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Equus (Theatre)
- 153 statements
- 29 feature instances
- 12 referencing feature instances
| Equus (Theatre) | type |
TVTItem | |
| Equus (Theatre) | label |
Equus (Theatre) | |
| Equus (Theatre) | page |
Equus | |
| Equus (Theatre) | comment |
A 1973 play by Peter Shaffer, Equus was adapted by its author into a 1977 film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Richard Burton and Peter Firth.In the play and film, psychiatrist Martin Dysart is called to investigate the case of a stableboy named Alan Strang. Alan, driven by his strange religious and sexual obsession, savagely blinded six horses with a metal spike. As he examines the boy, and his fascination, Dysart starts to have doubts about whether he can really help him, or whether turning people to a "normal" way of thinking is always the right thing to do.Other notable actors who played Dr. Dysart on stage include Anthony Hopkins, Leonard Nimoy, Anthony Perkins, and Richard Griffiths (who played Dysart opposite Daniel Radcliffe as Alan). | |
| Equus (Theatre) | fetched |
2024-03-14T21:16:56Z | |
| Equus (Theatre) | parsed |
2024-03-14T21:16:56Z | |
| Equus (Theatre) | isPartOf |
DBTropes | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_14ed6ab7 | type |
Does This Remind You of Anything? | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_14ed6ab7 | comment |
Does This Remind You of Anything?: The scene when Alan cannot "perform" for his girlfriend is the most obvious example of the story being a metaphor for homosexuality, as it plays exactly like a scene of a teenage boy attempting to convince himself as well as his girlfriend that he is straight. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_14ed6ab7 | featureApplicability |
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| Equus (Theatre) | hasFeature |
Equus (Theatre) / int_14ed6ab7 | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_18ce8f1d | type |
Full-Frontal Assault | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_18ce8f1d | comment |
Full-Frontal Assault: Alan's attack on the horses is done in the nude. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_18ce8f1d | featureApplicability |
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| Equus (Theatre) | hasFeature |
Equus (Theatre) / int_18ce8f1d | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_21f60711 | type |
Good Is Not Soft | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_21f60711 | comment |
Good Is Not Soft: Mr. Dalton, the owner of the stables, is a friendly man behind his gruff exterior. Obviously, Dalton's initial good will towards Alan comes to a quick end when he discovers what Alan did to the horses (he punches out Alan and says that he should have just killed him on the spot). | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_21f60711 | featureApplicability |
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| Equus (Theatre) | hasFeature |
Equus (Theatre) / int_21f60711 | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_2f7e9080 | type |
Placebo Effect | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_2f7e9080 | comment |
Placebo Effect: Near the climax of the play, Alan brings up the subject of truth-telling drugs. Dysart, sensing that Alan wants to tell him everything but needs an excuse to do so, gives him a "truth pill" which is really aspirin; sure enough, Alan finally opens up enough to recall the events of the fatal night. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_2f7e9080 | featureApplicability |
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| Equus (Theatre) | hasFeature |
Equus (Theatre) / int_2f7e9080 | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_48c24da4 | type |
Significant Double Casting | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_48c24da4 | comment |
Significant Double Casting: Traditionally the actor who plays the rider who gives Alan his first horseback ride also plays his favourite horse Nugget, which highlights Alan's confusion over his sexuality. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_48c24da4 | featureApplicability |
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| Equus (Theatre) | hasFeature |
Equus (Theatre) / int_48c24da4 | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_4db42cf3 | type |
Male Frontal Nudity | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_4db42cf3 | comment |
Male Frontal Nudity: The script calls for the actor playing Alan to appear naked on stage. Predictably, the production starring Daniel Radcliffe spawned countless jokes about Harry Potter showing his "wand." Curiously, the script only calls for the actor playing Alan to mime stripping, never actually requiring any nudity, and indeed Peter Firth, who originated the role on stage, did so there before playing the scene naked and full-frontal — rather more impressively as well — in the film version. Radcliffe decided to follow Firth's lead. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_4db42cf3 | featureApplicability |
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| Equus (Theatre) | hasFeature |
Equus (Theatre) / int_4db42cf3 | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_4e3d253b | type |
Downer Ending | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_4e3d253b | comment |
Downer Ending: Dysart "cures" Alan, but suspects that all he's done is to take something vital and irreplaceable away from him. It doesn't help that he's hallucinating Equus now. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_4e3d253b | featureApplicability |
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| Equus (Theatre) | hasFeature |
Equus (Theatre) / int_4e3d253b | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_549a92e7 | type |
