BY ARIA SELIGMANN
Review
Behavior Modification
Cuckoo’s Nest a must-see .
A
TOO $ HORT
NOV. 22 SHOW 8PM
STARTS
with KEI-KEY“BU” and special guests
*21 and over show*
23 W. 6th st.
Limited tickets remaining!
Tickets available through TICKETMASTER outlets, ticketmaster.com and Joe's Bar & Grill
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Oak
(formerly
Field’s)
• 434-6553
22 NOVEMBER 13, 2003
wonderful convergence of commu-
nity events this week celebrates the
life and work — and play — of Ken
Kesey. At the UO’s Robinson Theatre, Dale
Wasserman’s stage adaptation of Kesey’s novel
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest opened last
week and continues through Nov. 22.
While Kesey was often outspoken about his
disdain for stage and screen adaptations of his
novel, which shows society’s ostracism of those
who don’t conform to proscribed models of be-
havior through the lens of a particular ward in-
side a mental hospital, he may have been happier
with this version. Directed by former UO student
Rob Urbinati, this production draws more inspi-
ration from the book.
The audience sees the events through the
point of view of Chief Bromden (Sergio
Martinez), a schizophrenic half-Native
American. Sometimes Bromden exists on the
plane most people are on most of the time; some-
times his visions are more hallucinogenic.
In sharp contrast to Bromden’s free-flowing
reality, Nurse Ratched (Emily Peterson) has cre-
ated an environment as starched and tidy as her
nurse’s uniform, a ward run with rigid militarism.
When newcomer Randle Patrick McMurphy
(Alexander Dupre) is admitted, all hell breaks
loose. Whether McMurphy’s mania is a harmful-
to-others mental illness or just a really fun and
slightly different personality type remains the
question to ponder long after this set’s been
struck.
Urbinati incorporates a unique sound design
into this show: Act I assaults with 1950s syrupy
pop spoonfed to the post-WWII masses, while
Act II opens with Elvis — an obvious thrust to-
ward the social revolution about to unfold. The
set includes cleverly designed metal, curtained,
cagelike structures moved around to be win-
dows, walls and various other types of confine-
ment. Ratched’s nurse’s station is also caged,
showing her inability to break beyond her own
bound existence. Both the sound and the set
sweep a professional stroke across this produc-
tion.
Urbinati draws some incredible perform-
ances from the student actors. Dupre
(McMurphy) is simply awesome. His presence
grabs and holds the audience’s attention through-
out. Peterson’s Nurse Ratched is wholly believ-
able and highly focused. Martinez (Chief) is
physically perfect for his part; he is both big and
graceful, and just needs to dig a little deeper and
give more resonance to his character.
The rest of the ensemble is strong, but Marco
Davis rises to the top as Dale Harding, a sane,
married homosexual who remains on the inside
to hide from society’s prejudice. It’s Harding
who reveals the deeper truths — that guilt and
fear lead to insanity; that the patients willingly re-
main inside. Davis shows remarkable control
with sublime understatement as Harding grows
from fearful to heroic.
This production has a perfect balance of humor
and pathos. I enjoyed every moment of it.
ew