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One flew Over, The Cuckoo’s Nest
By Dale Wasserman
Based on the book by Ken Kesey
Directed by Chris Maher
Produced by Open Eye Productions
At Strawdog Theatre
3829 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL
Call 773-528-9698, tickets $20
Thursdays thru Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 3 pm
Running time is 2 hours with intermission
Through August 11, 2007
A Really BIG show: Cuckoo’s Nest wows ‘em at Strawdog’s
Wow! When was the last time that word innocently escaped your lips and there was nothing more to say? For me, it was last night (July 19) at the conclusion of Open Eye Production’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at Strawdog’s Theatre. As the house lights came up and the cast took their curtain call, “Wow” pretty much summed it up.
The show is craftily designed with effective lighting (designed by Mike Smallwood) and a great little set (designed by Megan Gates) that recreates the creepy essence that was 50’s hospital wards, but you might not notice any of the considerable technical support for this show because it all works together seamlessly and steps into the background to allow the talented veteran onstage ensemble to do what audiences come to see. What you will most likely remember about Cuckoo’s Nest is the acting.
This is an ensemble effort. The cast has developed their characters together, creating depth in the individual roles as well as honest relationships among them. You sense it and you sense it in a way that only live theatre can deliver. As in the movie, this show revolves around the arrival in the hospital of Randle P. McMurphy, a petty criminal cum loony asylum protagonist, convincingly portrayed by Mark Pracht.
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The swaggering, cajoling hero becomes the role model that gives the other inmates on the ward the courage to confront the warped controller of this antiseptic world, the evil Nurse Ratched, primly and smugly done up by the lovely Anne Sheridan Smith who overcomes her natural beauty to thoroughly revolt all who watch. The heart of the show, however, is Chief Bromden, an unfortunate native-American inmate who has been erroneously diagnosed as catatonic and locked away in Ratched’s care for years. The show simply could not work without the masterful contribution of Manny Sosa in this role and an equally robust performance from Anderson Lawfer as Billy Bibbitt, a stuttering, terrified young man whose brutalization at the hands of Ratched brings the story to its tragic conclusion. Kevin Grubb, Steve Parks, and Jon Sevigny round out the principal roles in near perfect form and a special note of praise must be given to C.W. Van Baale for his somehow human portrayal of the lobotomized Ruckley.
The only weak spot in the production is the lack of development of the minor characters. There are no obvious flaws or distractions in the performances and the set-piece nature of the characters is uniform, so I can only assume that it was director Christopher Maher’s intent to use them in this way. I would like to have seen a bit more opportunity for some of these actors to shine, but on the whole this is a minor complaint. One other thing that really did bother me was that most of the seats in the theatre were empty on this particular evening and that is a travesty. For anyone who, as I do, loves great acting up close in a black box set, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a must see.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Randy Hardwick
randyontheglobe@yahoo.com for comments
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2007
Editor’s Note: One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest is the finest show produced by Open Eye Productions in several years. Mark Pracht (McMurphy) and Anne Sheridan Smith (Nurse Ratched) anchor a terrific ensemble piece. This show puts humanity back into our concept of the mentally ill. We empathize with all the “crazies” as we laugh and cry at their struggles to become “normal.” This is a summer treat not to be missed.
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
July 19, 2007
Jeff Recommended
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