Equus/Playwrights Peter Shaffer, the British dramatist who authored "Equus" and "Amadeus," died in Ireland. He was ninety years old. Shaffer was well-known for his intricate psychological depictions and love of music. He also won an Oscar for best original screenplay for "Schindler's List." Equus is a play about a young man's obsession with becoming a horse-riding master during the early 1960s in England. The lead role of Arthur Bryant is often cited as one of the most difficult to play on stage because of its intense emotional quality that some actors are not capable of portraying effectively. It first opened at London's Royal Court Theatre in July 1973 and ran for more than a hundred performances. It then moved to New York where it played from March 4 to April 6, 1974. The original cast included Richard Griffiths (Arthur Bryant), John Neville (Mr. Charrington), Paul Rhys (Wilbur Smithers), and Denholm Elliott (Dr. Leeming). Peter Shaffer had wanted to call the play "Horseradish" but the producers decided on "Equus" instead. He came up with the name after reading an article about the evolution of the horse and noticing that horses still use their front feet in a manner similar to humans walking on hands.