My Equus Journey...Part 3
Wow. I am still only in Act one. This is going to take longer than I thought.
What part of ‘turn off all cell phones” do people not get? We had a discussion at breakfast about this very thing. Usually, things such as that distract me because I am very easily distracted. But, it never really bothered me until now. Not that I would say anything, but still…
Back to what matters most. So Dysart goes to visit Alan’s parents. I will try and use the characters names going forward, but forgive me if I slip up with Dan for Alan.
Dysart and Alan’s parents, Dora and Frank, have a conversation regarding Alan’s obsession with horses. Here is one of those places that 1970s psychiatric theories are showcased. His mother is uber religious and reads bible stories (the horse related ones, of course ) to her son on the sly, indulges his wants and needs, and is too close to him while his father is an atheist, a practical man with no faith but yet is the one who abhors TV. Oh and then there is a discussion on what Alan knows about sex. Dora has given him the biological facts along with her moral beliefs on the subject, aka, fall in love, it’s a godly experience, etc. Marriage isn’t mentioned specifically but I think it is heavily implied. Mom bursts into tears, Dad does lame manly ‘there, there’ sort of comforting. We also learn that Alan never actually rode the horses at the stable, just cleaned out the stalls. And that his mother teaches him the word Equus. Hmmmm, the plot sickens.
Keep in mind that Alan is on stage the whole time and interacts as needed. As compelling as the drama is, I can’t help but take more peeks at Dan amidst the action of the other characters. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help but notice the small of his back in the gap between his jeans and shirt, the nail biting, the itchy scratchies you know, all of those quirks that make him who he is.
Now, Alan has a nightmare where he shouts out ‘Ek! Ek’
The next morning in therapy, Dysart and Alan do a ‘quid pro quo’ at Alan’s insistence.
Dysart tries to get Alan to talk about his nightmare. The audience cracks up again when Dysart mentions that his own ‘special dream’ is carving up children. (forgot about mentioning that dream Dysart had about sacrificing children earlier, sorry…)
After refusing to answer by singing another jingle, Alan is summarily dismissed by the doctor. Alan than rants about not getting the Government’s full hour of therapy and threatening to bash the nurse (at which Dysart predicts that the nurse will bash him harder, very funny!), we learn about the boy’s first memory of a horse. He was six. Dan acts like a child and makes pretend sand castles and gets hoisted up on the shoulders of a hot guy. Oh what a lucky hot guy! Seriously, though, Dan really had the facial expressions and demeanor of a child down. I felt a little of that “Crap, he is just a child. I am a bad, bad lady for having the thoughts that I do” Then I remember that he is 19 and let it go…
Of course, his father comes by and spoils the funny. Then, Alan’s session ends and he gets a little tape recorder to leave secret messages to the doctor.
Alan’s mom shows up and blathers on about a picture at the foot of Alan’s bed…used to be religious, now is a horse. Hmmmm, again, 1970s psychobabble at it’s best.
After mom leaves, enter distraught stable owner who verifies that Alan never road a horse, but that something funny was going on at night in the stables. Horses were sweaty early in the morning and such. Exit distraught stable owner.
Alan tape records that he found the horse he road on at 6 years old ‘sexy’. Obviously, Alan was not your average 6 year old. He speaks of sweat, power, cream and thighs. There is more talk of bowler hats and cowboys and Revelations. All of the lines are delivered at the rapid fire, manic pace of someone clearly out of touch with reality. Bravo!
Enter Alan’s dad. The plot sickens again as dear old dad describes catching Alan worshiping his horse picture, with a string as a bit in his mouth, spouting rhyming begets. This, according to doc is a sure sign of a psychosis (not Dysart, my personal physician, the one sitting next to me) and beating himself with an invisible coat hanger. Keep in mind that all the while, Dan is acting the scene out. Before dad leaves, he mentions that Dysart should ask Alan about the girl he was out with the night he blinds the horses.
Next time…So, a Psycho walks into a barn...