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Salem theater to present ‘Cuckoo’s Nest’
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
SALEM
Salem Community Theatre will present the disturbing and darkly comic drama “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”
Sam Luptak Jr. is directing the play, which features an exceptional cast to go with its powerful themes. “Cuckoo’s Nest” opens Friday and runs for six performances over two consecutive weekends.
Luptak proposed the play to SCT’s board last year, calling it a bucket list item for him. “It’s an important and significant show, with a great message and a great story, and it’s extremely entertaining,” he said.
The cast includes Chuck Kettering as McMurphy, the malcontent who stirs up the asylum and enlivens its occupants; and Denise Sculli as the rule-bound Nurse Ratched, who aims to keep McMurphy under her thumb.
Rounding out the cast are Dave Wolford, Eric Kibler, Don Wolford, Tom O’Donnell, Terry Shears, Carl Brockaway, Frank Martin, Richard Smiley, Miles Assion, Michael Hall, Nick Berger, Jon Price, Jack Hay, Lindie Schwarten, John Weber, Jennifer Milligan, John Weber and Tricia Terlesky.
“A who’s who of local theater came out for this,” said Luptak. “I’ve never had the privilege of working with this much talent on one stage.”
It’s been a while since “Cuckoo’s Nest” was presented on a Mahoning Valley stage; the most recent is likely the Youngstown Playhouse’s strong 2005 production.
But the story, based on the 1962 Ken Kesey novel, is familiar to most people because of the popular 1975 film starring Jack Nicholson. The film won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and is a mainstay of American cinema.
In Luptak’s hands, the two main characters are a bit less extreme.
“We approach it a little differently,” he said. “The relationship between Nurse Ratched and McMurphy is different. In the movie, McMurphy is unlikeable, but you end up liking him only because Ratched is so evil. In our version, Ratched is not so evil, and McMurphy is more likeable. That’s my interpretation. He’s more of a scoundrel than an evil person. And Ratched honestly cares about her patients. She’s just power mad. She has her own insanities.”
Kettering and Sculli “both grabbed hold and made [their characters] their own,” said Luptak, adding, “It makes for an amazing show.”
One reason that explains why “Cuckoo’s Nest” stands the test of time and continues to resonate with audiences is its underlying message.
“They are in a totalitarian-type regime,” said Luptak. “The play is about standing up against [authority] and being brave. McMurphy helps everyone else stand up, at the risk of his own liberty and life.”