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Brodway Revue 1
Equus Gallup's onto Broadway
Radcliffe and Griffith Deliver Captivating Performances
Radcliffe and Griffith Deliver Captivating Performances
By: Lisa Corleto, Junior, Deer Park H.S., Deer Park, NY
TeenNewsNet Feature Columnist
Broadway is now home to a truly bright, shining star. I had the fantastic pleasure of seeing this modern classic brought to life. Peter Shaffer’s play, Equus, is nothing short of brilliant. However, I must warn you that it is for mature audiences only.
First, I shall set the scene for you. The stage was very simple, consisting of the colors navy blue, black, and gray. Six horse heads hung from the six pillars. The first scene begins as music plays and the stage begins to darken. Six men then take one head each and ritualistically place the head on their heads. There are also four large, rectangular boxes on stage for “props”, however, scenery is not needed. The emotions and talent is what brings Equus to life. If your a fan of the original English production, the Broadway version is not much different, as the stage set up and the horse “costumes” remain the same.
Alan Strang (Daniel Radcliffe, star of Harry Potter) then appears on stage alongside the “main horse”, Nugget. Soon after Strang’s appearance, Dr. Dysart (Richard Griffiths, Uncle Vernon in the Harry Potter movies) comes on stage and lights up a cigarette. He begins re-telling the story of 17 year-old Strang, a boy who blinds six horses. He explains that this was a case brought to him by a friend who is a Judge. Dysart continues his monologue with the chilling details of his disturbed new patient, acting it out, detail by gory detail.
With my attention being drawn to Dysart, I hear word for word how Strang, from a young age, had an obsession of horses. It started when he was about six years old, when he was offered a ride on a horse by a stranger. He was captivated by its beauty, grace, and willingness to submit. Combined with ideals from the Bible, later on in life, he worships the horse, Equus, greatest Horse of them all. He uses self-punishment rituals as a form of sacrifice and prayer to the willingly tamed beasts. This is all released over the course of the play, however, why did he stab the eyes of 6 horses out? If he loved horses so much, why commit such a cruel act? Yearning for the answers keeps the suspense high from scene to scene and the audience memorized.
Yes, the story is great, but also it is the cast that makes it a "must see." Each actor/actress truly becomes their character, exerting a real sense of emotion. The monologues were extremely captivating and fascinating.
Unlike most of the females in the audience, I am drawn to Equus for the context. However, girls will be girls, and plenty paid the "Broadway price" to witness the famed nude scene, where Harry Potter “reveals his wand”. Equus is sheer genius and I hope that the ending scene of Radcliffe in the nude doesn't become bigger than the whole performance. This would be a shame; as Equus truly is a masterpiece and definitely one of my top 5 Broadway favorites.
F or more information please go to www.equusonbroadway.com.
