Equus

The stage directions for Equus call for the stage to be made of a wooden square atop a wooden circle, surrounded by three wooden benches. The benches represent various rooms throughout the play and are used by the cast when characters do not appear in scenes. On these benches, the actors occasionally perform the Equus Noise, a vocal mix of humming, stamping, and thumping that represents the horse-god, Equus.

The play opens with a teenage boy named Alan Strang sat in a spotlight at center stage. Alan is with a horse named Nugget, who he strokes and caresses. From one of the benches, a psychiatrist name Martin Dysart watches Alan while smoking a cigarette. He compares the boy and the horse to a couple kissing. Dysart admits to the audience that he is not thinking of the boy; he is thinking about the horse and “what it may be trying to do” (21).

Dysart stands and speaks to the audience. He talks about his confusion. Dysart feels lost and purposeless. He compares himself to a horse with a bit—a piece of equipment that fits inside a horse’s mouth, attaching to the bridle and reins—in its mouth.