One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest: On Stage in Astoria

Saturday night I went to see the stage production of One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest at the Astor Street Opry Company in Astoria with Jenny. It was our 3rd trip to the ASOC and again I was amazed by the quality and depth of the acting by the members of the cast.

After watching this stage version I found that it was a better story than the movie because in the play the supporting actors have bigger roles and add a different dimension that was missing from the movie. Don’t get me wrong the movie is one of the best ever but when it’s on stage, the acting and characters breathe a different light into it that you immediately notice and appreciate.

For instance the funny basketball game was abbreviated and played inside the common area of the institution. The fishing trip is omitted, and the World Series scene was completely different, brilliantly done and it gave the other actors in the cast more lines adding to the humor and scope of the scene.

One of the very cool and well done parts of the play is how McMurphy (Played by Steve Wood) deals with the idea of electroshock therapy and then what happens once he gets it. In the play he openly challenges Nurse Ratched (Played by Deborah McEuen) to give it to him. There’s a good piece of dialog that goes on in that particular scene that wasn’t in the movie.

Dr. Spivey (Played by Bob Goldberg) had an interesting part and dialog, adding humor and believability to the play. Again something that isn’t included in the movie version.

Another good piece of writing was how the whole suicide scene of Billy (Played by Eric Keto) is crafted. In the play you don’t see him after the fact as per the movie but instead it’s all happening off stage and I believe that sometimes what you don’t see is far more tragic and horrible than what you do see. When left to the imagination scary things become way more terrifying.

Personally for me the most memorable addition to the play that I really loved was the between scenes dialog of Chief Bromden (Played by Barry Sears.) The Chief has a very important role in the play and has far more conversational dialog. The last scene of the play with the Chief and Mr. Harding (Played by Dan Driscoll) was some of the best acting I’ve seen on stage in Astoria. Taking nothing away from Steve Wood’s performance as McMurphy, Barry Sears stole the show.

Markus Brown directed this production and I have to say he did an excellent job with a very tough play, many characters and quick difficult transitions. Markus is a carpenter by trade and the set he designed and built had a very professional look and feel to it. It really looked like a mental institution. The Lighting designed by Mick Alderman, another friend, was awesome and really added to the production and the drama of the play.

Since Markus is a friend and 2 others involved with the play were friends this will be the hardest part of my review but since I think Markus would want an honest opinion I’ll share what I considered some of the few weaknesses of the play.

I thought that Steve Wood (McMurphy) had a little trouble in the beginning getting his feet under him but as the play went on however he got much stronger and more confident. By the end he was amazing. The same could be said of Dan Driscoll who had some trouble with lines and I think tried to often in the beginning to be a little to deliberately witty. He too grew more confident as the ship got underway.

Deborah McEuen definitely had the hard nose and strong personality down pat as Nurse Ratched. In her portrayal she seemed angrier and clearly showed more emotion in her face, eyes, voice and demeanor than the actress from the movie version. In the movie Louise Fletcher plays it like ice, cold, unemotional, deadpan and with almost dead eyes. Deborah was excellent in the role she just played it from a different emotional prospective which I assume is what Markus wanted.

I thought Jason Hippert as Cheswick, Brian Allen as Martini and Eric Keto as Billy were all fantastic in their supporting roles as well.

Steve Wood was excellent as McMurphy and all the actors did a great job for Community Theater but I thought Barry Sears as the Chief will be the character I’ll always remember. Maybe it was because I had no idea he had so many lines in the play but he was truly amazing.

Overall it was an excellent and entertaining evening and I completely respect and admire the cast and crew of the play. I highly recommend you go see it this weekend if tickets are still available. Markus my hat is off to you, good work my friend.

Pier Pressure Productions: Almost, Maine

Jenny and I went to Pier Pressure Productions Theater in Astoria to see Almost, Maine tonight and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. If you live in Astoria and are looking to give an extraordinary gift to you better half for Valentine’s Day this small Theater Company does an outstanding job touching your heart and soul with funny, poignant and sentimental loves stories. Below is more info on show times.





