EQUUS Comes to Pittsburgh Public Theater

Pittsburgh Public Theater begins its 43rd season with Peter Shaffer's sensational drama, Equus. The play is directed by Pittsburgh Public Theater's Producing Artistic Director, Ted Pappas, as part of his Grand Finale Season. Mr. Pappas will leave the company in August, 2018. Equus runs September 28 - October 29, 2017 at the O'Reilly Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater's home in the heart of Downtown's Cultural District. For tickets call 412.316.1600 or visit ppt.org.

Equus is set in England in the mid-1970s. It tells the story of young stable hand Alan Strang (Spencer T. Hamp), whose love of horses morphs into something odd, and then suddenly into violence. Martin Dysart (Daniel Krell) is the psychiatrist who must uncover the hidden motives behind Alan's deed.

The cast includes Alan's authoritative father (Timothy Carter) and religiously zealous mother (Nancy McNulty), the compassionate magistrate (Lisa Velten Smith), the stable owner (Philip Winters), the girl who is attracted to Alan (Jessie Wray Goodman), and the Nurse (Amy Landis). One of the most famous and fascinating aspects of Equus is using actors to play horses. Wearing metal sculpted heads and hooves, these six men will embody the essence of a stable of horses: Ben Blazer (Nugget), Michael Greer, Lawrence Karl, Ryan Patrick Kearney, Benjamin James Michael, and Luke Steinhauer. This production contains nudity.

The design team for Equus is James Noone (Scenic), Tilly Grimes (Costumes), Kirk Bookman (Lighting), and Zach Moore (Sound). Don Wadsworth is the Dialect Coach, Casting is by Pat McCorkle, Ruth E. Kramer is the Production Stage Manager, and Phill Madore is the Assistant Stage Manager.

Equus opened in London in 1973 and transferred to Broadway in 1974, where it received the Tony Award for Best Play. The Royal Hunt of the Sun and Amadeus are Mr. Shaffer's other epics. Amadeus won a Tony for Best Play and the film version took home the Oscar for Best Picture in 1984. Mr. Shaffer received an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Amadeus. After a brilliant career that included numerous other plays, including Five Finger Exercise and Lettice and Lovage, he died last year at age 90.