It’s been at least ten years since I’ve done any theater. Er, theatre. Whatever.
But on Monday I’m going to audition for the two-act version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. I’ve already seen the movie multiple times and I’ve read the book. Can anyone tell me anything useful about the play version? All the copies in the library are checked out.
I’ve called the director to find out more about his audition process (and he assures me that the audition is cold reading from his selected materials). He says the two-act version doesn’t have the fishing trip in it because it’s hard to stage. This version, he says, is the one that ran so successfully off Broadway. Apart from that, I don’t know much.
The space will be fun to act in, though. I’ve done one show there before and it’s three-quarter round. The audience is very close.
I just wrapped up a production a few weeks ago, and I really miss the performance high. Oh to be on stage, to hold everyone in thrall (…one hopes)…sighhh…what a feeling!
I used to dream of directing Cuckoo’s Nest in Community Theater. Never did though; never acted in it, either.
During this dream process, I somehow managed to get stats of some New York critics’ reviews of the play when it debut-ed(?) on Broadway.
I urge you to do the same. In this era of computers and archived files, it should be a snap.
In addition to gaining various insights on the production, you will find that at least one critic (from the New York Times, IIRC) was absolutely outraged at the thought of a nurse engineering the needless performance of prefrontal lobotomies on her troublesome patients. I mean he was totally scandalized. After all, a nurse would never even think of doing such an awful thing, and if she, for some insane reason, even tried, hospital procedures would automatically thwart her efforts. This could not happen in any hospital anywhwere in the United States.
Alas. This play came to the theater in the days of our innocence.
I don’t really have any idea what role I’m going to audition for—obviously I know what roles would be most fun to play, but I don’t know if I’m physically right for any of them.
I’m pretty sure I’m not in the right acting league to play McMurphy. I don’t know of any director who would give a lead to someone who’s been out of acting for as long as I have. I’m not physically right to play Chief Bromden, either.
I’m sort of setting my sights on Harding. He’s the fussy anti-McMurphy who has to be just enough of a self-centered snot to throw sparks, but not enough to actually overshadow Nurse Ratched.
Guess I’ll just show up and see what happens. The important part is showing up and auditioning. Thanks for the kind words, you two.
I played the role of Martini (Danny Devito’s part) in the stage production in 1999.
My advice is read up on mental illness. Ask the director if he wants the play set in the 60’s/ (it should be) and be aware of the attitudes back then.
i had a ball with my role, not a great big part but I got to play a schizophrenic. I saw things that weren’t there. We had a great cast, I envy you.
Day one of auditions went well. Day two, coming up tomorrow. Casting should be done by Friday and rehearsal would start next Monday if I get cast. Well, it’ll start Monday anyway, but here’s to hoping.