PIER PRESSURE PRODUCTIONS (260 10th St, Astoria)

Almost, Maine by John Cariani, directed by Susi Brown

8:00pm on Friday and Saturday, February 11, 12,
and 6:00pm on Sunday, February 13.

This poignant comedy played for large, delighted audiences last spring at the Coaster Theatre in Cannon Beach and aims to please again - a tiny space with a huge heart, and a huge cast of favorites.

On a cold, clear, moonless night in the middle of winter, all is not quite what it seems in the remote, mythical town of Almost, Maine. As the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, Almost's residents find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and often hilarious ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. But the bruises heal, and the hearts mend in this delightful midwinter night's dream.

Brown brings three of her Coaster production's cast members to PPP, but rather than having six actors play all the town’s characters, she has cast one actor per part, allowing for many favorite players to walk PPP’s boards.

Long-time locals Walt Plummer, Rhonda and Mick Alderman, Toni Ihander, Bill and Lori Wilson Honl, Brandy and Jason Hussa, Ben Van Osdol, and Dave Gager. 3 Cups Coffee House and their roaster offer up the following actors: Carly & T.J. Lackner, Melissa Raines, Elizabeth Daniels and Nancy Montgomery. Fairly new on this regional scene: Bill Ham and Sky Gager, and The Daily Astorian’s beloved Brad Bolchunos and Clatsop County native Alicia Dedmon Bolchunos come in from Portland! Bobbi Brice runs tech, Dan Reiley’s designed set pieces, and Larry Bryant is on lighting design to round out the show.

According to the critics Almost, Maine is “a whimsical approach to the joys and perils of romance.” Magical happenings bloom beneath the snowdrifts." NY Times. "A charming unexpected magic lingers in the air like someone's breath on a cold winter's night. John Cariani aims for the heart by way of the funny bone." Star-Ledger. "Utterly endearing, it's hard not to warm up to ALMOST, MAINE. A crowd-pleaser." Broadway .com "Sweet, poignant and witty."NY Daily News. “A snowy charmer! These nine tales of love in the time of frostbite have a winning glow that proves surprisingly contagious." NY Sun.

Cariani has given us a magical valentine full of surprises, tears, and laughter that kicks winter to the curb.

Tickets (2 hrs. before curtain) at the door only - $15.00, concessions by Jessica Creager available.

2ND SATURDAY ART WALK

Pier Pressure Productions (260 10^th Street) features Charlotte Bruhn and her most recent endeavor, “Seek Within”, the search for identity through the looking glass; reflections of the tarot major arcane during February’s 2nd Saturday Art Walk, from 5 to 7pm only on February 12.

"Seek Within" is a collection of 21 mirror/mosaic and mixed media pieces that encourage the viewer to identify with archetypes, myth and religious tradition while seeing, simultaneously, one’s own image.

Each mirror contains messages both literal and figurative, as represented by "The Fool", "The Moon", "Death", or any of the other major arcana cards of the Tarot. Each card is a step in a journey, the journey of spiritual development, and karmic destiny.

Bruhn works primarily with clay, specifically tiles of her own making for mosaic. Recently, she has incorporated found objects and collected ephemera into her mosaics, employing a resin binding rather than grout. The result is a mosaic with an added depth and multi-leveled clarity, a play on negative (formerly grouted) space.

A longtime local resident, Bruhn lives in Warrenton with her husband, 2 dogs and 3 cats.

ONE NIGHT ONLY VALENTINE

On Valentine's evening, February 14, at 8:00pm, Pier Pressure Productions (260 10th Street) presents Edward James and Diane Borcyckowski in A.R. Gurney's Pulitzer Prize winning play, Love Letters. This is the story of Andrew Makepeace Ladd III and Melissa Gardner, both born to wealth and position. As childhood friends, their lifelong correspondence begins with birthday party thank-you notes and summer camp postcards. The characters sit side by side at tables and read the notes, letters and cards - in which over nearly 50 years, they discuss their hopes and ambitions, dreams and disappointments, victories and defeats - that have passed between them throughout their separated lives.

Seats for the one-night-only performance will go on sale two hours before curtain. The tickets, $15, include Valentine sweets and coffee.