(Waterbury, CT ? Oct. 10, 2003) ? The New Zenith Theatre, located at Naugatuck Valley Community College, will present Peter Shaffer?s Tony Award winning play, Equus, on Oct. 30, 31 and Nov. 1 and Nov. 6, 7 and 8. Performances are at 8 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center Playbox Theatre, 750 Chase Parkway, Waterbury.
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| Jeff DePascale portrays Alan Strang opposite Sarah Robards as Dr. Dysart, in the New Zenith Theatre?s production of Equus. |
The play contains strong language, adult themes and partial nudity and is recommended for ages 16 and above. Tickets are $8 – $10. For information and ticket reservations, call the box office at (203) 575-8193.
Equus, winner of the 1974 Tony Award for Best Play and three other major drama awards, is a superb and thoroughly absorbing play loosely based on a real-life incident. An electrifying journey into the mind of a troubled, 17-year-old stable boy who blinds six horses with a spike, the play is structured like a mystery and centers on the explosive encounters between Alan Strang and Dr. Dysart, the middle-aged psychiatrist who agrees to treat him.
The lead role of Dr. Dysart, portrayed as a man in the original play, is cast as a woman in the New Zenith production. The psychiatrist works to ?normalize? the teenager, while also struggling with the feeling she is destroying the teen?s sense of worship and sexual vitality, both of which are missing in the doctor?s own personal life. As an insight into obsession, religion and passion, this spellbinding production questions our understanding of ?normality? and the cost of normalizing in our world.
Directed by NVCC faculty member and New Zenith Artistic Director Edward Wierzbicki, the production features Sarah Robards of West Haven as Margaret Dysart; Jeff DePascale of Stratford as Alan Strang; Joe Grosso of Naugatuck as Frank Strang; Mary Rosengrant of Waterbury as Dora Strang; Sarah Coburn of Watertown as Jill Mason; Doug Sobon of Naugatuck as Salomon; John Fabiani of Winsted as Harry Dalton; Gary Ploski of Mount Vernon, N.Y., as the horseman; and Kyle Jones of Sandy Hook and Diana McCarthy-Bercury of Bethany as the nurse.
The horses are portrayed by Lindsay Ouellete of Winsted, Maria Franceskino of Watertown, Danielle See of Bethlehem, Mark Gardner of Cheshire, Cortney Bergin of Bristol, and Will Ward of Waterbury as Nugget, the lead horse.
Members of the production team include NVCC faculty members Elena Rusnak, choreography and Antonio Biello, sound designer; William Cone, scenic designer; and Jonathan Curns, lighting.