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One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

January 16 - 31

By Dale Wasserman from the novel by Ken Kesey

Reviewed by Wayne Erreca (1-16-09)

Ken Kesey’s novel ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ hit the bookstores during the tumultuous year of 1962. A turbulent decade ushering in the Beatles, a Supreme Court ruling banning racial separation on public transportations, America’s first footholds in Viet Nam, and the frightening Cuban Missile Crisis. It was a time of urgency and questioning of authority throughout all corridors of government and of our strained social policies. It was definitely a fertile time for Kesey’s “Cuckoo’s Nest’ to enter the American psyche.

Dale Wasserman adapted a stage rendering of ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ and soon witnessed its 1963 Broadway opening, starring Kirk Douglas as the iconoclastic hell raiser R.P. McMurphy. Wasserman, later remarked about its Broadway run, saying, “It was terrible. Kirk was so frightened to return to the live stage he took refuge in being lovable every moment of the play, but his character was half Christ and half con-man, and he was not meant to be lovable”. Needless-to-say, the staging of ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ wasn’t heralded as a theatrical masterpiece.

Then, in 1975, came along the greatly anticipated motion picture release of ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo‘s Nest‘, starring Jack Nicholson as McMurphy, and Louise Fletcher as Nurse Ratched. This dark horse soon ran off with five Academy Award Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. It was a vindicating coup for Kesey’s original concept, Wasserman’s adaptation, and young Film Producer Michael Douglas’s visionary leadership. One a questionable flop and the other an undeniable work of genius. ‘How could this be’, one may ask? As Kirk Douglas, promptly and sadly discovered, being lovable isn’t always the wisest choice. Whereas, a relative newcomer, Nicholson introduced his legendary “Jack smile and quirky attitude” to millions of viewers who couldn’t get enough of him (and still can‘t). The original Broadway stage production was too softly tempered in comparison to the film version, which possessed a sharper dramatic edginess, timely measured comedic moments, and jaw jarring scenes from the cast.

The heart of ‘Cuckoo’s Nest’ rests in the grips of the two central characters, McMurphy (Noel Boulter) and Nurse Ratched (Rose Hollander). McMurphy, a convicted felon for statutory rape of a fifteen year old, seeks to serve his prison time more easily by faking a mental disorder to gain entrance into the more lenient mental institution, and his counterpart is the consummate professional and uncompromising Nurse Ratched. It is her obsessively suffocating authority over the in-house patients, Chief Bromden (Dale Chandler), Dale Harding (Rick Korndorfer), Billy Bibbit (John Jarrad Klapko), Cheswick (Daniel Jablonski), Scanlon (Robert VanCoillie), Martini (Richard Long), and Ruckly (Dan Goodearl), that ignites the struggle with McMurphy for dominance over who will rule the minds and hearts of the others. This classic match-up requires a white-knuckled conflict, winner-takes-all, with a do or die determination. There’s something primal about this lower-based humanistic face-off. Anything less and most audiences will be gravely dissatisfied.

Noel Boulter is energetically impudent as McMurphy and never lets up. Dale Chandler is the perfect image of Chief Bromden, holding the audiences attention without speaking a single word. Rick Korndorfer (Dale Harding) is a strong influence among his fellow patients. Dan Goodearl (Ruckly) is humorously affective when speaking his three words. Rose Hollander as Nurse Ratched does a steady job as McMurphy’s foe. Tina O’Rourke (Candy) is bright and convincing as the friendly prostitute. John Dew (Dr. Spivey) is charming and believable. Daniel Jablonski (Cheswick), John Jarrad Kapok (Billy Bibbit), Robert Vacillate (Scanlon), Richard Long (Martini) are collective fun to watch.

Also, supporting the production is Sandy (Tammy Novak), Aide Warren (Cris Pico), Aide Williams (Victor Draine), Aide Turkel (Haider Kazim), Nurse Flinn (Brittany Kuhn), along with Dancers (Tamara Deponio, Moonbeam, Jamaica Weston, Jeanette Hagberg, Megan Caplinger).

Director Chris Cooke, Assistant Director Tamara Deponio, and Producer Bob Boles have boldly chosen to gravitate to a more comedic vein and lightheartedness. Much of the dramatic moments have been tempered in spirit and style. They have assembled a fine cast of players, who have clearly followed every direction, and without fault. Although, several scene-changes should be tightened a bit. The pinnacle moment in the production is at the end of Act One, when McMurphy rallies his fellow patients into make-believing that they’re watching the World Series on a blacked-out television set. It’s a genuine moment and brought the audience to a vibrant applause.

Set Design by Chris Cooke was adequate and functional, but lacking in a claustrophobic nature, which would have greatly reinforced the restraining element of most mental institutions. Costumes by Bradley Roswell worked handsomely well, giving the show a solid realistic touch. Don Kuehlhorn’s light design, although simple, was very supportive. Choreography by Tamara DePonio, Meghan Caplinger, Jeanette Hagberg, Moonbeam, Jamaica Weston, and Holly Provenzano was appealing, yet should have been geared more toward a Native American style in both music and movement. Other staff members: Rick Fowler (Stage Manager), Al Thompson (Set Construction), Thomas Kachadurian (Lights), Stu Dana (Sound), Hedges MacDonald, Linda Crandall, Anna Norris (Properties), Margaret Ann Slawson (Hair & Makeup), and Dave & Andrea Curtis (House Managers) deserve congratulations for a job well done.

As long as authoritative institutions abuse the powers entrusted in them, ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ will continue to be a poignant testament, and reminder that the human spirit is not only precious, but essentially vital for our existence.