this is for people who've seen the play and/or read the text that is now available. i'm curious what people think of it, from the story itself to how it represents us, to .. whatever.
unfortunately the ending was somewhat spoiled for me by what someone else said in another thread, though i suppose there's potential for multiple interpretations, but honestly, it seemed like the intent at the end was clear.
one of the parts i found hard to accept was the fact that the main character was talking to these animals as though truly expecting them to answer. was he that unhinged? or was it just the way the author chose to write it?
i did find the slow unfolding of the story through his monologues interesting. i didn't start to get the hint that something was starting to really go wrong 'til the 3rd section, though i suppose one should start to be a little concerned even in the 2nd section.
i guess another question might be.. did his dad molest him? i couldn't quite be sure from what was said.
Wright-one, would you rate this play better then Equus, or just different?
whew ... i dunno. it's been a long time since i saw equus (there was a movie version from the 80s/90s, i think, that i saw in a world religions class in college). i think equus has a heck of a lot more depth to it... which makes me lean in that direction as the better of the two. though it's also more disturbing..
Personally, I like Equus better as a play, because it deals with a lot more issues than just the obsession with horses. The "unreliable narrator" thing (which arguably is present in both Equus and Conversations) is filtered through other people, who have their own doubts and reactions about the whole thing.
For my money, the best play to so far deal with zoo issues as a focus is "The Goat, or Who is Sylvia." Here, the zoo seems to be completely sane, and it is the reactions of others that cause all of the problems that arise from his love for a goat. Unfortunately, all three end tragically, which makes me wonder if anyone has ever written a play where the zoo has a happy ending.
ya, i completely agree that equus is better. i haven't see "the goat...", but it sounds interesting. and yes ... happy zoo story, please? :)
Hopefully there will be more plays coming out that deal with zoo issues, seeing as Conversations, Sylvia, and the recent version of Equus all came out in the last decade.