by Dan Mayer
Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest is a beloved piece of American literature for good reason, so I was naturally excited to see this production by Confetti Stage. The drawback of telling such a classic story is that it can set expectations pretty high. The fact that this performance is in the round presents an even greater challenge for the cast and crew to rise to.
The best part of this production is the core cast. Though it’s sort of an ensemble, most of the characters are effectively the spokes on a wheel, and Randle P. McMurphy (Adam M. Coons) is the axle at the center keeping the wheel turning. Coons embodies all of the facets of McMurphy well, managing to be both quite charming and a little disgusting, sometimes simultaneously. The way he bonds with the other patients on the ward is very heartwarming at times, especially when he’s getting Chief Bromden (Shaya Reyes) to open up. He almost takes on a paternal quality when they’re interacting, which feels like a departure from the original character but Coons makes it work.
The other standout performances were from Sydney Davis, who consistently portrays Nurse Ratched with a frightening coldness, and Emily Crist as Billy Bibbit. All of the patients have unique physicality that sets them apart from one another, but Crist’s withdrawn posture and constant fidgeting with her costume really sells the anxiety of the character, and you can hear the frustration in her voice behind every stutter. Her breakdown after the party may be the most emotionally affecting moment of the whole show.
The cast’s performances are aided by effective costume design and some very immersive lighting effects (courtesy of Peggy Shea and Laura Darling, respectively). It also needs to be said that the script, which seems pretty faithful to the original 1962 novel, is as funny and heartwarming as it is gut-wrenching.
The Shaker Heritage Site is sadly not a great space for theater, and while director Siobhan Shea makes good use of that space, the show feels held back by the constraints of performing in the round without an actual stage. Visibility is often obstructed, and even with careful planning, half of the audience is always left looking at actors’ backs while they’re performing. Reyes in particular performed the majority of her interstitial monologues to one side of the room. She needed clearer direction on which parts of the audience to address and when.
Reyes unfortunately feels miscast for the role of Chief Bromden. She’s one of the youngest-looking members of the cast, and shorter than most of her costars. Such a reinterpretation of the character is interesting to see, but the script seems unchanged aside from pronouns. There are still numerous references to Chief’s above-average stature, which do not make sense in context with this actor. It fundamentally changes the dynamic between Chief and the aides who torment her when they’re the ones looking down on her rather than the other way around. Coons and Reyes do have some solid chemistry, but it’s painfully awkward to watch them first coming face-to-face. Coons is forced to pretend he’s looking up at a giant rather than down at someone young enough to be his daughter. It even changes the context of the ending, making Chief’s final feat of strength seem almost supernatural, rather than the cathartic moment of self-actualization it should be.
While this production falls short in some respects, there’s still a lot to appreciate here. The themes being explored in Cuckoo’s Nest are sadly timeless, and with the talent on display here, this particular version of the psychiatric hospital is worth a visit.
Confetti Stage presents One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Dale Wasserman, based on the novel by Ken Kesey, directed by Siobhan Shea, runs from May 10-19, at the Shaker Heritage Site, 25 Meeting House Road in Albany, NY. Cast: Shaya Reyes as Chief Bromden, Paul Curcio as Dale Harding, Emily Crist as Billy Bibbit, Vincent Miranda as Scanlon, Adele Costa as Cheswick, J. Scala as Martini, William Wilday as Ruckley, Adam M. Coons as Randle P. McMurphy, Albert Yasus, Jr. as Aide Williams, Thom Ingram as Aide Warren, Joeseph Bruton as Dr. Spivey, Sydney Davis as Nurse Ratched, Taryn Nasuta as Nurse Flynn, Melissa Hughes as Aide Turkle, Kassidi Jarvis as Candy Starr, and Maddie Illenberg as Sandy.
Assistant Director: Ryan Gangemi. Choreographer: Sydney Davis. Lighting Designer: Laura Darling. Costume Designer: Peggy Shea. Producer: Marissa Lounello. Poster Design by Rory Alexa. Program by Lucy Breyer.
Performance dates are Thursday through Sunday, May 10-12 and 16-19. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday curtains are at 7:30 pm, and Sundays are matinees only at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $15, $10 for students, or $8 for groups of 8 or more. Runs approximately 90 minutes with a 15-minute intermission. This show contains content regarding assault and suicide, and the production makes use of strobe lights and fake blood. Tickets are available online or by phone. For more information, call the box office at 518-334-9132, email confettistageinc@gmail.com, or visit https://confettistage.org/.