[New post] ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’ opens Feb. 10 at Willits Community Theatre
gqlshare posted: "The darkly comedic satire "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" opens for its thrilling three-week run on Friday, Feb. 10 at Willits Community Theatre. The stage adaptation by Dale Wasserman is based on the original best-selling 1962 Ken Kesey novel, which b" The Willits News
The darkly comedic satire "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" opens for its thrilling three-week run on Friday, Feb. 10 at Willits Community Theatre. The stage adaptation by Dale Wasserman is based on the original best-selling 1962 Ken Kesey novel, which became a classic landmark for its pitting of human freedom and selfhood against institutional order and conformity.
Kyle Brandon (left) as The Chief considers an up close and personal bit of advice from the rebel R.P. McMurphy played by Joshua Sternberg.
Directed by Billy Hetherington, the play presents the drag routine at an Oregon mental hospital and recounts how the routine is utterly upset by the arrival of con-man, womanizer and gambler Randle P. McMurphy. Once McMurphy starts his one-man campaign to help the patients recover their sanity and personal power, he comes into tragic conflict with Nurse Ratched who is intent on maintaining the status quo.
The show carries a relevant message for today while also providing laughs, says Hetherington, although the laughs are not from traditional comedy. "Because our actors are playing characters with mental health issues, we are careful not to make fun of them. However, there are moments that arise that are incredibly funny because of the characters and who they are. Without these moments, this would be an intensely dark show."
The show's deeper message is a commentary on society's tendency for control over individual behavior. Hetherington says, "It's relevance today is our being reminded of how much we are being controlled, and where we're being controlled and why."
Hetherington singles out the transformation of a central character The Chief, a big, powerful figure who becomes aware of his personal power as he stands up for himself. "The show has these really amazing moments where we see characters starting to take care of each other in a deeper way," he says. The further message comes in the role of Nurse Ratched who necessarily brings about order where there might otherwise be only chaos.
Veteran actor Kelly Kesey plays the controlling Nurse Ratched in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" at Willits Community Theatre.
"If we can find the balance between all these roles, we can probably work toward having a better world," says Hetherington. Long recognized for his years of work staging local Shakespearean comedies and dramas, along with his directing the WCT Summer Youth Academy and teaching performing arts at the Willits Charter School, Hetherington now brings his considerable talents to guiding this ultimately uplifting show
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" features Joshua Sternberg as McMurphy and Kelly Kesey as Nurse Ratched. The cast also includes Kyle Brandon as The Chief, Jherek Ford, Sarah France, Paola Grubica-Johnson, Forrest Glyer, Tifany Leigh-Logan, Talisman Marshall, Garrett Moore, Pat Nunes, Ben Strasser, Lee Stipe, Aris Vellis, Aiden Virgin and Cortlandt Wilson.
The show runs Friday, Feb. 10 through Sunday, Feb. 26, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 for all shows and are available online at: www.wctperformingartscenter.org, or at the door.
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