By Hannah Boulton
The audience in the Black Box Theatre was silent. They held their breath as Erik Meixelsperger leapt high onto Sam Holder’s back, throwing his arms wide and crying out in a moment of ecstasy.
Meixelsperger, student, played Alan Strang in the Theatre Department’s production of “Equus,” which ran Oct. 7-9 and 14-16. Holder, student, played the Horseman and Nugget the horse.
“Equus” contains mature content including nudity and violence toward animals. The plot revolves around psychiatrist Martin Dysart’s treatment of Alan Strang, a teenage boy who has an unnatural obsession with horses.
Beate Pettigrew, artistic coordinator for the Theatre department, said she was prepared for possible negative feedback from audience members.
“If people don’t know what the play’s about and they are shocked by the nudity, there may be some complaints about [it],” Pettigrew said.
The Theatre department posted signs in the Black Box Theatre lobby stating an age restriction for “Equus” audience members. No one 13 or younger was admitted and no one 17 or younger was admitted without a parent or guardian.
“I figure we’ve done our job with the appropriate signage in the lobby, and most people that come see our shows are pretty savvy,” Pettigrew said.
Jim Lane, chair, departments of Music and Theatre and Graphic Arts and “Equus” director and scene designer, said he’d heard nothing but positive feedback since last spring when the Theatre department announced that “Equus” would be performed this year.
“[‘Equus’] had name recognition right off the bat and so there was a lot of excitement about it,” Lane said.
Audience members who attended the opening night performance on Oct. 7 said they had been looking forward to seeing the show.
“I think it will be a good show. I expect it will be dark, dramatic and moving,” said Dean Bevan, audience member.
Audience members Jenna Pellow and Logann Merritt said they were both familiar with the plot of “Equus” before coming to the performance. Pellow said she thought the performance was great.
“There were definitely a couple of scenes that were shocking,” Merritt said. “I think I was pretty prepared but, yeah, it was definitely eye-opening.”
Both Pellow and Merritt said they were not offended by the adult content.
Sam Holder, an actor in “Equus”, said he’d heard positive feedback from other Theatre department students prior to the play’s opening. He said people outside of the department who were unfamiliar with the show might ask, “Is that the one with the naked people … the one with the horses?”
Holder said he didn’t fear any backlash over “Equus” because the mature content was tastefully done.
“As far as some of the more mature themes, you know, people are gong to like it or people aren’t going to like it,” he said. “That’s kind of what theatre is there to do. It’s not to reaffirm your beliefs; it’s to challenge your beliefs.”
Contact Hannah Boulton, copy editor, at hboulton@jccc.edu.