violent picture of the crucifixion of Jesus that Alan had hung at the foot of his bed. Alan then replaced the picture with one of a horse, with large, staring eyes.

Alan reveals to Dysart that, during his youth, his attraction to horses came about by way of his mother's Biblical tales, a horse story that she had read to him, Western films, and his grandfather's interest in horses and riding. Alan's sexual education began with his mother, who told him that he could find true love and contentment by way of religious devotion and marriage. During this time, Alan also began to develop a sexual attraction to horses, desiring to pet their coats, feel their muscular bodies, and smell their sweat. Alan reveals to Dysart that he had first encountered a horse at age six, on the beach. A rider approached him, and took him up on the horse. Alan was visibly excited, but his parents found him and Frank pulled him violently off the horse; the horse rider scoffed at Frank and rode off.

Dysart hypnotizes Alan, during which he reveals elements of his dream about human sacrifice. He begins to jog Alan's memory by filling in blanks and asking questions. Alan reveals that he wants to help captive horses by removing the bit, which enslaves them.

After turning 17, Alan took a job working in a shop selling electrical goods, where he met Jill Mason, an outgoing and free-spirited young woman who works for a local stable owner. She visited the shop wanting to purchase blades for horse-clippers, which piqued Alan's interest. Jill suggested that Alan work for Harry Dalton, the owner of the stables, to which Alan agreed.

Dysart meets with Dalton, who tells him that he first held Alan to be a model worker, since he kept the stables immaculately clean and groomed the horses, including one named Nugget. Through Dysart's questioning, it becomes clear that Alan is erotically fixated on Nugget (or "Equus") and secretly takes him for midnight rides, bareback and naked. Alan envisions himself as a king astride the godhead Equus, both destroying their enemies.

Act 2

[edit]
Lauren Raher and Brad Mays as Jill and Alan in Equus, as directed by Mays in May 1979 in Baltimore

Dysart gives Alan a placebo "truth pill". Revealing a tryst with Jill, Alan begins to re-enact the event:

Jill, who has taken an interest in Alan, asks him to take her to an adult movie theater. While there, they run into Frank. Alan is traumatized, particularly when he realizes that his father is lying to justify his presence in the theatre; however, this allows Alan to realize that sex is a natural thing for all men, even his father. Alan walks Jill home after they leave and she convinces Alan to come to the stables with her.

Once there, Jill seduces Alan and the two undress and attempt to have sex. However, Alan hesitates when he hears the horses making noises in the stables beneath, and he is unable to get an erection. Jill tries to ask Alan what the problem is, but he shouts at her to leave. After Jill dresses and walks out of the stables, the still-nude Alan begs the horses for forgiveness.

"Mine!...You're mine!...I am yours and you are mine!" cries Equus through Dysart's voice, but then he becomes threatening: "The Lord thy God is a jealous God," Equus/Dysart seethes, "He sees you, he sees you forever and ever, Alan. He sees you!...He sees you!" Alan screams, "God seest!" and then says "No more. No more, Equus!" Alan then uses a steel spike to blind the six horses in the stable, whose eyes have "seen" his very soul.

In the final scene, Dysart delivers a monologue questioning the fundamentals of his practice and whether his methods will help Alan, as the effect of his treatment will make him "normal", but at the cost of his humanity.

Original Broadway production

[edit]

The play opened on Broadway at the Plymouth Theatre on 24 October 1974, ending on 11 September 1976. It then opened at the Helen Hayes Theatre on 5 October 1976, ending on 2 October 1977, for a total of 1,209 performances.[6]

Film adaptation

[edit]
Main article: Equus (film)

Shaffer adapted the play for a 1977 film starring Richard Burton, Peter Firth, Eileen Atkins, Colin Blakely, Joan Plowright, and Jenny Agutter, directed by Sidney Lumet. Unlike stage productions, where the horses are portrayed by human actors, often muscular men wearing tribal-style masks,[7] Lumet did not believe this could adequately be done in a film version "because the reality he [Alan] was being watched he was going to create the dilemma within him."[8]

