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Rating: 
Summary: Frightening, yet powerful
Review: Equus is a hard-hitting dramatic work that will make readers question their beliefs in mental illness, religion (particularly Christianity), and the emotional and spiritual emptiness described in most adults as 'normal behavior.' Schaffer achieves a nearly unthinkable task at making his audience almost feel sympathy for Alan, a young man who has cruelly blinded six horses. Along Dysart's (the psychiatrist who must discover why Alan has committed such a horrible crime) and the reader's journey through Alan's tortured life and mind, the reader comes to partially understand and all but accept Alan's deed as a man's faith betraying him. Dysart, paralelling Alan in the 'normal' world, experiences that loss of worship in a far different, yet equally devastating manner. I suggest seeing the play performed if at all possible. Seeing Equus live-action truly brings it's horrific brilliance to life.
Rating: 
Summary: ...comments on Equus
Review: I enjoyed this play very much and have read it several times. Each time I read the play I grasp a better understanding of what Shaffer may be conveying to the audience. This play made me ask so many questions about society today and what some of the truths are in life.
I do not believe this play to be about materialism or convenience and the killing of our capacity for worship, passion, or pain. Alan had a capacity for worship and passion, just not within the normal boundaries of societies acceptable views. Alan had the capacity for pain, but reached his climax when in the stable and blinded the six horses. If man is materialistic it is because the opportunity presents itself and we are already that way. There is no spiritual or mental decay of modern man. Religion flourishes as it always has, and causes peace and war as it always will. We know more now than we ever did in the past about medicine, science, the arts, humanity, the origin of man, and life itself.
In the case of Alan, he suffers from mental illness, but can be healed with love and passion from those around him; Dysart being the one to take the first step and not giving up on him. Worship is not a human need, but the freedom of worship is a human right. I believe this play to hold these truths; the human need for understanding, compassion, and healing.
Rating:
Summary: Strange, Enchanting, Disturbing...
Review: I have read this play five times already, and it never ceases to amaze me. The imagery is fantastic, and the areas it addresses (such as religion, worship, the fine line between sanity and insanity, as well as primal need) are approached in such a way as to captivate you as well as keep you guessing. Is it poor Alan Strang's parents, is it simply the absence of society in his world, or is it simply, as his parents say, the way he is? And what of Dr. Dysart? The whole play is mind-boggling. And I have had the pleasure of seeing it in full action at Southwestern University. To see it live is to live it, to get into the lives of the characters. I recomend this play to any who love to keep guessing, who are not intimidated by things that that are slightly disturbing, and for those who love psychological thrillers. This play is one of the best.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting..
Review: I liked the themes of this play but I had found that the way that the play was written was jarring to the themes. It was in a sense; confusing. I loved themes, hate how it was excuted.
Rating:
Summary: Equus is a play that everyone should read and take to heart.
Review: I've just finished reading this version of Equus for the third time now, and I never get tired of it. I've also just finished a 23 page paper on Peter Shaffer for my play analysis class, and I have to tell you, Equus is a drama that I thouroughly enjoy. It's probably my favorite play because it deals with not only the subject of the human need for worship, but Equus is also about a search for faith, for Dysart and Alan. It deals with the concepts of religion as well; and being a Christian, I could apply my own teachings to the text. The basic synopsis is an adolescent boy named Alan Strang has committed a horrible crime of blinding six horses in a stable in southern England. After being taking to the local magistrates, he's dubbed as mentally ill (which he is), and is taken to Dr. Martin Dysart, a well-known and respected psychiatrist for evaluation. What unfolds from there, is such an engrossing story into Alan's primal mind and as to why he did this act, you won't believe. Equus speaks to everyone. The conflict for Dysart, who is "utterly worshipless" vs. Alan Strang who activlely and genuinely worships his god Equus is this: I can cure Alan of his illness and make him "Normal"; but how can I do it without stripping him of his genuine worship, which is the core of his life? The story will touch you and make you think, fundamentally. If you've never seen the show, find it somewhere near you and go see it; it's meant to be seen. I had the luxury of seeing it performed at the famously known Stratford Theatre Festival last year in Canada, and it blew me away. The play is quite simply, amazing.
Rating:
Summary: A Very Chilling Mystery
Review: Imagine this: Step one: take an Agatha Christie novel
Step two: mix in a bit of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Step three: add a little bit of sexual innuendo
Step four: add very distinct and creepy staging
Step five: add religion
Final Step: add horses and... BOOM! you've got Equus- a chilling mystery about a lunatic who blinds horses because of...well, now that would be telling the ending of the mystery, wouldn't it! A must read for anybody mature enough to read it (13+ probably)
Rating:
Summary: Equus or my journey to Cavalry...
