By Annette Hinkle
What is it that drives criminals to their deed? Greed, jealousy and revenge? These can be powerful motives. But what of deeds committed when there are less tangible motives at work — those that come from deep within the soul and defy logic in the eyes of conventional society? Are these the cruel acts carried out as a result of some repressed childhood trauma — or are they simply the embodiment of pure evil?
In Peter Shaeffer’s renown play “Equus,” currently running at Guild Hall’s John Drew Theater, the notion of passion in the face of crime and punishment takes center stage in an intriguing plot that pits psychiatrist against patient. The play offers the curious case of Alan Strang, a 17-year old stable hand whom, in a presumed fit of rage, blinded six horses in his care, and Dr. Martin Dysart, the psychiatrist who takes on the task of “curing” him.
Finely directed by Tony Walton, this version of “Equus” follows a much publicized Broadway run starring Daniel Radcliffe (a.k.a. Harry Potter). But with a stellar cast of its own led by the legendary Alec Baldwin as Dysart and Sam Underwood in the role of Alan Strang, there’s no reason to make comparisons here.
Set in Martin Dysart’s office in a British psychiatric hospital, the play opens with Hesther Saloman (Kathleen McNenny), a court magistrate who appeals to Dysart to take on Strang as a patient and spare him the wrath of the court system. Why she feels the boy is worth saving is not clear, but Dysart, obviously at the top of his game, agrees to give it a go.
It’s wonderful that with this production, East End audiences have an opportunity to see Alec Baldwin perform live. His television and film work has garnered much attention, but watching him on stage reminds us that he is, at heart, a serious actor and one who’s not afraid of challenging material.
Likewise, Sam Underwood is brilliantly cast opposite Baldwin as young Alan Strang, the sullen and dark eyed youth at the center of the controversy. When he first encounters Dysart, he responds to his questions by reciting TV jingles — an annoying habit that the clever Dysart soon manages to break. When Alan realizes his usual bag of tricks isn’t working on this shrink, he begins to slowly reveal the tale of the unspeakable deed — in fact, if Dysart is to be believed, Strang is just waiting for an excuse to open up.
Of course, behind every troubled teen is a dysfunctional home, and heading this one are Alan’s mother, Flora (Jennifer Van Dyck), a religious zealot who nourishes her son’s soul by regaling him with graphic Biblical tales, and his uptight father, Frank (Steve Hamilton), who rejects his wife’s religious leanings and forbids television or any activity that seems to give his son a thrill — especially riding horses.
Given what we see in a flashback of Alan’s youth, Dad’s instincts are not unwarranted, but as any parent knows, if you want a child to engage in a behavior, be sure to forbid it. The result of the dueling parental influences, we’re led to believe, is Alan’s creation of a private psycho-sexual religion involving horses (led by the god Equus) and metaphorical gear such as the man bit that stands in for the nails and thorns Christ was subjected to in his final hours.
The story comes to a boiling point when Alan reveals how a seduction attempt in the barn, initiated by fellow stable employee Jill Mason (Georgia Warner) goes awry when he realizes the act is being witnessed by Nugget (Terence Michael McCrossan), the horse god Equus. The powerful scene, in which the two young actors perform nude, is heightened by the agitated movements of the animals. With their wire form heads and platform hooves, the horses (Chuck Novatka, Taylor Proffitt, Jp Qualters and Mark Larson) paw and duck in an authentically disturbing way that brings the incident to life (in a marvelously simple “barn in the round” set by Heather Wolensky).
Underwood treads the fine line of youth and maturity with deft skill. At times, Alan seems as nutty as they come. But Dysart is wrestling with his own demons, given his recurring Dionysian dream in which he systematically dissects a line of children in ritualistic sacrifice. This being psychotherapy, we can only assume the imagery is a metaphor for Dysart’s stripping of his young patients passions as he makes them model citizens.
Secretly, Dysart is jealous of Alan’s fervor, and in this way, is a bit of a twisted nut all his own. Shaeffer wrote “Equus” close to 40 years ago, and for those of us accustomed to 21st century headlines, the deed of blinding of horses nearly pales in comparison to the horrendous crimes that make news these days, to say nothing of other fictional psychiatrists who have come along in the years since (Hannibal Lecter for one). Still, it’s nice to see the psychiatrist who isn’t above admitting his own mental shortcomings.
While Shaeffer’s take on the power of psychiatry may reflect an earlier era, it’s Flora who makes the most compelling argument — the notion that parents are somehow to blame when something goes wrong in their children. In her son’s vacant stare, Flora sees dysfunctional mothering reflected back. She knows Dysart’s method is to find the root of Alan’s illness, and suspects it has something to do with her. But by suggesting the devil is at work, she unintentionally makes a logical (if simplistic) argument for the nature vs. nurture debate. In the end, it’s interesting to note how Dysart’s trade is seen as antithetical to God-fearing Christians like Flora — as if psychotherapy and a believe in God are somehow mutually exclusive.
“Equus” runs through July 3 at the John Drew Theater of Guild Hall, 158 Main Street, East Hampton. Rounding out the cast are Tuck Milligan as stable owner Harry Dalton and Nehassaiu deGannes as the nurse. Costumes are by Amy Ritchings, lighting by Sebastian Paczynski and sound by Andrew Nagel. For tickets, visit guildhall.org, visit Theatermania.com, or call 1-866-811-4111.
Top: Tuck Milligan, Sam Underwood and Georgia Warner with horses in a scene from "Equus." Gary Mamay photo.
