Word: equus
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...becomes almost understandable. At the risk of drowning in psychobabble, suffice it to say that a combination of unguided passion, spiritual and sexual repression and mental confusion arising from the tag-team influence of socialist-atheist Dad and Bible-thumping Mom lead Alan to worship the mystical horse-deity Equus (Latin for "horse"). It is the intersection of reality with Alan's fantasies that leads the emotionally undeveloped boy to commit such a ghastly deed. As the play progresses, however, it becomes less about Alan and more a commentary on the restrictive conventions of normality that "society" imposes. Dr. Dysart...
...really normal?" theme in Equus won't win any points for originality. But the fact that the question is even asked in the face of the initial revulsion towards the crime is a tribute to the well-written script. As if animal mutilation wasn't enough, the play insists on bringing in anti-religiousness, bestiality and profanity--as if to ensure that every member of the audience is offended at some point. Remarkably enough, these themes illuminate rather than distract from the core of the story...
Though boasting a cast of ten, Equus is really a two-man show. Fortunately, the two men were well-equipped to shoulder the burden. Clarke's Alan, in the tradition of Rain Man and Shine, made his tics and facial expressions consistent and believable without making a mockery of his mentally challenged character. As Dr. Dysart, McCarthy demonstrated an impressive command of a demanding script and shifted skillfully, if a bit belatedly, from two-dimensional straight man to anxious Everyman in the second...
...well that any horse costuming beyond the simple wire mask would have been overkill. Because the human faces were always visible within the horse mask, the presence of human emotions within the horse character provided a chilling insight into Alan's world view--especially the mischievous grin of the Equus horse-god (Matthew Williams...
This production of Equus was undoubtedly worthy of the fine writing on which it was based. Following the performance, the audience expressed this sentiment by calling the cast back on stage twice for a standing ovation. It is only a shame the show will not be back for a second weekend of performances to allow more theater-goers to surrender their moral certitude and applaud in gratitude...