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Equus
By Peter Shaffer
Directed by Joe Stead
At The Actors Workshop Theatre
1044 W. Bryn Mawr
Chicago, IL
Call 773-728-7529, tickets $25
Special industry $10 from March 17 through April 15 with resume/photo
Fridays & Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 3 pm
Running time is 2 hours 30 minutes with intermission
Through May 27, 2007
Brian Parry’s Dysart and Peter Oyloe’s Alan prove “definitive.”
Equus, at The Actors Workshop Theatre, is a glowing example of “storefront theatre” at its zenith. This fabulous production was well thought out and marvelously staged by director Joe Stead. From the intimate, in-your-face staging to the magnificent mask designed by Jeff Semmerling to the superb casting choices that was enhanced and driven into deeper emotional range by the original music by Shannon Bengford and Peter Oyloe, Equus unfolds as one of most chilling and breathtakingly powerful dramas seen on a Chicago stage in years!
Forget the hype about Daniel Radcliff in London doing Equus---Joe Stead’s Equus, here in Chicago, is the real deal. Brian Parry’s understated, polished and exquisitely articulate performance of the self-doubting psychologist, Dr. Martin Dysart anchors the play. Parry has just the right combination of savvy, guile and heart to move from the cold-hearted clinician to the obsessed psychiatrist in awe of his 17 year old patient, Alan Strang (Peter Oyloe). Parry smoothly moves us through the psychological minefield that inhibits Alan’s world. This modern esoteric thriller builds into a mind numbing journey into the struggles and pains experienced by the teen who mysteriously blinds six horses in his care in a baffling rage.
This journey of discovery rests on the shoulders of Peter Oyloe whose emotionally riveting and intensely truthful performance as Alan Strang was a tour de force on several levels. Oyloe richly conveys Alan’s pain and dissects the internal trauma with a most convincingly nuanced and chillingly honest performance. Oyloe proves that he is a major talent capable of reaching into himself to mine all the emotional pain Alan emotes. Oyloe’s stares, a key characteristic of Alan’s, sent chills down my spine. In the act one ending scene, where Alan gives glimpses into his soul in a most passionate demonstration of his traumatic confusion of religion, sexuality and psychological torment---Peter Oyloe reaches an astonishingly truthful and courageous level of intensity that leaves us shocked to our core. Passion does, indeed, rule here.
Daniel Han, as Nugget, aptly conveyed the symbolic horse while Debra Rodkin as Alan’s mother and Mark Shallow as Alan’s father together with Jan Ellen Graves as Hesther each offered excellent supporting work. Maura Kidwell was marvelous as the sensual temptress Jill. The chemistry between Kidwell and Oyloe in the sensual climatic nude scene was tastefully staged and superbly acted giving a catalyst to Alan’s distrustful act of violence.
The mystery of why Alan blinded the six horses builds into one enthralling scene that Peter Oyloe delivers in a most electrifyingly wrenching manner. Peter Oyloe proves here that he is the definitive Alan Strang. Brian Parry is the lynchpin of this work as he has Dysart effectively maneuvering Alan into reliving his torturous deed. The gods of “passion” and “normal” battle it out for the soul of both the troubled teen and the self-hating psychologist. You’ll be glued to your seat in the final scenes.
The Actors Workshop Theatre has reached a new level of stagecraft with Equus. This Equus begs to be experienced. The production will shake you to our core. You’d be hard pressed to find as powerful a show anywhere. Parry and Oyloe are magnificent as they put their distinct marks on Dysart and Alan. Talk about actors leaving it all on the stage! Wow! Don’t miss this show—it is one of the best of 2007. Kudos to Joe Stead for his passion and vision. You are right about this one, Joe.
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: March 16, 2007
Jeff Recommended
5 Jeff Nominations for Equus!!!
Best Production--Equus
Actor in Principal Role--Peter Oyloe
Actor in Principal Role--Brian Parry
Sound Design--Miles Polaski
Original Incidental Music--Shannon Bengford, Peter Oyloe, Miles Polaski
Equus
Reviewed by Al Bresloff
What is normalcy? How far can passion lead you? These are some of the questions in Peter Shaffer's powerful thriller "Equus" now playing at The Actors Workshop Theatre located in a storefront at 1044 W. Bryn Mawr. When one talks about intimate theater, this is by far what they mean- a very small space ( roughly 38 seats) and a very small stage, but a very powerful production where the audience feels as they are in the mental hospital office of Dr.Martin Dysart ( a marvelous, solid performance by Brian Perry) who is asked to dig into a troubled young man, Alan Strang ( the remarkable Peter Oyloe, who's intensity will shock and scare you. This is a young talent that we should see around town for many years to come) who has blinded all of the horses in the stable where he works. Alan isn't quite "normal" who has a mother (Debra Rodkin) who believes in religion and a father ( Mark Shallow) who is against almost everything. While they appear to be loving parents, they cannot seem to control the passion that Alan has for horses. This passion is revealed as Dr. Dysart gets Alan to open up about who he is and what has brought him to this point. The Dr. himself has his own special problems ( a loveless, childless marriage) and by releasing Alan's demons, perhaps he as well will find himself. There is also a love for Alan, a co-worker at the stable ( the very lovely Maura Kidwell and a very dramatic love scene ( with full nudity, but handled extremely well by director Joe Stead). In fact, Mr. Stead has done a solid job from start to finish in making this story work on a very small stage and his cast is superb. The other actors, Marco Garcia, Jan Ellen Graves, Connie Anderko and Daniel Han ( who plays the horse ) all handle their roles well.All of the actors sit on stage in chairs awaiting their scenes and yet, with the careful eye of a skilled director, we, the audience are so drawn to the events on stage, we do not notice them at all. This is a very dramatic and intense production that will have you thinking as you leave the theater.
The tech part of the show is simply the lights (John Kohn III) The sound (Miles Polaski) and some wonderful music ( Shannon Bengford and Peter Oyloe) and the masks by Jeff Semmerling. This is a small theater, so if you are going to get to see this one, call for reservations.
Highly Recommended
March 16, 2007
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