Event

Equus

"Equus," by Peter Shaffer, closes the season in October. It is the story of a psychiatrist who attempts to treat a young man who has a pathological religious fascination with horses. Shaffer was inspired to write "Equus" when he heard of a crime involving a 17-year old who blinded six horses. He decided to devise a fictional account of what might have caused the incident, without knowing any details of the crime. The play is a kind of mystery with a childrens psychiatrist as the detective. The play was first produced by England's famed National Theatre and ran for two years. A later Broadway production starred first Anthony Hopkins and then Anthony Perkins, Leonard Nimoy and Richard Burton, who starred in the film version. The Broadway production ran for 1,209 performances. It won Tony Awards for Best Play, Best Actor and Best Featured Actress. The Oldcastle version features Nigel Gore as the psychiatrist. Ethan Botwick, who appeared with Gore in Oldcastle's production of "A Lion in Winter" plays the young boy. Christine Decker and Richard Howe play his parents and Ana Anderson plays the young woman attracted to Botwick.