Minimalism | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_549a92e7 | comment |
Minimalism: The original play features, among other aspects, only one setting and actors or dancers in lieu of horses; very much averted in the film version, naturally. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_549a92e7 | featureApplicability |
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Equus (Theatre) / int_549a92e7 | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_6056f853 | type |
Homoerotic Subtext | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_6056f853 | comment |
Homoerotic Subtext: The play is a metaphor for homosexuality, with Alan's attraction to horses (which he fights to suppress and seek a "cure" for) meant to represent an attraction to the same sex. (Shaffer, the playwright, was openly gay.) | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_6056f853 | featureApplicability |
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| Equus (Theatre) | hasFeature |
Equus (Theatre) / int_6056f853 | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_629de9ad | type |
'70s Hair | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_629de9ad | comment |
'70s Hair: Alan has a curly, shaggy hairstyle which manages to date the film adaptation even in the scenes when the character is completely naked and thus has no other available "fashion" choices that could possibly do so. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_629de9ad | featureApplicability |
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| Equus (Theatre) | hasFeature |
Equus (Theatre) / int_629de9ad | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_7a12aabf | type |
New Media Are Evil | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_7a12aabf | comment |
New Media Are Evil: Frank Strang is something of a throwback. Being a printer by trade, he's distressed that his son doesn't like to read, but he won't permit a television in the house — especially since his socialist heart is immensely irritated by the escapist, consumerist dream television offers. Even Dr. Dysart is pessimistic about the influence of television. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_7a12aabf | featureApplicability |
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| Equus (Theatre) | hasFeature |
Equus (Theatre) / int_7a12aabf | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_7efe1c56 | type |
Critical Psychoanalysis Failure | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_7efe1c56 | comment |
Critical Psychoanalysis Failure: Alan's Equus hallucinations are passed to Dysart. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_7efe1c56 | featureApplicability |
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| Equus (Theatre) | hasFeature |
Equus (Theatre) / int_7efe1c56 | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_863fa679 | type |
What Happened to the Mouse? | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_863fa679 | comment |
What Happened to the Mouse?: Or rather, the horses — we're not told their fate after Alan blinds them. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_863fa679 | featureApplicability |
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Equus (Theatre) / int_863fa679 | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_973d220f | type |
Never My Fault | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_973d220f | comment |
Never My Fault: Dora, who says the reason her son's blinding the horses is because he's possessed by the devil. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_973d220f | featureApplicability |
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| Equus (Theatre) | hasFeature |
Equus (Theatre) / int_973d220f | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_a2b38d3b | type |
Eye Scream | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_a2b38d3b | comment |
Eye Scream: The blinding of the horses. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_a2b38d3b | featureApplicability |
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Equus (Theatre) / int_a2b38d3b | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_ad17a1ac | type |
Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_ad17a1ac | comment |
Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: Alan's mother Dora suspects Dysart is hunting for a Freudian Excuse in Alan's past, and angrily denies that such an excuse would be relevant. In context it's pretty obvious she's just trying to deny her part in shaping Alan's unhealthy views of religion and sexuality, however. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_ad17a1ac | featureApplicability |
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| Equus (Theatre) | hasFeature |
Equus (Theatre) / int_ad17a1ac | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_ad3e13c5 | type |
The Loins Sleep Tonight | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_ad3e13c5 | comment |
The Loins Sleep Tonight: Alan can't get it up when he tries to sleep with a woman, because the wires in his brain between sexual attraction and admiration of horses have become crossed. This boils over and directly leads to the blinding incident. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_ad3e13c5 | featureApplicability |
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| Equus (Theatre) | hasFeature |
Equus (Theatre) / int_ad3e13c5 | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_ae3d6438 | type |
Deadpan Snarker | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_ae3d6438 | comment |
Deadpan Snarker: Dr. Dysart has his moments, for instance: | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_ae3d6438 | featureApplicability |
