The NOLA Project Presents ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, Now thru 9/21

As the first of five productions in its 10th anniversary season, local independent theatre company, The NOLA Project, will present the stage adaptation of the classic story, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. Based on the seminal 1960s novel by Ken Kesey, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" left an indelible mark on the literature, theatre, and film of our time.

Boisterous, biting, and ultimately devastating, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" tells the story of a mental hospital and its unforgettable inhabitants. In the ward, insanity meets its match in the form of the cold and calculating Nurse Ratched (played by Amy Alvarez), whose rules and regulations are the law of the land. Conformity and obedience seem the only means of survival for the patients until the appearance of the charming rogue, Randle McMurphy (Alex Martinez Wallace), who foregoes a prison sentence by agreeing to serve time in the institution. As the two clash and the inmates discover their own liberating power, it becomes painfully clear that only one will come out on top. As both McMurphy and the audience come to learn, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" is a story about the beauty and dangers of being an original.

"The theme of our 10th season is 'Stand Up!'" says Marketing Director Richard Alexander Pomes. "Each NOLA Project production this season tells the story of characters taking a brave stance against oppression and structures of power. There's no better show than 'Cuckoo's Nest' to kick off a season that's all about sticking it to 'the man.'"

The NOLA Project is thrilled to welcome back company member Mark Routhier to direct this ensemble drama. Routhier last directed 2012's "Balm in Gilead" for The NOLA Project and received the Big Easy Award for Best Director. "The NOLA Project loves big cast plays which can be difficult to produce in our contemporary theatre landscape," says Routhier. "Whether it's a great new play like 'A Truckload of Ink,' or a classic like 'Balm in Gilead,' NOLA Project plays are dynamic, compelling, complicated, and exciting. I think 'Cuckoo's Nest' is all of those things. And on a simpler level, it has great roles for the company. Alex Wallace as McMurphy? It's a no-brainer!"

The NOLA Project presents "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Dale Wasserman. Mark Routhier directs AJ Allegra, Amy Alvarez, James Bartelle, Natalie Boyd, Eric Charleston, Keith Claverie, Kyle Daigrepont, Sam Dudley, Mike Harkins, Kaitlyn Heckel, Levi Hood, Richard Alexander Pomes, Kali Russell, Michael Sullivan, Alex Marinez Wallace, and Michael Aaron Santos as Chief Bromden.

The show runs today, September 4-21, 2014; Thursdays-Saturdays at 8PM, Sundays at 2PM at The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts in the Nims Black Box Theatre, 2800 Chartres Street New Orleans, LA 70117. Tickets: $30 General Admission, $20 Students with valid ID and NOLA Project Backstage Pass Members.

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