It begins with a terrible moment in a stable, grows until the stable becomes a self-contained world where everything lives. From one point of view, God is fighting the Devil. From another, a psychiatrist is fighting a patient. From a third, a boy is fighting his father and also trying to understand a struggle between a true God and a false one. A young woman, using the only tools she knows, tries to rescue the boy.
And on a bare stage, these violent wars rage, subside, rage again.
That's "Equus," the 1973 play by Peter Shaffer, that opened at the Kranzberg Arts Center last night in a superb production by Hot City Theatre. Doug Finlayson's direction, sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, takes a fine cast, led by James Anthony as Martin Dysart picked to "cure," and Drew Pannebecker as Alan Strang, the "villain," and builds brilliantly to an expected, but still staggering finish.
There's not a weak spot in the cast: Anthony's Dysart, troubled and struggling in his life and work, is spot-on, and young Pannebecker plays the distraught, struggling Strang through an entire range of emotions.
Working on a bare stage with a platform and a few benches, four wire sculptures of horses' heads mounted on a wall, Finlayson shows that trappings can be completely unnecessary. Brian Jones and Michael Perkins, who portray the horses in glorious fashion, wear similar masks and leg extensions that end in horseshoes. Their neighs and whinneys, nervous foot taps and stately movements turn them into believable stallions. Jef Awada is credited as movement coach, so perhaps he deserves some of the praise, along with Finlayson.
The cast scores in every respect, including some solid attempts at English-Scottish accents coached by Julie Foh. It's not that they sound perfect, but there's enough movement away from Standard American, especially by Steve Isom, to realize you're not in Kansas any more. Isom, by the way, is terrific as Alan's father, dealing with his own flaws and battling with his wife, Dora (Ruth Heyman), whose religious tenets absolve her (she believes) from all blame. Isom also doubles in a brief but effective role as the owner of the stable. Kelley Ryan is Hesther Saloman, the magistrate who convinces Dysart to add to his overcrowded caseload by working with Alan Strang, has the part cold and it's a nicely understated piece of work.
Emily Fisher doubles as the nurse, whose role calls for her to do little, and as Jill, whose relationship with young Strang becomes the pivotal moment. She acts well, and she looks good, necessary ingredients to offer a winning performance. There's nudity, but it belongs in the story and it's properly staged by Finlayson, who has brought a real winner to the stage.
Equus, a production of Hot City Theatre, will play at the Kranzberg Art Center through Sept. 25
--Joe
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