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Disclaimer:
The reviewers' opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheatreLouisville.org. |
Reviews One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Reviewed by Max Abner
It is now 11:49 p.m. I am in my pajamas, in bed, with my laptop beside me. I can’t go to sleep. I have just seen One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. I have read the novel twice, and I have watched the movie countless times. Of course, the movie is a classic, and the book was revolutionary. But, I have to say, as embarrassing as it might be, I feel that I only now am really beginning to understand the scope and the magnificence of the story. Tonight, I saw a truly brilliant piece of theatre. I had never seen an LRC production. But, I assure you, dear reader, I will be back many, many times. The play, and the book on which it was based, takes place, completely, in a mental ward in the Pacific Northwest. All the patients lead a sterile boring life. But, everything is turned upside down when one R.P. McMurphy is brought in. He is a gambler and a con-man who has been in and out of jail and the work farms his whole life. At one point, somebody decided that he was psychopathic, so they sent him off to an asylum. There, in the crudest of ways, he tries to teach his fellow patients to live life to the fullest and take charge of their rights as human beings. He is, basically unsuccessful, but, in another way, he helps make the world a little better. The other chief characters are Chief Bromden and Nurse Ratched. Chief pretends to be deaf and dumb, so that no one will bother him. He is scared and shy, because he believes that the mental ward is a place designed by the "Combine" to turn out robot-like citizens who will make society the kind of place they want it to be. Nurse Ratched is the very strict nurse in charge of the ward that is under our, the audience's, inspection. Although, at one point, Mr. Harding, while showing McMurphy around, told him of the chronic patients (the one’s who couldn't be cured) as he pointed to the audience. I guess we, as "normal" members of society, have been taken by the Combine. The message of the play seemed to be that each man and woman has a right as a human to help make real decisions and to live naturally. That is, that people should be able to think for themselves and follow their instincts. The play seems to suggest that we live in a society that churns out very calculated men and women who hardly think for themselves. We need to learn to be human again. And, sometimes men who see the world as it is, rare as they are, are called "crazy." This is a bad trend, or so it seems Mr. Kesey and Mr. Wasserman would want us to believe. The most memorable performance of the evening was that of Andy Pyle as R.P. McMurphy. Mr. Pyle’s interpretation was spot on. If you've read the book, you have a very strong idea already of who McMurphy is and what he looks like. Mr. Pyle was it! He was everything you could have asked for in that part. He was loud, disgusting, charming, and quick-witted, all at the same time. He had the perfect look and swagger about him, which was just delightful to see. I could talk and talk about his performance, but, I won't, because I want you to see it for yourself. Besides, all I can think of to say about his performance really is... perfect! Although he was not in the least bit Native American looking, Dave Levy's interpretation of the titanic half-Native American mental patient was chilling. During dialogue scenes, he was brilliantly awkward and funny. But, he was particularly chilling when he presented his eery monologues to his father about the Combine. His voice had a solid rhythm to it, like the beating of the drum, and his head would move in and out of the spot-light. Although I'm not sure that that was a conscience decision, it seemed to represent his slipping in and out of reality. Becky LeCron did an honorable job as Nurse Ratched. She was appropriately cold and calculated. But, she warmed up in just the right places so as to make you question her supposed evil. During parts of the first act, though, I was wondering, if, as an actress, Mrs. LeCron thought Nurse Ratched was in the right. This made me a little worried, as I'm sure that the script is clear that what the hospital is doing is "bad." Though, I may have seen or picked up on something that wasn't there, as, in the second act, Mrs. LeCron came across as being more cynical than ever. Overall, it truly was a great performance. The bit part that I found truly interesting was Ruckley (played by Kevin Butler). Ruckley was one of the chronics. He would supply the background sound of the radio, TV, and recorded music when needed. It was brilliantly done, as I realized that all of the objects that he made the sound for were objects that played a part in "brain washing" the patients, and he was a patient who had been successfully brain washed. I thought that this was a brilliant move on the decision makers part (whether that be Wasserman, Brooks, or whoever). All of the other parts in the play were played very realistically. None of the acting seemed "stagey." And, none of the acting seemed like "acting." Everyone was constantly just in a state of "being" on the stage that allowed for proper ease and enjoyment for the audience. The diction wasn't always perfect, but I could follow the story and that almost made the characters simply feel more real. It felt as if I were simply viewing a piece of reality. Every actor really took in their complete environment, whether what they saw was really part of the physical set or not. I don't see enough of this naturalism in theatre today. Bravo cast of One Flew Over..! There was no (literal) music in the show, though, during Chief's monologues, a red light would glare against the black walls. And, from the shadows, the rest of the cast would make the noises of the Combine. They would kind of whisper and beep-bob. It made for a beautiful haunting music for the show. The Chief's monologues had a sort of a beat to them. The Combine noises fall into this beat, and, in that way, music is made. The movement of the actors was very natural. Some of the mental patients had a kind of choppy shuffle walk that seemed very appropriate. Meanwhile, McMurphy glided about the room with such confidence that he seemed to float, at times. The staff characters seemed appropriately robot-like. Mr. Brooks seemed to have an extremely clear idea about what he wanted the play to say, and I applaud him for this, as it is one of the more thought-provoking plays that I've seen in a while. He knew what he wanted us to get from the play, and he gave it in as clear and crisp a manner as he possibly could. The lighting and spatial direction were perfect. My only problem was that, at times, I couldn't see all of the characters. But I sat in the front row, so this problem may have been my fault. All of the element of the play came together smoothly. Everything felt as though it was moving towards one goal. Everyone and everything contributed to make the whole get to where it needed to go. Everyone knew how to do their part and do it well. The play ran at a nice quick pace, but it was slow enough that we got to savor all of the great moments and bask in the few (but appropriately so) philosophic and really witty scenes. I am by nature a nit-picky theatregoer, who, for some unknown (probably silly) reason writes up every microscopic inconsequential element of distaste that passes through my brain during the span of a performance. But, truly, you would have to work hard to find a problem with this show. In fact, it is a modern masterpiece. And, this is an extremely pure and beautiful production. Please! By all means, DON'T MISS THIS! All for the better, you will be changed. EDITOR'S NOTE: The reviewer is a student at the Youth Performing Arts School, with a special interest in theatre.
Featuring Andy Pyle, Dave Levy, Becky LeCron, and Kevin Butler Call 502.584.7777, visit www.kentuckycenter.org, or save ticket fees by using The Kentucky Center drive-through service just off Main street
November 5, 6, 7, 9, 13, and 14 at 8:00 p.m.
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