1979_02 The Daily Collegian February 1979

              imT
A Special Edition of The Daily Collegian
John Highlander,  CSUF professor of  R»dio/TV(!op)    and    CSUF    student
r  the   upcoming   production  of   Equus.
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The scene is set in a psychiatrist's
office; the first meeting - between a
troubled young man arid his psychia¬
trist. The stage is bare. A couple of
chairs anda bench are the only props.
Equus, a Fresno Community Theatre
production that will open Feb. 15, was,
at this point, In the second week of
rehearsal. But the two principle actors,
John Highlander, CSUF professor,of
Radio/TV and CSUF student Dominic
Callahan make up for any lade of
scenery as they run through a scene
from the play. The scene is  tense,
compelling, forceful.
'It's a very compelling drama,* said
John Highlander who is cast as the
psychiatrist Martin Dysart. This role
of the psychiatrist runs throughout the
whole story. He goes between his treat¬
ment, working with the boy, back into
reliving his own problems and trying to -
relate to them. It's difficult to know
which is the more tragic figure.
'One of the lines the psychiatrist has
is something to the effect of 'can you
think of anything worse than take away
his worship:'
In other words, what he is saying In
treating this young'boy Alan is, if he is
to treat him successfully he will have to
take away his worship. At the same •
time he says what have I worshipped?
I've allowed myself to become pallid
and meaningless because, he says of
my own internal termidity I have no¬
thing to worship either."
The play is John Highlander's first-
prrxfcjcfiori for Fresno Community
Theatre. In the past, Highlander has
performed in theatre outside of Fresno.
He has produced 10 f ilms for television
and performed in inckistrial and educa¬
tional films;
'ChKeyoirtpeod time in theatre, it's
always in your blood...it's invigor¬
ating, a challenge that re-energizes
your enthusiasm for the theatre,*
Highlander said. This role is a theat-
tical challenge. It's the kind of thing
where you cannot only get your teeth
into it, but where you have to."
For second year student Dominic
Callahan, who rs cast as the young man
Alan Strang, the play also represents a
challenge.
In the past,Callahan was a disdple in
the Fresno Community Theatre produc¬
tion of Jesus Christ Superstar. He was
also in a Good Company Players pro¬
duction of The Sound of Musk last
Callahan has no plans for a career In
theatre. He'd rather be a writer. A
curious note is that both of Callahan's
parents are psychologists. He said this
helped him to prepare for the role.'
'Being raised by psychologists has
alerted me to what it means to be temp¬
orarily or permanently out of touch with
society and the practices,' Callahan
said.
The play is a very honest repre¬
sentation of what the relationship
between a psychiatrist and his patient
is,' Callahan said. 'It (the play)
remains true to a psychiatric setting.
The dialogue isn' t just created; Shaffer
(the playwright) collaborated with a
child psychologist.*
As for his Interest in theatre, Calla¬
han described it as "a fascination with
the possiblities of the type of people
and moods that can be protrayed, how¬
ever briefly."
'The deeper meaning behind it is
what it is (like) to be totally devoted to
one thing-. That's the attraction the role
for me,'Callahan said.  .
As for the play itself, Highlander and
Callahan warned some people may
misinterpret certain aspects of the
play.
The play has been referred to by one
reviewer as the "sensational psycholo¬
gical drama already proven to be one
of the most acclaimed plays of the de¬
cade* Equva won the Tony award for
the best play on Broadway and. was
subsequently made into a movie star¬
ring Richard Burton and Peter Firth,
who were both nominated for Oscars.
The play will open on Feb. 1S and
run through the 18th and from Feb. 22
through the 25th. Curtain times, are
8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and ,
Saturday and 7:30 on Sunday. Admis¬
sion is $4 for adults and J3 for. students:
Student rush tickets go on sale for $2
15 minutes before curtain: Croup rates
are also available.
Tickets can be purchased at the
Fresno Corwnurttty Theatre boa office,
tocatetj in thrRntsno Memorial At**-