Review: Ostensibly the story of a doctor-patient relationship, Equus is just as limited by the therapist's suite as is Casablanca limited by the walls of Rick's Cafe. The genuis of Shaffer is that he manages to create characters so indelible and unforgettable that they leap out of the read page just as much or more as they do out of the performed page. Put another way, even without Burton in the cinema or Hopkins on Broadway, his Dr. Dysart connects with you. You can easily find yourself joining Dysart as he commences his therapy with Alan Strang. The who, what, when and where are quickly covered as we and Dysart learn that Strang's "presenting problem" is the fact he's just blinded six horses. The why consumes the virtual remainder of the play as we join Dysart in peeling down the oniony layers of Strang's psychosis. Ever the honest observer, Dysart readily admits the plain simple fact of human observational error. His problem -- our problem -- is that our ability to interact and help others is inherently limited by our own myopia. We can only see what we can only see. Fortunately, Dysart understands the problematic nature of probing someone else's consciousness.
How can we eliminate the bad without taking some of the good with it? What was it Strang thought he saw in the horses? What was it he was afraid they would see of him?
The answers to those questions are really best left to read or see a performance of this play. As Dysart might himself wryly observe: We all ultimately take our own trip to Cavalry.
For the here and the now, however, it bears noting that this play is one of the single greatest repositorities of quotable, rememberable lines in the English language.
And so: "What way is this? What dark is this? I cannot call it ordained of God. I cannot pay it so much homage. But there is chain in my mouth and it never comes out."
So, don't stop with Shaffer's Amadeus, read or see this one too.
Rating:
Summary: Equus or my journey to Cavalry...
Review: Ostensibly the story of a doctor-patient relationship, Equus is just as limited by the therapist's suite as is Casablanca limited by the walls of Rick's Cafe. The genuis of Shaffer is that he manages to create characters so indelible and unforgettable that they leap out of the read page just as much or more as they do out of the performed page. Put another way, even without Burton in the cinema or Hopkins on Broadway, his Dr. Dysart connects with you. You can easily find yourself joining Dysart as he commences his therapy with Alan Strang. The who, what, when and where are quickly covered as we and Dysart learn that Strang's "presenting problem" is the fact he's just blinded six horses. The why consumes the virtual remainder of the play as we join Dysart in peeling down the oniony layers of Strang's psychosis. Ever the honest observer, Dysart readily admits the plain simple fact of human observational error. His problem -- our problem -- is that our ability to interact and help others is inherently limited by our own myopia. We can only see what we can only see. Fortunately, Dysart understands the problematic nature of probing someone else's consciousness.
How can we eliminate the bad without taking some of the good with it? What was it Strang thought he saw in the horses? What was it he was afraid they would see of him?
The answers to those questions are really best left to read or see a performance of this play. As Dysart might himself wryly observe: We all ultimately take our own trip to Cavalry.
For the here and the now, however, it bears noting that this play is one of the single greatest repositorities of quotable, rememberable lines in the English language.
And so: "What way is this? What dark is this? I cannot call it ordained of God. I cannot pay it so much homage. But there is chain in my mouth and it never comes out."
So, don't stop with Shaffer's Amadeus, read or see this one too.
Rating:
Summary: my opinion on equus!
Review: Peter Shaffer's 1972 play EQUUS is an original and often shocking
portrayal of the relationship between Martin Dysart, a child psychiatrist, and Alan Strang, a young man who has blinded six horses with a spike. Shaffer's striking message is that modern technology and convenience has weakened Man by removing his capacity for worship and his understanding of pain. The playwright has given Dysart the hobby of archeology of ancient Greece, a time when people saw the hand of the gods in everything, and sacrifice was a custom. With this Shaffer sheds light on what he sees as the degeneracy of our modern age, when science has removed all mystery from Nature and our only gods are machines and rationalism. EQUUS is in several respects an excellent play. The stage design given by Shaffer is quite novel, using a central raised platform, circular and revolving, together with two benches on either side and, in the background, a row of seats for the chorus representing the god Equus. The play's theme is also ingenious, whether or not one agrees with it. The dialogue is also believably written (for the most part). However, EQUUS somewhat falls apart in the end. The play's climactic scene, where Alan Strang's motivation for blinding the horses is revealed, is somewhat incoherent. In the final scene, the characters suddenly speak out of part, which is unnecessary and seems quite forced. While these flaws don't annoy too much if one is reading the play, they would mar watching the play performed. I would recommend EQUUS for those who are intrigued by its message and stage design. It is not a perfect play, however, and I give it three stars.
Rating:
Summary: Catalyst for Thought
Review: Peter Shaffer's Equus is at best an excellent catalyst for thought. The play deals with a troublesome boy around the age of 17, Alan Strang. Alan is corrupted by his parents' conflicting beliefs. The result is a confused boy who commits a horrific crime, blinding six horses. The exploration through the minds of Dr. Dysart and Alan is mind-blowing, reaching to the very depths of the human dark side. Shaffer almost manages to offer an explanation for seemingly innate passion, which is something that authors and humans have been struggling with for quite some time. The actual events of Equus, both violent and explicitely sexual, may rub the average reader the wrong way, but the mental explanations behind these actions surpass any discomfort with the plot. I also saw the movie that is based on this play. The movie does not allow the viewer to contemplate the dialogue long enough, therefore, the viewer's benefit is less than that of the reader. The movie could be considered by some to be vulgar and disgusting. There is full nudity, and the blinding of the horses is difficult to watch (& to stomach), but overall, a very intriguing book.
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