Review: Barebones' CUCKOO'S NEST Brings New Hazlett to Life, Insanity, Death

The New Hazlett Theater in Pittsburgh's Allegheny Center is always an eclectic experience. The black box theater allows for companies and productions to make the space their own, and that is exactly what Barebones Productions did with the Dale Wasserman play, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Directed by Melissa Martin, the play follows a small group of patients in a psych ward under the authoritarian control of Nurse Ratched, played by Kim Parker Green. The microcosm is turned chaotic when the newest inmate, R.P. McMurphy, played by Patrick Jordan, is brought into the ward. He uses his slick attitude to challenge the establishment, refusing to fully give himself to the institution, the treatments, and Nurse Ratched.

One of the most striking aspects of this production is the visual design. The haze from the psych ward theater escapes to the lobby and greets patrons when they first arrived. The theater itself, laced with barbed wire, resembles the prison-feeling of entrapment for the characters and audience, but the actual stage for the production is simply astounding. For such a small theatre, the linear perspective scenery of the ward is brilliantly designed and executed by Tony Ferrieri. The hallway in the center showcases this, being only a few paces deep, but giving the effect of a long and narrow hospital corridor.

One person who frequents this corridor often is Nurse Ratched. As the controlling, stoic nurse, Ms. Green displays an eerie air of calmness and collectiveness that makes you question whether she is secretly as psychotic as some of the patients. Her portrayal of the oppressive leader can send shivers down anyone's spine. Ms. Green is Themis, her posture is demanding, and you wait for her to break, but she never does.

It is also well worth mentioning that, as ironic as it may be, the cast of this production physically resembles many of the actors from the 1975 movie of the same name. Jack Nicholson played the character of McMurphy in the film, but with any staging of this play, it is hard not to compare the production's McMurphy with Nicholson's.

Mr. Jordan is able to match the intensity needed to play this character. Under his black knit cap, a strong contrast to Ms. Green's pressed white nurse's cap, Mr. Jordan's acting is as believable as it is enjoyable to watch. The same goes for the rest of the ward, as every actor is as distinct as they are memorable.

As a whole, the production is worth seeing, but it falls short of the full catharsis this play has written within it. The funny moments are quite comedic, but the scenes could have been more dramatic. This play has the potential to elicit haunted house-level emotions, especially with the fog and barbed wire visuals. It is only a leap away from greatness, but a fine work of visual art nevertheless.

When the production ends, the smoke from the show is still in the lobby and escapes the theatre as patrons leave with it, blurring the psychological distance from performance to reality. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is playing now through May 7.

To see or not to see score: 7/9; Recommended Show

Photo credit: Duane Rieder

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