BWW Reviews: The Nola Project's ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST

I love plays that make me think. This is a play that made me think. It made me think about all of the people, not only in my personal life, but also around the world who suffer from some form of mental illness. It's real. It exists. And it should not be ignored. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST addresses mental illness head-on, and The Nola Project took the content and presented an absolutely stunning rendition.

I'm embarrassed to say that I knew absolutely nothing about this play before I saw it this weekend at NOCCA's Nims Black Box Theatre. I have never read the book; I have never seen the movie. The only thing I knew was that it took place in a mental institution. More often than not, when the setting of a movie, book, or play is an asylum, I associate that with the horror genre. This is not a fair association... the mentally ill and the horror genre. These people, as evidenced in ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, are not horrors of society nor are they to be feared. They are human beings.

For those of you unfamiliar with the story like I was, our protagonist Randle McMurphy (Alex Martinez Wallace), has himself committed to a mental institution to avoid his jail sentence. He becomes friends with his fellow patients and quickly realizes that they have been emasculated by the woman who runs their ward, Nurse Ratched (Amy Alvarez). McMurphy takes it upon himself to help his friends become men again while wreaking havoc on Nurse Ratched, and at the same time trying to avoid being sent to the disturbed ward, enduring electroshock therapy, or being lobotomized. It's some heavy material, but the play is scattered with humor.

My favorite moment was when McMurphy rallies the guys to vote in favor of moving their TV-watching time earlier in the day so he can watch the World Series. For just a moment, the patients have some sense of making their own decisions and having control of their own lives, which is incredibly freeing. Chief Bromden (Michael Aaron Santos), a patient thought to be deaf and mute, is even responsive for the first time in what we are believed to be many years when he raises his hand in favor. The victory is short-lived, however, as Nurse Ratched takes back her control. This instance is perhaps the first time that we are introduced to this concept of "sticking it to the man"... Nurse Ratched being "the man." She represents the powers that be that try to suppress those who are different, and McMurphy in a sense becomes their real healer.

I also love that throughout the play, there is this sense of what I'm going to call "The Hamlet Effect." Is McMurphy insane, or is he not? I don't want to give the ending away, but I will say this... the audience is left wondering about McMurphy's sanity (or lack thereof), and with a seriously bad taste in their mouths for the idea of mental institutions. I don't think the intention of ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST is to bash institutions or healthcare providers who are genuinely trying to help those in need. But, I do think that it makes us take a hard look at how we treat people who suffer from ailments of the mind.

I want to thank The Nola Project for tackling this show, and congratulate the cast for their outstanding accomplishment! It is a rare occasion when I have no comments about a show upon exiting the theatre, but you rendered me speechless. Well done!

Coming up next for The Nola Project is SHINER that will take place at The AllWays Theatre. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the box office at (504) 302-9117.

Article may also be viewed here: http://www.nolabackstage.com/#!BWW-Reviews-The-Nola-Projects-ONE-FLEW-OVER-THE-CUCKOOS-NEST/ckwv/863229DB-E222-4CAD-AED5-2493B3760558

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