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Equus (Theatre) / int_ae3d6438 | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_b01abe4f | type |
Catchphrase | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_b01abe4f | comment |
Catchphrase: Frank has something of a Verbal Tic — ending sentences with the phrase "...if you receive my meaning." Alan picks up on it and grouses about it to Dysart, suggesting that for him it sums up his father's narrow-mindedness. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_b01abe4f | featureApplicability |
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| Equus (Theatre) | hasFeature |
Equus (Theatre) / int_b01abe4f | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_b6cc7fc0 | type |
Dysfunctional Family | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_b6cc7fc0 | comment |
Dysfunctional Family: The Strangs seem to be in a loveless, sexless marriage. Frank and Dora are of wildly differing personalities and perspectives — he an atheist and a socialist, she a devout Christian with no particular political leanings — and their strongly conflicting views of how to treat their son only contribute to his psychosis. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_b6cc7fc0 | featureApplicability |
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| Equus (Theatre) | hasFeature |
Equus (Theatre) / int_b6cc7fc0 | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_c3fbac64 | type |
Bestiality Is Depraved | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_c3fbac64 | comment |
Bestiality Is Depraved: Alan can't distinguish between affection for horses and sexual attraction. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_c3fbac64 | featureApplicability |
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Equus (Theatre) / int_c3fbac64 | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_c75df49a | type |
Shout-Out | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_c75df49a | comment |
Shout-Out: There's a reference to "standing in the darkness, stabbing at heads" which seems to refer to the play Agamemnon by Aeschylus. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_c75df49a | featureApplicability |
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| Equus (Theatre) | hasFeature |
Equus (Theatre) / int_c75df49a | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_c90edae8 | type |
Audience Monologue | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_c90edae8 | comment |
Audience Monologue: Dysart is the only character who speaks directly to the audience, and he does so at some length several times throughout. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_c90edae8 | featureApplicability |
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Equus (Theatre) / int_c90edae8 | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_dd9fba61 | type |
A Rare Sentence | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_dd9fba61 | comment |
A Rare Sentence: | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_dd9fba61 | featureApplicability |
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| Equus (Theatre) | hasFeature |
Equus (Theatre) / int_dd9fba61 | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_e003c829 | type |
History Repeats | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_e003c829 | comment |
History Repeats: As Doctor Dysart prepares to 'cure' Alan, he reveals that he himself has now become plagued by visions of Equus. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_e003c829 | featureApplicability |
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Equus (Theatre) / int_e003c829 | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_e4b69188 | type |
Very Loosely Based on a True Story | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_e4b69188 | comment |
Very Loosely Based on a True Story: Peter Shaffer claimed to have based the story on a true story in which a local youth blinded 26 horses in a single night. Unfortunately Shaffer only heard the story as an anecdote, and in the years since it was published, neither he nor anyone else has been able to link it to a real incident. In any case, everything in the play except the detail of blinding the horses is completely invented. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_e4b69188 | featureApplicability |
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Equus (Theatre) / int_e4b69188 | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_f275ee5f | type |
Dead Sparks | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_f275ee5f | comment |
Dead Sparks: Dysart's marriage. He and his wife have almost nothing in common anymore except for a certain professional pride in their work, and Dysart is beginning to lose even that. | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_f275ee5f | featureApplicability |
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Equus (Theatre) / int_f275ee5f | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_fd86da63 | type |
Crisis of Faith | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_fd86da63 | comment |
Crisis of Faith: Word of God says Dysart's increasingly sour and skeptical attitude toward his own job is a secular version of this; early in the play he lightly dismisses it as "professional menopause", but it becomes clearer — especially toward the end — how deep his doubts really go. | |
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Equus (Theatre) / int_fd86da63 | |
| Equus (Theatre) / int_name | type |
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| Equus (Theatre) / int_name | comment |
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Equus (Theatre) |
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