One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest 

Reviewed by Vanessa Cate 
After Hours Theatre Company 
Extended through July 22nd  

RECOMMENDED 

There is an institution inside a converted warehouse in Burbank for the clinically insane. Check in with the staff, and you’ll just have to fill out some paperwork before being handed a hospital bracelet and genderless, blue hospital clothing, which you must wear to be admitted into the ward.

Admission into After Hours’ Insane Asylum might just be what the doctor ordered for those afflicted with a love for theatre. The production combines a high-quality and impressively detailed immersive experience with a stellar rendition of Dale Wasserman’s play. Director Jonathan Muñoz-Proulx and immersive designer Sara Beil are a great creative match. 

The production smartly propels the audience into the story by way of elaborate immersive elements. You’ll want to get there early, but even if you show up on Los Angeles time you’ll still have a small opportunity to get to know the inmates (Chief and I were tight), solve puzzles, play games, discover secrets, and act out high stakes scenarios in a low-pressure way. All of this occurs while gracefully allowing audience members to obtain important backstory, and to become invested in the characters and plot before the “show” even starts. Or, you can head straight to the pharmacy (bar) for your meds (liquor). It’s like a choose-your-own-adventure, and the level of immersion is up to you. A few audience members simply took the opportunity to experience the comfort and thrill of acting quite loony in a safe space. Others got to know key patients and helped devise a plan to overthrow the “Big Nurse”. Sadly, such a plan was destined for tragedy.

It’s an almost seamless transition into Wasserman’s adaptation of Ken Kesey’s 1962 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Rakish testosterone-heavy Randle P. McMurphy (Mick Torres), acting on pure id, gets himself admitted on a count of statutory rape (perhaps to escape the “work-mill” and the grind of the real world). McMurphy quickly uses his charm and audacity to assert himself as the alpha male and shakes up the routine in the hospital, breaking rules and pushing buttons as he pleases. Nurse Ratched (Courtney Lloyd) does not approve.

The 1963 play takes a dark look at mental institutions, abuse of power, madness, sanity, and the fine line between them, but there are many moments of levity and even joy. It’s less a face-off between McMurphy and Ratched — as you might expect if you are familiar with the film –than an ensemble show. And the ensemble does shine brightly as a ragtag group of misfit crazies. In particular, Frank Gullihur gives a convincing and heartbreaking performance as the stuttering depressive Billy Bibbit. But it is Eduardo Fernandez-Baumann as Chief whose silent strength and powerful softness act as an anchor. Watching Fernandez-Baumann perform is like watching a garden of beautiful flowers bloom and die. He is a talent to keep your eye on. Trent Mills is an engaging Dr. Spivey, and Lloyd’s Nurse Ratched is understated, steely, and surprisingly human.

The design elements — the intricate lighting (Andrew Schmedake), the detailed scenic design (Victoria Tam), and the near-era costumes (Lena Sands) — are top notch, and work in synchronicity to create a truly believable hospital ward. There is even a cocktail design credit (Spirit Guides, who devise delightful renditions of “Blood Transfusion”, “Electric Shock Treatment”, and other medical treatments to level you out).

Essentially, while boasting a top-notch immersive prologue, this is mostly a show performed ala theatre in the round. “Chronic Patients” are audience members who stay on the safe and slightly distant seating around the perimeter. “Acute Patients” get to jump right in to group meetings and other moments, while acting as veritable free labor background actors. It’s a brilliant choice, and after seeing this production I can no longer conceive of Cuckoo’s Nest staged in a traditional way.

SIX01 Studio, 630 S. Flower St., Burbank; Thurs. 8 p.m., Fri. 9 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m.; Extended through July 22. www.cuckoosnestla.com. Running Time: Approximately 3 hours with an intermission.