Students Dive In for 'Cuckoo's Nest' Production

Students in Hillsborough High School's upcoming production of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" found preparing for the play was a bit different than the work they'd done before.

Unlike a show such as "Disney's Beauty and the Beast," which offers a straight-forward story line and simple characters, "Cuckoo's Nest" offered a blank slate when they began rehearsing.

"When we first read through the play, I didn't realize how dark it could get," Alex Ferrao, who plays Dr. Spivey, said.

Dark, indeed.

To really grasp the layers and complexity of the story—based on Ken Kesey's novel about a mental institution in the early 1960s where electroshock therapy is a frequently-used tool for control of the patients—the students had to dig in to their history of the times, study the uses and applications of ECT and lobotomies, and carefully consider their characters' personalities.

Director BJ Solomon notes the play also requires the cast to create their own stage direction, and work through such problems as how to have a character in the play who doesn't speak—yet narrates the story. 

"This was a huge challenge for us," Solomon said. He said the students watched the movie and he studied other stagings to see how it's been done before (including a version at this summer's Edinburgh Fringe Festival that he felt didn't work).

The first rehearsal was spent discussing each of the characters' "medical diagnosis"—even considering the mental states of the infamous Nurse Ratched and Dr. Spivey.

When the play opens Friday, audiences will see a creation that's nearly as much of the students as it is from Dale Wasserman's play or Kesey's own novel.

That includes their portraying of the characters and the descent into chaos the story captures so well.

The cast also includes Rory Baker (Cheswick), Kevin Bizzoco (Dale Harding), Chris Blum (Billy Babbit), Sandy Buz (Aide Turkle), Dana Cavagnaro (Nurse Flinn), Dante Colon (Ruckly), Tyler DiLeo (Martini), Shane Erickson (Scanlon), Becky Gumpel (Candy Starr), Brooke Lautt (Aide Warren), Alex Luckenbaugh (Randall P. McMurphy), Peter Miller (Chief Bromden),  Kiara Ryan (Aide Williams), Becky Wendover (Sandra) and Lauren Wohlmacher (Nurse Ratched).

Understudies include Jess Conlon, Vicky Cipparulo and Matt Sisti.

Michael DiLorenzo and Shannon Olsen are stage managing the production, and Erin O’Brien designed the lighting, with assistance from Allie Polan-Clark. The costumes were created by Pam Christian, and the Scenic Art was done by Jane Staats.

The show opens Friday, with performances at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and a 1 p.m. matinee Saturday. Tickets are $12 and can be reserved online at the HHS Theatre website.