For the rest of this week (show closes Nov. 22), Michigan State University acting
instructor Rob Roznowski is helming this richly complicated story of the fight
for independence and humanity in a 1960s mental institution.
If he wanted, MSU’s production of “One Flew Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest” could simply be an incredible showcase of technical talents,
from set to costumes to makeup to lighting to sound design. But Roznowski
pushes his cast members beyond the safety of some of their previous roles,
giving them a chance to explore the depths of their psyches and display their
findings on stage. For the audience, it’s exciting to see some souls as bare as
the Pasant Theatre’s walls.
Rob Odorisio’s set design contrasts the film version’s white
sterile space with one of deteriorating dark greens and browns incorporated
into hospital pull-curtains. The curtains perform not only as room separators
but also as scrim. A Plexiglas-enclosed nurses’ station stands directly in
front of a section of seats, but it also helps bring the action closer to the
audience, as the cast hides in or breaks into the tower filled with depressive
pills and music.
The set is perfectly complimented by Matt Reynolds’ lighting
design, with its light that pierces through the foggy windows as the sun rises,
isolating spotlights and additional lights hidden in virtually every part of
the very exposed set. Special mention should be given to the long list of
lighting and scenic technicians who never miss a cue in a play that includes
many.
Karen Kangas-Preston has designed incredible prosthetics for
burn victims, as well as period appropriate hospital garments that subtly
separate the pressed white staff from the wrinkled, dirty patients.
Even sound designer Giffin Moon goes the extra mile, with
voice-overs of Chief Bromden’s nightmares and sickly sweet instrumental
renditions of pop songs throughout the decades.
But it is the cast of MSU students whose performances give
the technical elements their purpose.
Alex B. West plays the untamed and virile Randle P.
McMurphy, a free-living, lazy conman who convinces the judge to send him to a
mental institution instead of a work camp. West owes virtually none of his
performance to Jack Nicholson’s iconic onscreen portrayal, but he
charismatically holds the stage with a performance that clearly demonstrates
his understanding of this complex, symbolic character.
Marla Carter portrays the controlling and deplorable Nurse
Ratched with biting sincerity. While Carter consistently fills her passive
aggressive character with subtle malevolence, she sometimes substitutes verbal
speed for precision. Her haste ultimately prevents some lines from finding
their mark for a deeper stab.
McMurphy’s gang of more mentally competent inmates consists
of effeminate leader Dale Harding (Jon Wierenga), the stuttering and sexually
repressed Billy Bibbit (Hazen Cuyler), Scanlon (Niel Powell), the twitchy
Cheswick (Tyler VanCamp) and the hallucinogenic Martini (Jason Garvey). As
inter-dependent as their characters are on each other, each actor crafts
three-dimensional personas that allow their ticks and outbursts to serve as
metaphor for their struggles instead of a comic shtick. It is enjoyable to
watch these actors share their energy while giving each other time to share the
spotlight.
Andrew Faber gives the most natural performance of the cast
as pragmatic supervisor Dr. Spivey, a man whose lack of agenda continually
conflicts with Nurse Ratched’s sinister motives. Lacking the independent
thought of Dr. Spivey are the aggressive aides Warren and Williams, marvelously
played by Lucas H. Daniels and Tom Brennan. Warren and Williams move like
conditioned attack dogs awaiting the command of their master, Ratched, to devour
the patients like red meat. The target of most of their unleashed abuse is
Chief Bromden, played with pulsing reserve by Michael Schuler. Schuler only
hides his face beneath his dark wig, as his motivations, fears and strength are
always visible.
With a cast that includes strong cameos, walk-ons and
general institutional scenery, “Cuckoo” provides a constant feast for the
senses but not for those with a weak stomach or too vivid of an imagination.
‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’
By Dale Wasserman, adapted from the novel by Ken Kesey
8 p.m. Friday & Saturday
2 p.m. Sunday
Pastant Theatre, Wharton Center
$10/$15
1 (800) WHARTON
www.whartoncenter.com
