Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Crazy Enough For You?
FSLT actors build a ‘Cuckoo’s Nest’
When Ken Kesey wrote his 1962 novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” he was following one of the standard rules of authors: He was writing what he knew. While in his 20s, Kesey worked as a night aide on the psychiatric ward of the Menlo Park Veterans Hospital. His experiences there would become the basis of the heartbreaking and heart-racing story of what happens when the rebellious Randle McMurphy, faking a mental illness to avoid jail time, attempts to wrest control of a psychiatric ward from the diabolically manipulative Nurse Ratched. The New York Times Book Review called the book “a glittering parable of good and evil,” the novel was adapted for the stage just a year later and, in 1975, it became an Oscar-winning movie starring Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher.
Director Summer Robinson says she was up for the challenge of directing the dark-as-night comic-drama for Fort Smith Little Theatre.
“I love to direct complex shows
— be it a comedy, a drama, or a nontraditional one,” says Robinson, who adds that directing this particular show has been a “dream” of hers. “I’m really connected to directing characters who have experienced unique life situations and, thereby, are interesting and unique individuals with great stories to tell. The intimacy of Fort Smith Little Theatre will bring everyone watching right into the thick of things and have them immersed with the happenings of this particular mental asylum as if they are also a part of the story. So I’m excited for the audience to connect with these characters — who are all so very different and funny in their own ways.”
Though the source material is more than 50 years old, Robinson says it remains relevant in today’s world.
“This script deals with a lot of social issues, and, even though it’s set in the 1950s, we see these same issues in our world every day. The struggle for power and acceptance are the biggest
underlying themes in this story, and they are portrayed beautifully by my actors.”
Embodying the iconic characters of McMurphy and Nurse Ratched can be demanding for any actor.
“It is rather challenging to portray a hyper-extrovert when I, myself, am rather the opposite,” says John Hall, who plays McMurphy. “This show is very symbolic and full of deep, pondering questions, while all at once being filled with a violent need for action. It is, indeed, very different from the norm for our audience. It’s a deep drama and not a farce, so while there will be plenty of humor, this is not a show with a happy ending. The story makes us debate that just because a thing is a rule does not necessarily make it right, and such rules and laws should be examined to expose the potential harm they may cause.”
Veteran Fort Smith Little Theatre actor Cindy Clark plays Nurse Ratched.
“Working in the field of nursing, I am glad to have bagged this role, but it is rather a challenge to portray a character who is as evil as the wicked Nurse Ratched,” says Clark. “However, I could not miss out on this classic and the chance to be a part of it.”
“The talent in this cast is phenomenal,” says Robinson. “All of the cast have been working so hard to become these complex characters. You can really tell how much this show means to each to them.
“I can’t wait for the FSLT audiences to see this well-known story come to life.”