The Living Room opens its spring season with psychological drama ‘Equus’

It has been awhile since a local theater company staged Peter Shaffer’s award-winning psychological drama “Equus,” but the Living Room has chosen the allegorical play as its first spring production.

Shaffer was inspired to write the piece after reading a news account of a stable boy who inexplicably blinded the horses in his care. From that premise, Shaffer wrote a drama that mixes realism with symbolic imagery and that features, among other things, actors playing horses.

The original productions hit a nerve with audiences and became major box-office hits in London and New York. The Broadway production ran for more than 1,200 performances.

Among the actors who appeared in the long-running show were Peter Firth, Anthony Hopkins and Richard Burton. Burton and Firth starred in the 1977 film adaptation. And Richard Griffiths and Daniel Radcliffe starred in a 2007 London revival that came to Broadway the following year.

Matt Lindblom plays the troubled youth, Alan Strang, and Rusty Sneary appears as Martin Dysart, the psychiatrist who tries to help him. Also in the cast: Forrest Attaway, Bonnie Griffin, Amy Attaway, Paul Burns and Rachel Leyh. Playing the horses are Jordan LaForce, Bradley Turner, Vincent Wagner and Amy Hurrelbrink.

Jeff Church, artistic director of the Coterie, is directing. Kate Mott designed the costumes. The lighting design is by Shane Rowse, and David Kiehl designed the sound. Props are by Regina Weller. Other contributors include Vanessa Severo (movement) and Scott Stackhouse (vocal coach).

“Equus” begins performances Wednesday at the Living Room, 1818 McGee, and runs through April 19. For more information, call 816-533-5857 or go to thelivingroomkc.com.

This story was originally published March 24, 2015 at 7:00 AM with the headline "The Living Room opens its spring season with psychological drama ‘Equus’ ."