'One Flew Over the Cuckoo'sNest' soars

by Jennifer Nespoli features editor

I had a lot of expectations before going to see "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" at the Montgomery County Cultural Center. I had read the novel by Ken Kesey, which is a masterpiece, and although I had not seen the movie I heard that it also had been critically acclaimed. However, the movie is a loose interpretation of the book, whereas this play was much closer to the actual novel.

I was also curious as to how they would fit the whole story into a reasonably short period of time. The book uses the character Chief Bromden to narrate the entire story and the book gets very in-depth.

The setting is a mental asylum where a dozen patients are institutionalized. The patients are in varying stages of insanity and are supposed to be undergoing therapy. The ironhanded Nurse Ratched rules over this group like a queen does her subjects and the patients all seem to fear her and revere her at the same time. Some patients play cards to pass the time; others just sit and stare for hours. They are harassed by the guards and patronized by the nurses. If any of their behavior gets out of hand, the Nurse's solution is shock therapy, which leaves the patient unconscious for days.

The play begins with the spotlight lit only on Chief, who is played extremely well by Anthony Giampetro. He begins with a monologue that sets the story for the upcoming events. The entire play is narrated by Chief. He is supposedly a deaf and dumb Indian, but in actuality he can hear and think perfectly. He keeps his thoughts to himself, except for his monologues. During these monologues the stage gets dark, the other actors freeze and the spotlight shines a reddish hue on him. The lighting is used effectively to distinguish Chiefs narrative from the dialogue of the play.

The character of McMurphy, played by Thomas Crognale, wears a black hat like Jack Nicholson does in the movie version. He is a free-spirited rebel who represents a radical way of thinking for the patients. He disobeys the rules, stands up to Nurse Ratched and talks of drinking, fighting and screwing.

There are several central themes running throughout the play. It is constantly man versus the institution, or the "combine," as they call it. The institution is trying to control the patients, to regulate their thoughts, actions and feelings. The Nurse is a metaphor for the institution, and her "therapy" is really a means to manipulate the pa- tients into being apathetic, uninspired vegetables. McMurphy immediately sees his purpose is to change all that. He wages a silent war against the Nurse and the institution, challenging her authority and overthrowing her rules and regulations. He helps the patients realize that they are not so crazy after all, just human.

The play uses visuals from the movie and text from the book in a winning combination. The set is simple but effective, consisting of a nurse's chamber and the patient's common room. The lighting and sound are excellent, especially with the special lighting for Chiefs monologues.

The actors are all very good. Gerre Garrett's Nurse Ratched's frozen smiles and beady eyes could inspire hatred in even the most sympathetic of audience members. Crognale's McMurphy is very believable with his energetic presence and outrageous outbursts. Another remarkable actor is Jered McLenigan, who plays Billy Bibbit, a young patient who has a severe stuttering and anxiety problem. Billy and McMurphy develop a friendship while "Mac" teaches Billy to dance in preparation for a secret after-hours party they are planning.

Mac and Chief also develop a relationship. Chief speaks aloud only to Mac, and in him finds an outlet for his sorrow and frustration. The two provide a means for the other to escape the cruel punishments of the asylum. The show has a somewhat informal feeling to it due to the smallness of the theater and closeness of the audience to the stage. Despite distractions from the audience, the actors never Jose their concentration or intensity. They never leave their characters.

Chief is acted marvelously as he struggles within himself to open up. In his narration, he first speaks of the combine and the institution, then gradually talks more of himself and his family. He seems to awaken from his depressed stupor with the help of McMurphy.

The play manages to come full circle, and I was impressed by how John Doyle and Randall Wise, the directors, brought it to a conclusion.

Through their imagery and writing, the story is told in an interesting and purposeful way, and I left the theater feeling very satisfied.