After all the fuss, after all the double entendres about "wands" and "quidditch balls", after the scandalous photos, after all the talk and gossip and rumors...the play remains. And it is the play that reigns supreme at the Broadhurst Theater where Peter Shaffer's compelling and intoxicating drama, Equus, has received a stunning new production that stars a little known newcomer by the name of Harry Potter, er, I mean Daniel Radcliffe.
Tuesday night I attended a press preview of Equus. I went in with many questions. Would Radcliffe be up to the task? Would the nudity be gratuitous? Could I erase the image of Harry Potter from my mind as I watched the play? But, as the curtain went up and the opening image of Radcliffe, shirtless, surrounded by actors in metal horse heads came to life...all my questions and concerns seemed to disappear.
Equus, the play itself, is really quite riveting. Written in the 70's, nearly 35 years ago, the play really stands the test of time. Yes, some of the psychiatric techniques are dated, and some moments may lose their impact three decades later in this psycho-driven therapy filled world we live in. But, the building blocks of great theater are all on display here. Compelling conflict, nuanced characters, interesting subject matter. Equus shows us all of this and more.
The play is pretty simple. A young teen-age boy is brought to a psychiatric center for treatment. He has blinded several horses and has narrowly escaped prison in exchange for extensive counseling. Alan, the boy, is volatile and uncooperative and it is up to his doctor, Martin Dysart, to attempt to discover what has happened to the boy and help him stumble down a road to recovery.
Bringing this drama to life requires two great actors and this production has found them in Richard Griffiths and Daniel Radcliffe. Yup, you read that correctly - I said "great" and Daniel Radcliffe in the same sentence. I think everyone expected Mr. Griffiths to be great. He has already wowed New Yorkers in The History Boys several seasons back. But, Harry Potter, I think folks have been "gunning for him", so to speak. I am happy to report that he is marvelous in the role. Both actors should be favorably remembered at Tony time in the Spring. Radcliffe embodies his character and is the pulsing, dynamic, irrational center of Equus. He holds his own quite well with Mr. Griffiths and is especially powerful in his final scenes when he is forced to recount the tragic events that have been his undoing. These two are very nicely supported by a cast of New Yorkers (giving good accents). Anna Camp as the young stable girl and T. Ryder Smith particularly impressed this theatergoer.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the excellent directing of the production. Thea Sharrock, who directed the London run, does a wonderful job. It is a spare and sleek production. There is no actual set, really, several black cubes are moved around to create couches and chairs - and it works magnificently, allowing the shifts in time and place to happen in the blink of an eye with no effort. I was also quite impressed with her use of the horses. She used a stable of actors (pun intended) with simple metal horse heads, with raised hooves and dressed all in brown to create the much talked about group of horses. It was simple, evocative, powerful and moving (at times). Kudos to her creative team as well; set and costume designer John Napier, lighting designer David Hersey and sound designer Gregory Clarke.
Clearly, I enjoyed the show...now...let's see what the critics had to say about the latest arrival on "The Broadway".
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