Diary of a Madman. Gogol may have been the only writer to really understand the importance of noses in human interaction. In fact, one of the saddest stories I know is connected--rather painfully--to Gogol's own probiscus. He always had a feeling that noses were symbolic, and extremely influential in the development of one's personality. At the same time, however, he was fairly neurotic. Near the end of his life he began to believe that a spirit in his stomach was keeping him from eating, and he got thinner and thinner until finally his archaic doctors decided they had to bleed him. So where do they attach the leeches? To his nose, of course--he died insane, with leeches hanging off his nose. Kind of gruesome. Anyway, Diary of a Madman is adapted from one of his more famous stories, and will be performed at Sanders Theater, Saturday May 22 at 8 p.m.

Equus. Equus, which just celebrated its 200th Boston performance last week, is threatening once again to leave the Wilbur Theater in June. 252 Tremont St., Boston, Mon-Sat at 8 p.m., Wed. and Sat. also at 2 p.m.