page 5 PR pncr Guest professional actor Donal Donnelly, as psychiatrist Martin Dysart, rehearses a scene from the upcoming production of “Equus,” where he discusses Alan Strang’s (Jeff Kin, center) obsession with horses and in par­ ticular, a horse called “Nugget” (played by Craig Summers, right). Donnelly is “Equus” guest artist and it was taken on a national tour. This tour brought Donnelly to the Col­ By Lisa Pettit umbus area for the first time. Donally has proven himself to be a Donal Donnelly will be the guests very versatile actor. He has played a for the Otterbein College theatre wide variety of roles on the stage, in department’s production of “Equus”, film and television roles both here in a story about a boy who allegedly the United States and in Ireland and blinds six horses. This is the 24ih con­ elsewhere in Europe. secutive year that Otterbein ha^^ had a He has played Dr. Frederick Treves guest artist. on Broadway in “The Elephant Man” Donnelly, who is originally from opposite David Bowie. He also ap­ Dublin, Ireland, will play the role of peared on Broadway in “The Faith the psychiatrist Martin Dysart. The Healer” with James Mason. He has psychiatrist is asked to treat the young also performed with Deborah Kerr on man who has blinded the horses. the national tour of “The Last of Mrs. “Equus”, written by Peter Schaffer, Cheyney.” won the 1975 Tony Award for best This performance at Otterbein is play. certainly not the first time that Don- Donnelly considers the role Dr. nelly has been on a college campus. He Martin Dysart to be very challenging has travelled extensively to colleges and the play itself to be very exciting. across the United States and in Canada Donnelly began his career in his for the past few years with his one man homeland of Ireland and after several show “My Astonishing Self.” This years of travelling back and forth show is based on the life and times of across the Atlantic Ocean, he decided George Bernard Shaw. to bring his family to the United Once Donnelly has completed States. His wife Patsy and their three “Equus” he will continue touring with children, Maryanne, 19, Damian, 15 “My Astonishing Self.” and Jonathon James, 13, now reside “Equus” will run from Thursday, irt^^stport Connecticut. ^ October 18 through Sunday, October . "l3avid Merrick’s production of 21 in Cowan Hall. All performances “Philadelphia, Here I Come” brought are free to students with their student Donnelly to the United States for the l.D.’s. Tickets are available in the first time. This play was very successful Cowan Hall box office. ENTEBirAiMItfiEMT Otterbein’s ^Equus’ intense, capable production By Dennis Fiely the troubled boy, Alan Strang and child-rearinp: for an ex­ IN THE SHOW’S most chal­ But it is Dougherty as the Dispatch Thaatar Critic Equus, starring guest (Jeff Kin), and his girlfriend, Jill tremely disturbing portrait. lenging role,. Kin captures the boy's adventurous, carefree girl­ professional artist Donal Mason (Charlotte Dougherty). right mix of intimidation and friend who delivers the evening's Nobody can accuse Otterbein Donnelly, continues in Cowan It's also a disitribe against College in Westerville of opening the humdrum existence of daily vulnerability for Alan. Laura most natural student perform­ Hall at Otterbein College Stitt and David Caldwell effec­ ance. its theater season with a patsy through Sunday. Showtimes are living. as a tune-up for more difficult BORROWING HEAVILY tively portray his overly protec­ 8:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday from the Broadway staging of The entire team at Otterbein things to come. THE SHOW’S big, classical tive parents' misguided love. and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets Equus, director Charles Dodrill is to be commended for ably Otterbein raised the curtain may be obtained at the Cowan has devised a classy and well- themes emerge loudly and clear- tackling such a challenging show 'ly in the Otterbein production, Nancy Fox as the hospital on its 1984-85 stage season Hall box office before the show. conceived production. nurse and Jodie Silk as Dysart’s that should leave the audience I Thursday with a courageous and even though its emotionally entertained and. most of all. He creates an arena setting charged material stretches the confidant and comforter, Hester I capable production of Peter Salomon, lend able support. stimulated. Shaffer's Equus, which played REVIEW for added intimacy and dimen­ student cast to the limit. I for more than 1,000 perform­ sion. ances in New York and won the Cowan Hall stage by a square of The show clocks in at 2V2 Guest professional artist I Tony Award. railngs and benches. hours, but it moves along with a Donal Donnelly, a Broadwayf veteran from Ireland, is out-l This difficult drama, being