'Equus' a dark, wild ride

Peter Shaffer's Equus, a Berkeley College Sudler Fund production directed by Dan Venning, BK '04, is a complex tale of religion, sexuality, and psychology. Child psychologist Martin Dysart (Jonathan Wolf, SM '02) is treating a 17-year-old boy named Allan Strang (Anthony Seabrooks, TC '04). Dysart's career is in "menopause"; he is trapped in a loveless marriage and haunted by dreams of child sacrifice. All that is clear about Dysart's patient is that he has blinded six horses and has been institutionalized as a result. His history, and the events that motivated him to commit this act, are painstakingly uncovered through several sessions with the psychologist.

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As a result of the conflicting influences of his devoutly religious mother and his atheist father (Megan Robb, TC '02, and Richie Ross, ES '05), Allan has created "Equus"—a god-like being that manifests itself through horses. Allan turns to Equus to fulfill his need for spiritual and sexual freedom. One night every three weeks, at midnight, he rides one of the horses. It doesn't matter which he chooses—Equus lives in all of them. The rides are highly ritualized, and Allan worships the animals like gods.

Seabrooks plays the part of Allan with a seething intensity. His first lines (the lyrics to a jingle for chewing gum) are spat into the face of Dr. Dysart, and this angry passion carries through to the final reenactment of his crime. Allan's climactic moment occurs at the end of the first act, as he recreates his midnight ride atop Equus. Seabrooks conveys Allan's lust and worship for Equus with sharp effectiveness, delivering each line fiercely but thoughtfully.

Wolf, in the role of Dr. Dysart, struggles with the idea of "normalcy." By treating Allan and ridding him of Equus, is he curing him or robbing him of his one true passion? As a man whose most exhilarating moments come in front of the fireplace with a Greek history book open in his lap, the idea of midnight rides on the back of a horse-god is extremely romantic. Wolf tinges his doctor with just enough despair to convey this sentiment.

Equus is by no means a light-hearted theater-going experience. The statements it makes about religion, sexuality, and sanity are dark ones. At the end of the play, you will applaud not only because you enjoyed it, but also because you were challenged by it.

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