One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at Spotlight Theatre

This stage adaptation of Ken Kesey's celebrated novel explores the brutality of life in a mental institution with humor, candor, and unforgettable characters.

After being convicted of a petty crime, a charming, rebellious rogue named McMurphy contrives to serve his short sentence in an airy mental institution rather than in a prison. This, he soon learns, was a mistake. He immediately clashes with the authoritarian head nurse, a fierce martinet named Nurse Ratched. Despite Ratched's strict reign, McMurphy quickly takes over the yard, leading others out of introversion, staging a revolt so that they can see the World Series on television, and arranging a rollicking midnight party with liquor and women. But McMurphy's brash insubordination has its consequences; Ratched ultimately triumphs by subjecting McMurphy to a frontal lobotomy.

Authors

• Dale Wasserman

Tony Awards and Nominations for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest