The Community College of Rhode Island Players will take audiences on a trip back to the year 1975 with the return of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” The play, written by Ken Kesey, was adapted into the 1975 film starring Jack Nicholson and went on to win all five major Academy Awards the year it was released.
Directed by Jonathan Pitts-Wiley – a lifelong storyteller, photographer, and director who, along with his wife, Kim Pitts-Wiley, is the Artistic Director of Mixed Magic Theatre in Pawtucket, RI, which was founded by his parents, Ricardo and Bernadet Pitts-Wiley – the Players’ adaptation of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest runs from this Thursday, February 29 through March 3 with a variety of showtimes at the Warwick Campus’ Bobby Hackett Theatre.
The cast is led by Ayana Lyn DeSimone as Nurse Ratched, Max Hayden as McMurphy, Shelby Cray as Billy Bibbit, Brian McKenna as Aide Williams, newcomers Samantha Gromkiewicz as Nurse Flinn, Connor Maddix as Aide Turkle, and Miguel Soto-Sanchez as Aide Warren.
“Growing up, I had an affinity for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and then with the film adaptation featuring so many incredible actors, and even years ago the 2nd Story Theater [in Warren, RI] did a wonderful adaption, so it’s a body of work I’m particularly fond of,” says Pitts-Wiley.
“As I’ve said to the actors, too often people take a classic piece of work and try too hard to put their spin on it. For me as a director, the really great opportunity is in who is the ensemble gathered to tell this story, and in that you see those twists and turns. With the right ensemble, those spins and twists and turns and unique looks will articulate themselves. As a director, that’s the part I enjoy most – how can we, together, do justice to this story and these moments of brilliance throughout the work?”.
“My job as a director is to give an actor a little more than they can handle and let them rise to the occasion,” Pitts-Wiley said. “We want this to be a challenging, thoughtful experience that makes them want to do more. There are a number of first-timers on this production and each of them have done a tremendous job and that’s truly a testament to the department that [Theatre Program Coordinator] Ted Clement is running. Everyone committed to being excellent on an individual level.”
CCRI’s adaptation of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest stars Players’ newcomer Ayana Lyn DeSimone (Coventry, RI) as Nurse Ratched; Max Hayden (Warwick, RI) as McMurphy; Shelby Cray (Bristol, RI) as Billy Bibbit; Brian McKenna as Aide Williams; newcomers Samantha Gromkiewicz (North Smithfield, RI) as Nurse Flinn, Connor Maddix (Pawtucket, RI) as Aide Turkle, and Miguel Soto-Sanchez (Coventry, RI) as Aide Warren; and Noah Parker Goldman (Portsmouth, RI) as Scanlon. Kameron Threatt (Riverside, RI), Joel Rodriguez, Benjamin Card (Coventry, RI), Jalen Rodriguez (Woonsocket, RI), Jaedon Cole (Warwick, RI), Nate Campbell (Johnston, RI), Elissa Parente (Cranston, RI), and Allison Wong (Barrington, RI) are featured in accompanying roles.
“The notions, not just socially, but scientifically, about what was written in the novel and adapted in the film, there are certainly universal themes and tropes that allow you to appreciate the difference in approaches. Having to grapple with that has been interesting,” said Pitts-Wiley. “This is a doozy of a show. This show is big. A lot of themes, a lot of tropes – heavy stuff.”
Tickets are available online. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest debuts tomorrow at 7:30 pm and continues Friday at 7:30 and Saturday at 2 and 7:30 before concluding with a 2 pm Sunday matinee.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
