The late Michael Maggio produced this wonderful play at the newly renovated Woodstock Opera House about an hour out of the loop. Tony nominee Frank Galati directed brilliantly and uniformly rave reviews (excerpted below) drew good houses for the entire run. But the real highlight for me took place at a pay phone in front of the theatre. It was there that I learned that my wife and I were to have our first-born.

I got to play the title role this time. (I had just finished a run at CPH in the role of Darling). But one very bizarre incident marred an otherwise delightful run. Mike Genovese, who was with the show as the drunken stable-hand whose task it is to slaughter Strider started the show at a large grinding wheel sharpening his knife. I was "tethered" downstage right of him and so I couldn't actually see him at the top of the show as the chorus sang "O mortal..." In rehearsal, though I knew he had set a piece of business where he stuck a carrot in his mouth and chopped it off with the newly sharpened knife. The blocking had him chop off the carrot, and come down to lead me upstage and off to my demise before the flashback began the action of the play. On this particular night early in the first week, Mike came down and led me upstage. I was looking down, a bent old horse, and I couldn't help noticing little round puddles of what looked like blood on the floor. As I turned upstage, I couldn't resist looking up to see that--you guessed it, Mike had lopped off the tip of his nose. Someone bandaged up his nose, and he finished the performance, though he had to be replaced for the rest of the run.

EXCERPTS FROM REVIEWS:

CHICAGO TRIBUNE:

Vibrant 'Strider' opens Woodstock season by Richard Christiansen

...Galati's direction, in partnership with Dennis Grimaldi's sharpl prancing choreography, creates some gorgeous stage pictures of horses at birth, at play, in love, and in death. And there's a really wonderful scene of music, dance, and song, when you can almost feel the freedom of a great horse pulling a fine carriage and a rich master through an admiring throng of townspeople.

...there are two vivid central portraits by Wayne S. Turney and Joe D. Lauck, both from the Cleveland Play house, where they worked with Maggio last season, playing the horse Strider and his rich, foolish master, respectively.

Turney, flopping about as a newborn colt or scratching himself as a mangy old nag, is a strong, eloquent man-horse; and Lauck, surveying the world through a haze of liquor and cigar smoke, is a splendidly stiff-necked aristocrat oozing carelessness and pride.

Barbara Robertson, in several roles, is most fetching as the females who complicate the lives of Strider and his master; and Laurence Russo, singing and dancing with great style, friskily shows off his ballet training as a vain, beautiful, high-jumping stallion.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES:

Tolstoy's 'Strider' an exciting, delightful winner by Rick Kogan

It was a tremendous long shot: A play about a horse, performed in the charming hamlet of Woodstock, 50 miles from Chicago's northern borders.

But 'Strider' proved a winner in every way when it opened the summer season Wednesday night at the exquisite Woodstock Opera House.

It is an exciting, delightful, brilliantly staged and acted production of a proud, funny and dazzling piece of theater, adapted from a story by Tolstoy....

As Strider, Wayne S. Turney is magical. He never allows the horse to become too human or the human too horsey. He shows us a variety of emotions, from the wistfulness of his only love to the quizzical musings on the meaning of man. Even near his end, whipped through years of violent masters, he gives Strider a bowed but not beaten look

He gets wonderful support from the entire cast, especially Je D. Lauck as the hedonistic Prince Serpuhofsky whose own misadventures closely parallel Strider's; Laurence Russo is a number of roles, best as Darling, the egocentric matinee idol of the horse stable, and Barbara E. Robertson, who plays three roles but brings a very special grace and beauty to Viazapurikha. Mike Genovese has a wonderfully comic time with the role of stablehand Vaska.

Director Frank Galati and choreographer Dennis J. Grimaldi have given their production a quiet dazzle. The dance numbers, playful ballet peppered with a dash of mime, are exciting without being overwhelming, lyrical without seeming staged. The music and singing are uniformly excellent, alternately lively and soothing. Joseph Nieminski's set is a simple, sturdy and handsome stable. And Julie Jackson's costumes are delightfully high-spirited.

N SUBURBAN SUN-TIMES:

Brillian 'Strider' takes off on Woodstock stage by D. L. Massa

...the high production values would have veen in vain, if the cast could not keep pace. Unlike many Equity actors, the "Strider" performers show they have earned their union cards. It isn't easy to play a horse with conviction.

Wayne S. Turney captures the audience with his portrayal of Strider. His performance is equaled by those of Barbara E. Robertson (Viazapurikha) and laurence Russo (Darling). Nobody in the rest of the cast offers anything less than his all....

READER:

Strider, Woodstock Opera House by Bury St. Edmund

...Galati has coaxed marvelously relaxed, gently playful performances fro his talented cast. Joseph Nieminski's evocative set, a deceptively simple forced-perspective stable, is lit in lush, striking blocks of color by Robert Shook. Julie Jackson's pastel swirl of anthropomorphis costumes is a dazzling blend of contemporary cheek and storybook magic.

The actors look like they're having a good time cavorting in this nostalgic setting, and that's half the battle with any musical. Wayne S. Turney is phuysically somewhat slight for Strider, but he's so sinvcere and admirably centered there's no denying him. Complementing Turney's sympathetic portrayal is Joe D. Lauck's smoothly cynical prince. Barbar Robertson, who plays both the filly who deserts STrider and the besotted circus performer who throw over the prince for a ;young lieutenanat, brings her wonderfully funny, uniquely skewed charm to both roles. Laurence Tusson is the show's scene-stealer, contributing one superb bit of hoofing and mugging after the other. As the groom John Dewar shows off a flair for comedy and a flaring tenor, and Mike Genovese lavishes his earthy comic gifts on the role of a drunken stable hand who's more animalistic than anything on four feet.

Share a loaf of black bread, a jug of vodka, and two tickets to Strider with someone you like.

THE SPOTLIGHT:

'Strider a Big Hit at Woodstock Opera House by Ron and Bernice Ferraro

"Strider is a sure thing. The play by Mark Rozovsky based on a story by Leo Tolstoy had it's official opening last Wednesday night at the Woodstock Opera House and absolutely delighted the audience.

In this day and age when we are bombarded with senseless garbage on TV and frequently on the stage as well, it is refreshing to see a show like "Strider" and fall under its spell....

Wayne Turney is a very sensitive actor and his portrayal of "Strider" was the most believable two-legged horse you will ever see. The miming of the new foal was absolutely heart-warming and delightful. The joy of new life and the discovery of self and the whole new world is so effectively portrayed that one wanted to reach out and pet this new entrant into the world. This is what acting is about. Turney was a horse from start to finish in all his movements. He reached the hearts of the audience with his joy, pathos, and equine philosophy. The part of "Strider" is a very demanding one from all aspects and Turney executed it with strength, vitality and sensitivity.

...DO NOT MISS 'Strider and bring the family.