Reviews

“…with solid technical backup from designers and crew, the ensemble in the OLT production of Cuckoo’s Nest create an unsettling picture of life in the disturbed ward of a mental hospital in the 1960s.”

Iris Winston, Capital Critic's Circle

“Robin Riddihough’s excellent set oozes institutional grimness.”

Jamie Portman, Capital Critic's Circle

“…what spoke volumes was the silence – not a single cough or candy wrapper – during the climactic final scene. That, my friends, is theater gold.”

Caitlin Oleson, On Stage Ottawa

“Under Tom Taylor’s fine direction, each scene is shaped and teased for maximum payoff. The lights fell on most scenes to spontaneous applause, the kind you might hear in a jazz club after a particularly swingin’ solo. If you’re looking for a heavy hitting show that will make you think, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest is the ticket.”

Chrissy Stienbock, Apt613.ca

Production Details

By: Dale Wasserman based on book by Ken Kesey

Director: Tom Taylor

Genre: Drama

Running: Feb. 23 – Mar. 12 @ 7:30 p.m.

Matinee: Mar. 6 @ 2 p.m.

Randle Patrick McMurphy is a larger-than-life, fun-loving, charismatic rogue who figures his short prison sentence will be cushier if he contrives to spend it in the loony bin. His attempts to disrupt the strict regimens, and introduce spontaneity and free-will to his fellow patients, put him in direct conflict with the indomitable Nurse Ratchet.

CAST:
Chief Bromden…………………………………….Kenneth Forbes
Aide Warren…………………………………………….Doug Thicke
Aide Williams…………………………………..Ryan Van Buskirk
Nurse Ratched………………………………………Linda Webster
Nurse Flinn……………………………………………Marah Shields
Dale Harding…………………………………….Allan MacDonald
Billy Bibbit………………………………………….J.Taylor Morris
Scanlon…………………………………………………….Keith Bider
Cheswick………………………………………………Geoffrey Wale
Martini……………………………………………Christopher Torti
Ruckley……………………………………………….Eric Anderson
Randle P. McMurphy………………………………….Jon Payne
Dr. Spivey………………………………………………….Ian Fraser
Aide Turkle………………………………………..Howard Kaplan
Candy Starr…………………………………………..Sandy Wynne
Sandra……………………………………………..Samantha Oxley

About the Playright

Dale Wasserman was born November 2^nd, 1914 in Rhineland, Wisconsin. One of 14 children of Russian immigrants, Wasserman was orphaned before he was 10 and chose a homeless lifestyle over living with relatives. He spent his youth working odd jobs and riding the rails. Eventually Wasserman found himself in L.A., working at a theatre as a lighting designer. This job paved a way to directing in L.A., New York and Europe. Wasserman discovered that everything on a stage was subservient to the text, so he decided to become a writer. In 1955 Wasserman helped the television series “Matinee Theater” win an Emmy Award, and he went on to write about 30 additional television dramas. He then adapted Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest which went on to become a fixture in the theatre community. Wasserman followed this success with Man of La Mancha in 1966 which went on to become one of the most beloved shows of all time.

Ken Kesey was an American author, playwright, and activist. Kesey is best known for his first book, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which went on to be adapted into an award winning fixture of the theatre community. Kesey was raised in Springfield, Oregon. A champion wrestler who almost qualified to be on the Olympic team until a serious shoulder injury stopped his wrestling career. One of the most well known roles of Kesey’s life was his part in the Merry Pranksters. The Merry Pranksters was the name given by Kesey and a troupe of his friends when they traveled across America experimenting with all kinds of drugs to make art out of everyday life in 1964. These archetypal hippie experiences inspired much of Kesey’s later literature, which led him becoming a cultural icon of the 60s.