Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Day 238-Equus- Pittsburgh Public Theater at the O’Reilly: the power of Worship


I have seen many plays but never one as powerful, as thought provoking, or as visually interesting  as Equus. Equus  tackles  the question that most of us ask when we hear about a horrific crime or event-“why?”  In this  drama,  Martin Dysart,  a child psychiatrist,  searches for the  source of  the pain in a  teenage boy,  Alan Strang, that birthed a horrific act of horse mutilation. As the  puzzle unfolds,  we discover  that the act of worshiping a  higher being  or thing can be a powerful  catalyst for good or evil.     

  
Reflection
 The source of Alan's (Spencer T. Hamp) twisted infatuation with horses is unwound by his psychiatrist, Martin (Daniel Krell) like a thriller. We lean into the story told through the  superb  acting of  PPT’s   fantastic  cast. As the puzzle pieces of the boy’s life with his atheist dad and  religious mom are  revealed, we  start to discover part of the “why”.
Alan Strang (Spencer T Hamp) and Martain Dysart (Daniel Krell)

The horses, which are major players in this thriller, are divulged  early on in the play  when the  stable doors open in unison  exhibiting the men who double as the six horses.  These actors amazingly  capture the  essence of the horses as they strut across the stage.  I was awestruck by the artistic visual. 
  
 Alan who works as a stable boy has an  intense reverence for the horses especially Nugget(Ben Blazer).  The child psychiatrist, Martin struggles with his ability to  extinguish  the boy’s  passion. Martin seems almost jealous of Alan's intensity for something as he reflects  on his own placid existence.  Contemplating his years of professional work he states that, “the worst thing you can do is take away their (his) worship”  and  “...cut away the individual and sacrifice (him) to the normal”. 


This Tony Award  winning play sure provokes layers of thought  as it explores the idea or act of worshiping something with your entire being.  

(Pittsburgh Public Theater’s Equus runs from September 28 through October 29,2017 at the O’Reilly Theater. PPT also host "Sips and Scrips" where you can get the script of various shows beforehand and take part in a pre-show reception and discussion. )


Other Sources
 Pittsburgh Public Theater https://ppt.org 
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