One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

Under the magical direction of Nick Sugar, PHAMALY’S (The Physically Handicapped Actors And Musical Artists League) production of Dale Wasserman’s poignant play One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest stands solid on the Aurora Fox stage.

Lucy Roucis (Nurse Ratched) & Stephen Hahn (Randle P. McMurphy) in PHAMALy’s production of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. Photo by Michael Ensminger

Would that everyone in the Denver Metro area could experience it. Ah, dreamer that I am, Sugar’s innate direction pops the characters into real life believability in the State Mental Hospital somewhere in the Northwest.

PHAMALY, formed in 1989 produces a major musical at the Space Theatre at the Denver Center every summer. Last summer’s production of Urinetown knocked the socks off of everyone who came within earshot.

Cuckoo’s Nest is the second straight play performed by PHAMALY at the Aurora Fox. Although the characters in Cuckoo’s Nest float somewhere in an ethereal abyss, the actors have their feet planted solidly in theatrical expertise.

The State Mental Hospital runs on rules, regulations, and medication, kept in line by Nurse Ratched (Lucy Roucis) until Randall P. McMurphy (Stephen Hahn) enters the picture. Strong suspicion floats through the airwaves Randall feigned mental illness to avoid being sent to the work farm after a conviction of rape. Hahn sees to it that Randall’s boisterous spark for life to have a good time remains in tact. Rules, regulations, and medication don’t exactly fit into his definition of life.

A sharp poignancy wanders through the production between the lines over PHAMALY tackling this play. Attitudes squawk for attention on both sides of this fence. Mental patients kept under control and in a fog for easy control; PHAMALY members seen as pretend actors, until one of their productions are experienced. Always amazing how quickly one forgets their particular affliction when the characters step to the forefront, and the actors take a back seat.

Roucis’ characterization of Nurse Ratched, The nurse everyone loves to hate, doesn’t appear in this production. Roucis plays her as a professional loving her job, gentle, compassionate, soft, as long as everyone minds their P’s and Q’s, obeying her every whim, and answering the questions in her way, Only when she encounters, loud mouth Randall does her ire stand upside down. Nurse Ratched knows something it takes everyone else, especially Randall, to figure out. She holds all the aces. Her decision remains final. When someone knows this, they can afford to be as soft and kind as they chose to be. It was a great take on a well-known character, adding an additional depth to Ratched. (Following the run of this production, Lucy will have brain surgery to calm her tremors. She needs to know skillions of theatre lovers and admirers go with her in spirit with thoughts and prayers snuggled around her shoulders.)

One of the strongest characters says no more than two words. Ruckley either stood against a wall with arms outstretched or pretended to be a basketball net. There is nothing more difficult to do on stage than stand perfectly still through two acts. Noses may itch, arms grow heavy, and legs twitch. Characters in action can compensate for such inconveniences, but a standing still character has no leeway. Troy Willis does a fabulous job with Ruckley’s hunkered down brain-manipulated transformation assuming the stiff posture.

Sean Francis McGee brings Chief Bromden to awesome life. His far away plaintiff narrations between scenes reaches deep into the heart and soul as he speaks to his Papa who died drunk in an alley because he couldn’t adopt to another society’s way of life. McGee somehow has captured American Native wisdom in his eyes and stance. He transmits a knowing of Bromden that he has lived through worse terror than what the Mental Hospital offers. Bromden waits in stoic stance, until Randall ignites a spark of hope, that even he has a life. He just needs courage to grab it.

Mark W. Dissette gives one of the strongest performances of his career as the outspoken, wanting to be a leader, not sure how, Dale Harding. Fear sometimes tackles his courage. How far does he go? How far does he push?

Jason B. Dorwart creates an honest believable fearful man succumbing to stuttering as Billy Bibbit, shamefully admitting he’s a virgin, overjoyed in a long time for what Randall can give him, shamed into paralysis by Nurse Ratched.

The patients find comfort in the hospital regimentation. They find comfort in each other. The outside world contains scary freedom of constant decisions. Here everything is decided for them, even though they have had to forgo their own independence, wants, and desires.

Randall sparks a wanting they aren’t sure they know what to do with.

Scanlon (Michael J. Danahey); Martini, (Edward Blackshere); Cheswick (Don Gabenski) follow like sheep, and yet the actors embody the characters with strength and determination.

The aides, Warren (Alex Marin) and Williams, (Briana Berthiaume) stand strong in their rules and regulations. They are as comfortable in their positions as the patients are in theirs.

Jenna Bainbridge as Candy Starr, a party girl friend of Randall, obviously enjoys her role. She’s sharp, quick, a lover of life, and willing to take risks both as an actor and with her character.

The cast is amazing. No one just fills a slot on stage or because the script calls for it. Each character has been assigned specific qualities and each actor executes the given personalities with fine-tuned definition. Charles Packard’s scenic design conveys the game room of a Mental Hospital with iron doors blocking the outside world. The nurse’s station enclosed in glass advertises protection, for both patients and staff. The simplicity of chairs and tables speak to intimidated necessity rather than comfort, or eye-appealing design.

Jennifer Orf’s lighting design matches the various moods on display, both internally and externally. El Armstrong’s sound design refuses to allow the audience to forget for one minute where they are. Clare Henkel’s costume design completes the mental hospital atmosphere from starched white uniforms, to hospital gowns, and raggle taggled comfort clothes.

What a profound statement for PHAMALY to tackle the humorous, poignant, disturbing play, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. The cast and production staff grabbed hold of it by the ears and made it their own. A correlation between attitudes in a Mental Hospital and the physically handicapped seem to flirt side by side with each other. Hm-m, can’t help but wonder what that is.

PHAMALY represents a variety of different illness and diseases. Some are obvious, others not so obvious. They run the gambit from Multiple Sclerosis, Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy, Blindness, Spinal Cord injuries, Brain injury, and Parkinson’s Disease to name a few. What they are, however, are individuals with courage filled to the core with Inspiration, and determination, who are first and foremost artists knowing how to give their heart and soul to what they do. That shows, and especially shows with this production. What the audience doesn’t see is what these people have to do to get to where they are, performing on stage. A host of unsung heroes lurk back stage providing rides, and assistance with costuming and make-up. Somewhere a long the line they should be coaxed on stage to take a bow. They deserve. Without them, PHAMALY productions couldn’t exist.

Someway, somehow Cuckoo’s Nest should not be missed. It’s a WOW production. Call early for reservations. Seats are available, but the performances have entertained strong houses.