Despite its sparse, expres- fluid grace as the performers sionistic set, which also doubles enter the action from the rows of standing as psycldatrist MartinJ revived throughout the country Dysart. Donnelly's polished' pro-i thanks to the success of Shaf­ as a stable, Equus is so blinding­ spectators that surround the ly theatrical and bizarre that, in stage. fessionalism and deh underplayj fer's more recent Amadeus, ing hold the young student casj deals with a deeply disturbed less accomplished hands, it could come off as quite silly. The production's eerie, al­ together. boy's unusual preoccupation most Gothic, tone, largely at­ with horses and the painstaking After all, not many plays call The younger tast membersl for a supporting cast of six hors­ tributable to Fred Thayer's dim efforts of a self-doubting psychi­ lighting design, makes Otter- all Otterbein undergraduatesj atrist to treat the boy and purge es, neatly represented here by actors with wire mesh horses' bein's Equus seem like a nigh- create strong definitions for his demons. their characters and nicely han-| heads and hooves. marish journey into the subcon­ THE THERAPY, which fre­ But, due to the earnestness scious, where all manner of for­ die the language in English ac­ cents, although thly’re occasion-1 quently segues into flashbacks and intensity of the Otterbein bidden fears and desires are as the boy re-enacts his trau­ production, there was no snick­ dangerously unearthed. ally caught emodng instead of I acting. matic moments, takes place in­ ering in the audience on Thurs­ The script is explosive and side an English psychiatric hos­ day, not even during a lengthy, controversial. It re-examines ac­ Equus is certainly a fine pital, barely suggested on the climactic nude scene between cepted notions of sex, religion learning experience for them. D 6/Che Columbut fli«puf(h/Monday, Oct. 15,1984 ■ 7“^ ENTERTAINIVIENT Otterbein guest tells tall tales Rv Dennis Ficly C'lifa*, *' Cf'f<c (live him a liar stoal ami a luiUlr of whiskey and I'lonal Donnelly would prohahly talk all ni^ht Whether he’s reeounlinii a meeting helween (icorjfo I^er- nard Shaw and Albert Kinstein or an aneedote about (iroucho Marx watching bis first cricket match in Knuland. Donnelly is the (iiiintessential Irish story­ teller. The od-year-old actor, a Didi- |in native tran.splanted to West- Dispatch photo by Tom Dodge j)ort, Conn., spins mesnierizinjt From left, Donal Donnelly, Charlotte Dougherty, Jeff Kin rehearse for Equus pnncfnnted with nnimafed ^lestiires, uncanny impressions “I’eople came from all over the ly as Broadway’s most promis­ ('ompany and made several Eu­ and a hearty laugh, which al­ world to see him. Friends ing newcomer. ropean films, including Richard ways follows an inevitable punch phoned me from Ireland begging Later, he toured in the na­ Lester’s The Knack, the only line. for tickets. My daughter was a tional company of PhiJadolphi.i, comedy to have ever won the junior in high school in Connect­ Here I Come, which stopped in grand prize at the Cannes Film i HE HAS BEEN in the Co­ icut. When her classmates found Columbus. Festival. lumbus area for the past couple out, I was inundated with re- Donnelly bathed in the pf weeks to prepare for his guest ipiests to meet him." Broadway spotlight strictly by HE CONTINUES to tour in the one-man show, 3/r Aston/.s/j- role as psychiatrist Martin Dy- Bowie’s superstar status not­ accident. Merrick attended the /ng Self, based on the life of sart in the Otterbein College withstanding, Donnelly was duly world premiere of Philadvlphin, Th<‘atre production of Peter impressed with his jierformance. Here I Como at the Dublin Thea- Cicorge Bernard Shaw. Shaffer’s ICquus, which opens “You know, Bowie studied tre Festival and imported the But, for now, he said. “I’m just another worried actor,” as Thursday on the Westerville mime for several years and his entire production, cast intact, to campus. movement in the role was aston­ New York City. he prepared for E(juus, a psy­ chological thriller about a boy. ! Donnelly is probably best re- ishing. He’s also an incredibly “We came to Broadway in biembered by New York stage intelligent person. He began the our stocking feet,’’ Donnelly his psychiatrist and six dead audiences for his two-year stint play rather tentative and appre­ said. “The show had an unknown horses. on Broadway as Dr. Frederick hensive, hut everything he writer, an unknown director and “The play is a monumental Treves in Tho h'U'phnnt Mnn. learned locked in right away. By unknown actors. You couldn’t study,’’ Donnelly said. “I’m . During his long tenure in the the time he was halfway sell a ticket on a name, but it afraid to move away from the show, Donnelly played opposite through his run, he was terribly became the sleeper hit of the text.