Equus took the theatre world by storm in 1973, forever changing the paradigm of the possible. With it’s minimal set, primitive horse masks, characters bearing witness like a chorus, primal rhythms of worship and sacramental nudity, it was both shocking and cunning. Playwright Peter Shaffer built upon the premise (disturbed teenage boy blinds six horses) to consider the link between passivity and defiance, the Christian model of maleness, the intensity of pagan adulation, sexuality and manhood, and homoeroticism. Shaffer captured the overwhelming experience of boy adolescence, with all its raw fear and ecstasy. Staging was neither for the faint of heart nor the reckless. It was difficult to fight the fear that we were dancing along the mouth of a volcano.
In January of this year I was privileged to attend Lakewood Community Theatre’s groundbreaking production of Equus, directed by Adam Adolpho. Critiquing theatre as long as I have, you develop a strong appreciation for originality, bold vision and taking chances. Conventional staging can be all right, if it’s consistent with theme and content. But when you bring a fresh slant to shows that have entered the canon, this can be cause for excitement. Adolfo took brave risks, rejecting the tropes of other productions. Adolfo dug deep, bringing it to the surface. His vision was unique (and certainly subversive) pulling us into a nether realm of pain and dominance. LCT’s Equus was powerful, life changing theatre. Adolfo cooked up Shaffer’s tumultuous narrative of Martin Dysart’s (the psychiatrist) and Alan Strang’s (the troubled young man) ordeal, keeping it raw yet articulate. Equus may arguably be one of the most demanding scripts you could choose. It needs meticulous focus, restrained yet seething rage, and a pervasive sense of elemental forces beyond our grasp.
Not long after Equus closed Jake Montgomery, who played Alan Strang, was kind enough to grant me an interview. Montgomery was electrifying and astonishing as the isolated and broken young man, aching to resolve the seachanges that come with manhood. Sometimes an actor trusts his intuition, taking us to that rare moment of grace and gestalt. Mr. Montgomery invited us into this startling turn, and it was unforgettable.
What is your theatre background? Some favorite roles, roles you’d like to play? Would you like to direct in the future?
I began my theatre journey at the tail-end of high school, then continued my education at Brookhaven College and Southern Methodist University. Some of my favorite roles have been Satan in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot and Princeton in Avenue Q. I would love to play Ray in The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh. He’s just an interesting supporting character in a small play, but so special. Would I like to direct in the future? Yes? Communicating my thoughts has always been a bit of a weak point for me, but I think if I’m passionate about a piece, all of those anxieties will vanish.
What attracted you to acting in the beginning?
Watching films, initially. Later, watching my peers transform on the stage to tell stories. That was grand.
Could you talk a little bit about what Equus means to you, personally? Why you wanted to play Alan Strang?
Alan is a bit of a strange one, and I’ve always felt like a bit of an outsider to most people. Something about his psychology clicked with me on a personal level. My first exposure to Alan was in an acting class when I first began my studies at Brookhaven College and we had to execute a scene from Equus as a tennis match. I later read the play, and I loved Alan. Yes, what he did was abominable, but I love that you can trace each and every action to a root—or a reasoning.
What do you think Peter Shaffer is doing in Equus? What is he exploring?
Everyone has their personal takeaway from a work. Shaffer is exploring many things, and they’re not very subtle whatsoever. Religion, masculinity, sexuality, abuse—just to name a few themes. I think Shaffer’s characters are complex, like any human you meet will be. So I think he expects his actors to delve deep into the character work, so that nothing is brushing the surface. The way he’s written the characters and their story, the audience will witness the tip of the iceberg, and if executed well, the rest of the iceberg will be present without the production company having to put it on display—saying, “Look! Here it is! The entire iceberg! Isn’t it so complex?” Trust in the playwright’s work, and the entire iceberg will be present without having to remove it from the water.
Has being part of this cast been a bonding experience for you?
I love the cast! They’re all very friendly and hard-working. They’re also very focused in rehearsals. At the end of the day, I’m here to work. We all should be. I bond best when everyone involved are in it to put their best work onstage.
How did you prepare for playing the role?
My professors at SMU taught me well. I would like to go in-depth, but I’ll keep it simple. Always know who you are. Invent nothing, deny nothing. You are not the character, but you are also not not the character. I did workouts; actors are athletes. I didn’t memorize my lines word for word, but instead approached each scene, each beat, each moment by asking myself: “What am I trying to do to/get from the other person?… What are they trying to do/get from me?” This makes line memorization come secondhand. Viewpoints! I love viewpoints…. I could go on and on, really. Please don’t make me…
Can you describe, what you feel, Alan is going through?
Which Alan are you talking about? In general, throughout the play, loneliness. Neglect. He’s caught in a middle of a tug-of-war match between his parents. He’s going through sexual awakening—spiritual realization as well.
Why do you think Alan is resistant to treatment?
I never thought Alan was resistant to treatment. I think he’s terrified of it. But he wants it. It’s in the text.
What is the nature of attachment between Alan and Martin Dysart?
This is tough, but for Alan, it could be that someone is finally talking to him and not at him. I think this is difficult for Alan to recognize until a little later in the play. That is why he begins to trust Dysart.
Do you think if the incident/crime took place in America it would have changed anything? Did British culture factor in?
I’m not sure, honestly.
How was the question of using British accents addressed?
“If the actors can’t execute the same dialect, we didn’t want to do it.” That was the primary reason. I would have loved the accents. As an actor in the play, it would have made the language much more accessible. Audiences would have adjusted within three to five minutes.
Who IS the protagonist? You? Dysart? Both?
The protagonist? Dysart. Our production, Alan was. But textually, we follow Dysart’s arc. He’s the one who changes throughout the play.
What is riding in the field of Ha-Ha about?
You’d have to experience it for yourself.
Did the last scene with you and the actress playing Jill require special rehearsal work?
Yes. We treated it like choreography. Of course, I wanted to make sure we weren’t executing it robotically. We had intimacy rehearsals where the stage manager was always present. This scene also always felt the realest to me in the play. I wanted to make sure we never rushed it. The moment I’m rushed, I’m removed from my process, and my performance becomes manufactured. Icky.
Could you describe the rehearsal process in general?
We rehearsed out of sequence. The rehearsals were primarily focused on blocking and filling moments for the ensemble. Not much character work was addressed. We also had a two week hiatus during the before Christmas and into the new year.
Why do you think Alan injures the horses?
Injures? Blinds? Because Equus witnessed his sin. He was overflowing with guilt. Enough is enough.
Are there certain playwrights who resonate with you?
Martin McDonagh. Annie Baker.
Are you mindful of the audience’s presence?
My job is to keep going if the audience isn’t very engaging. I hear actors constantly groaning about an audience’s energy, especially in terms of a comedy. I mean, YES, the audience does feed us some of that energy, and when we are present with an engaged audience, they are fun to play with. But, my job is to deliver—no matter what.
Jake Montgomery earned his degree in theatre from Southern Methodist University. He most recently performed as Alan in Equus and Otto in Spring Awakening. He is currently appearing in Brookhaven’s production of The Shadow Box.