Comparing the film to the play, English professor James M. Welsh felt using real horses in the film was understandable, but argued the outdoor scenes infringed on the "abstract theatrical design" that gave the play its creativity.[9] Welsh also felt the explicit depiction of the blinding was "potentially repulsive" and that "much of the spirit of the play is lost as a consequence."[10]

Revivals

[edit]

The first Midwest U.S. production of Equus opened March 1978 in Lansing, Michigan, at Boarshead Theatre. Directed by John Peakes, it featured Richard Thomsen as Dysart, David Kropp as Alan, Carmen Decker as Dora, and Lisa Hodge as Jill. Local controversy over the nude scene was largely mitigated by casting a married couple as Jill and Alan. This production went on to win Boarshead Theatre's annual awards for Best Production and Best Supporting Actor (Kropp).[11]

The Lovegrove Alley Theatre of Baltimore staged a production of Equus in 1979. The production starred a pre-Broadway Charles S. Dutton in the role of Dysart. Director Brad Mays did double duty in the role of Alan Strang. Lauren Raher played Jill Mason, and her real-life mother Rhona Raher portrayed Dora, Alan's mother.[12][13][14]

Daniel Radcliffe arriving for a performance of Equus in 2008.

West End producers David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers revived Equus in 2007, starring Richard Griffiths, Daniel Radcliffe, and Joanna Christie in the leading roles. The production was directed by Thea Sharrock, and opened in February 2007 at the Gielgud Theatre. The production attracted press attention since both Radcliffe and Griffiths had starred in the Harry Potter film series (as Harry Potter and Vernon Dursley, respectively). In particular, the casting of seventeen-year-old Radcliffe triggered some controversy since the role of Alan Strang required him to appear nude onstage.[15] Radcliffe insisted that the nude scene was not "gratuitous", and that he should portray the character and the scene as called for by the script.[citation needed] This revival was subsequently transferred to Broadway, running at the Broadhurst Theatre through 8 February 2009. Radcliffe and Griffiths reprised their roles, and Thea Sharrock returned as director. The cast also included Kate Mulgrew, Anna Camp, Carolyn McCormick, Lorenzo Pisoni, T. Ryder Smith, Graeme Malcolm, and Sandra Shipley, with Collin Baja, Tyrone Jackson, Spencer Liff, Adesola Osakalumi, and Marc Spaulding.[16] Radcliffe was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play.

The first illustrated edition of the play text was produced as a large-format artist's book by the Old Stile Press, with images and an afterword by the British artist Clive Hicks-Jenkins, in 2009.[17]

City Lights Theater Company of San Jose, California revived Equus in March 2011.[18] This production, featuring actors Sean Gilvary as Alan Strang and Steve Lambert as Martin Dysart, received rave reviews. The San Jose Mercury News labelled Gilvary and Lambert as "haunting," stating Gilvary "...exposing emotions and epidermis, rides bareback in every sense. He gradually manages to make a rather unattractive young creature seem not only sympathetic but redeemable while retaining his hostility and humanity."[19] StarkInsider rated the production 4.5 out of 5 stars, calling Lambert "superb" and having a "pitch-perfect performance," while calling Gilvary "dazzling" and having "a preternatural ability to inhabit the very soul of his character. Like the troubled teen that he portrays, both he and Strang possess a passion for something that is an inseparable part of their personality."[20] This production received a Standout Classic Production Award by Silicon Valley Small Theatre Awards.[21]

Equus was revived in Houston for a limited run in July 2014 at Frenetic Theater. The production was largely funded by donations on Kickstarter and was well received by critics and audiences alike. Broadway World called the production "dark, daunting and sensual" and commending its "stellar cast".[22] Houston Press said it was "astonishingly good... a must see"[23] while Culturemap listed the show as one of the "hottest" of the year.[24]

Awards and nominations

[edit]

