Finally, Repertory Philippines brings Peter Schaffer’s controversial 1973 screenplay Equus to the stage, one show that never fails to leave the audience gasping and coming to terms with their own demons at the end of the night.
By Kristine Caguiat
World renowned for garnering a Tony Award and a New York Drama Critic’s Circle Award for best play, Repertory made an excellent choice of bringing back this psychological drama, having its first showcase in Manila back in the 70’s. Director Audie Gemora arms this rendition of Equus with a fistful of talented drama veterans such as Miguel Faustmann, Jaime del Mundo, Dido dela Paz, Roselyn Perez and Tami Monsod. Equus opened at the Onstage theater in Greenbelt last July 9 and ran until July 25.
More recently popularized by Daniel Radcliffe, who played the disturbed 17 year old Alan Strang, newcomer Marco Manalac and Repertory baby Red Concepcion alternated for the role of the adolescent, a character unforgettable by any standard. The story revolves around Strang and the challenges his psychiatrist, Martin Dysart, undergo in order to get beneath his crime of blinding six horses. Not just any compulsive act, Dysart soon discovers Alan’s pathological religious and sexual fascination with the animals, creating his own pseudo religion that involves the psyche more deeply than anyone can ever imagine.
Other than having an overtly psycho-sexual storyline, Equus also
explores the a distorted view of family coming from the characters that
play Alan Strang’s parents. The religious mother Dora and high-strung,
atheist father Frank both impact their son’s upbringing in ways they
could have never imagine. Interestingly enough, this screenplay
possesses so many layers to be uncovered by the audience in order to
grasp the full blow of its riveting and terrifying plot.
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Oh so this is the screenplay that Daniel Radcliffe did before with matching controversial pictures of the Harry Potter star. Thanks for the info.
(August 31, 2010 11:59:27 AM)
An interesting psychological journey into a young zoophiliac's obsession with the equine species. It details the origins to resolution of the unhealthy fascination and its effects on same species or human relationships. Brilliantly executed, the most marked impression to me is the toll paid by psycho therapists in treating their patients.
(August 27, 2010 01:51:13 PM)