THEATER REVIEWS : ‘EQUUS’ : A Searing Story : The play about a teen-ager who blinds his beloved horses is intense and well-acted by a Thousand Oaks drama group.

A stableboy, 17 years old, has just blinded six horses under his charge, poking their eyes out with a sharp object.

Why, when the young man was by all accounts devoted to horses? Finding out is the job of psychiatrist Martin Dysart, and the subject of Peter Shaffer’s 1973 “Equus.”

The harrowingly intense, dazzlingly brilliant play is being presented in a searing production by the Performing Artists Guild of Thousand Oaks, a group notable for its fine presentations of challenging projects. “My Friend, Flicka,” this isn’t.

Instead, English playwright Shaffer has given us a sort of Greek tragedy with contemporary overtones: Aeschylus meeting Sigmund Freud in the stables, with input from mythology maven Joseph Campbell.

Director Wes Deitrick has staged the play with a nod toward its classic allusions: Everybody’s in front of the audience at once, stepping forward to read his or her lines and then retreating into the shadows.

David Ralphe plays the suave psychiatrist Dysart. The man has problems of his own, which may be related to those of stableboy Alan Strang, here played by Les Borsay.

Ralphe, who is artistic director of the Performing Artists Guild, is smooth and intelligent as Dysart.

The rest of the acting varies from adequate to very good, with the principals falling into the latter category: Borsay in a solid, relatively subtle portrayal of the deeply troubled stableboy Strang; Brenda Kenworthy as flirtatious Jill Mason, who guides Strang to his job at the stable; and Marjorie Gaskell as Strang’s mother.

Also significant are the three seasoned dancers who portray horses--Ralph Hamilton, Laura Squier and Kristen Scott. Choreographed by Hamilton, the three bring power and beauty to the animals they portray.

Please note: During matinee performances, Martin Dysart will be played by Charles Bishoff, who portrays stable owner Harry Dalton during the evening shows, and Robert Buchholz takes over the part of Dalton.

There’s partial male and female nudity in the show, but it’s because of the subject matter and overall intensity that “Equus” is definitely not recommended for audiences younger than high-school age.

* WHERE AND WHEN

“Equus” continues Fridays through Sundays through May 24 at the Arts Council Center, 482 Greenmeadow Road in Thousand Oaks. Shows at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturdays, 7 p.m. Sundays, with matinees at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 24. Tickets are $9; $6 for students and seniors. Reservations essential. Call 499-4355.