Original Broadway production

[edit]
Year Award ceremony Category Nominee Result
1975 Tony Award Best Play Won
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play Peter Firth Nominated
Best Performance by Featured Actress in a Play Frances Sternhagen Nominated
Best Direction of a Play John Dexter Won
Best Lighting Design Andy Phillips Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Play Won
Outstanding Actor in a Play Anthony Hopkins Won
Peter Firth Nominated
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Frances Sternhagen Won
Outstanding Director of a Play John Dexter Won
Outstanding Set Design John Napier Nominated
Outstanding Costume Design Nominated
Outstanding Lighting Design Andy Phillips Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Play Won
Outstanding Performance Anthony Hopkins Won
Peter Firth Won
Special Award Won
New York Drama Critics' Circle Best Play Peter Shaffer Won
Theatre World Award Peter Firth Won

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Equus". Discussion Guides for Penguin Classics. The Great Books Foundation. Archived from the original on 17 June 2008. Retrieved 20 October 2008.
  2. ^ a b "Why are there two u's in 'Equus'?". The New York Times. 13 April 1975. Retrieved 29 January 2024. a boy was supposed to have blinded 26 horses
  3. ^ "Backstory: Saddle Up for the Story (Behind the Hype) of Equus". Broadway Buzz. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  4. ^ "EQUUS: About The Show". EQUUS on Broadway. The Shubert Organization. Archived from the original on 15 April 2008. Retrieved 18 June 2008.
  5. ^ "Equus Programme" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 April 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  6. ^ "Equus – Broadway Play – Original". Internet Broadway Database. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  7. ^ Smith, Richard Harlan. "Equus (1977) Archived 25 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine," Turner Classic Movies, accessed 24 October 2016.
  8. ^ Applebaum, Ralph (2006). Sidney Lumet: Interviews. University Press of Mississippi. p. 75. ISBN 978-1-5780-6724-4. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  9. ^ Welsh, James M. (2000). Video Versions: Film Adaptations of Plays on Video. Greenwood Press. p. 111. ISBN 978-0-3133-0185-8.
  10. ^ Welsh, p. 112.
  11. ^ "'Equus' Rips Bodies, Souls". Lansing State Journal. 12 May 1984. p. 24. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  12. ^ Lord, Sarah (4 May 1979). "Jolted to the Roots (Review)". The Columbia Times. Archived from the original on 27 April 2010.
  13. ^ Strausbaugh, John (10 May 1979). "Carefully Crafted 'Equus' at Lovegrove Theatre (Review)". Baltimore City Paper. Archived from the original on 27 April 2010.
  14. ^ Giuliano, Mike (21 May 1979). "Lovegrove's 'Equus' Powerful First Production (Review)". Baltimore News-American. Archived from the original on 25 April 2010.
  15. ^ Staff writers (28 July 2006). "Naked stage role for Potter star". BBC News. Archived from the original on 11 January 2009. Retrieved 18 June 2008.
  16. ^ Gans, Andrew (25 September 2005). "Horse Power: Equus Revival Opens on Broadway Sept. 25". Playbill. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  17. ^ Campbell, Nancy, Frances McDowall, Nicolas McDowall, The Old Stile Press... the Next Ten Years: A Bibliography 2000–2010 (2010: Old Stile Press) ISBN 978-0-907664-85-7
  18. ^ Conwell, Sean (23 March 2011). "City Lights Theatre: 'Equus'". SanJose.com. Archived from the original on 30 December 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  19. ^ "Review: 'Equus' at San Jose's City Lights". San Jose Mercury News. Archived from the original on 30 December 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
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  21. ^ "6th Annual Silicon Valley Small Venue Theatre Awards – The 2011 Honorees!". Artsalot. 2 August 2011. Archived from the original on 30 December 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  22. ^ Williams, Nyderah. "BWW Reviews: Matthew C. Logan's Production of EQUUS is Intense and Beautifully Poignant". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  23. ^ Tommaney, Jim. "A Kickstarter-Funded Revival of Equus: Well-Handled With a Strong Lead Performance". Houston Press. Archived from the original on 20 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  24. ^ Sandler, Eric. "Houston's hottest summer theater: Full frontal nudity, rich boobs behaving badly and a Falstaff party titillate". CultureMap Houston. Archived from the original on 2 January 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2015.

Further reading

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