One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest : A Play in Two Acts [Paperback]

Ken Kesey (Adapter), Dale Wasserman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0573613435 | ISBN-13: 978-0573613432 | Publication Date: January 7, 2010 | Edition: First Edition

Comedy Drama / 13m, 4f / Int. w. inset. Kirk Douglas played on Broadway as a charming rogue who contrives to serve a short sentence in an airy mental institution rather in a prison. This, he learns, was a mistake. He clashes with the head nurse, a fierce artinet. Quickly, he takes over the yard and accomplishes what the medical profession has been unable to do for twelve years; he makes a presumed deaf and dumb Indian talk. He leads others out of introversion, stages a revolt so that they can see the world series on television, and arranges a rollicking midnight party with liquor and chippies. For one offense, the head nurse has him submit to shock treatment. The party is too horrid for her and she forces him to submit to a final correction a frontal lobotomy. Winner of the 2001 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Revival. "Cuckoo is captivating." - the New York Post "Scarifying and powerful." - the New York Times

Product Details

• Paperback: 88 pages
• Publisher: Samuel French, Inc.; First Edition edition (January 7, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0573613435
• ISBN-13: 978-0573613432
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,674 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #54 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Drama > United States

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Boldness and insanity, February 15, 2008

By 

Darrel R. Shephard (Tacoma, Wa. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest : A Play in Two Acts (Paperback)

This play follows more closely the book than the movie, the dialouge is a little flat at times, but ultimately stays true to the authors story.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific adaptation of a thrilling classic, March 10, 2005

By 

Matt Hetling "Matt" (Bethel, ME USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest : A Play in Two Acts (Paperback)

How many works of art have three hit incarnations?

This was an outstanding novel, an outstanding movie, and is an outstanding play as well.

Randle McMurphy seems like the kind of boisterous rowdy that you could love or hate after meeting him in a bar. He is full of vitality and humor, and is never afraid to stand up to any authority he perceives as being wrong-headed.

When he's sentenced to an asylum, and comes into conflict with the wonderfully wicked Nurse Ratched, a war ensures that escalates beyond all reason. Ratched is determined to preserve her dictatorial authority over the ward, and McMurphy is equally determined to rebel.

The story line also features a cast of unforgettable supporting characters, from the strong and stoic Chief Bromdem to the pathetically vulnerable Billy Bibbit. Their background noise, and their status as pawns in the ongoing chess match between McMurphy and Ratched, breathe life into the play and elevate it above other plays.

While the issue of patient abuse in mental wards has long since become old news (thanks in part to the novel), the universal issues of human dignity and compassion are what ultimately makes this play tick.

I recommend this play, both to prospective readers and to theater folks trying to decide on their next production. This is a story that doesn't get stale.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW., July 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest : A Play in Two Acts (Paperback)

I saw this play last night, and I have to say, it was probably the most powerful and moving experience I've ever had. It is, of course, also, one of the most depressing and terrifying things I've seen. I was still shaking the next morning. Absolutely incredible. If you see a performance advertised, SEE IT.