In this episode, Drew Haston returns with some psychotherapy. He and I take on Peter Shaffer’s controversial play Equus, a show that’s intense in a way that teachers rarely get to touch in the regular classroom. It’s strange, ambitious, some would say pretentious, and yet so full of earnest theatrical weight that we sometimes slipped into the sort of immature joking that happens when two tired teachers record on the edge of Thanksgiving break. Still, the play’s mix of psychological depth and raw spectacle gave us plenty to think about, even when we were trying not to laugh at how far it goes. This is the kind of text that forces you to sit with uncomfortable ideas, and talking through it reminded me that the work I do in this classroom is at its best when the conversation feels alive, even if it also feels a little ridiculous at times.

Second Stage is a Free Zone Radio production. You can find our show on Spotify alongside our other podcast, With Honors

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Also, throw some love at our brotherly podcast with Coach Haston, A Deadman’s Books. He’s on Spotify at

and Apple Podcasts

as well as Haston Curation, on Spotify at

This episode’s music features “Caught in the Middle” by Amarent and “Flea Bop” by Mr. Smith, available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license.

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