Auditions for 2024
Summer Production Auditions:
“One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest”
Production dates: July 5, 6,12 & 13 at 7:30PM & July 7 & 14 at 2:00PM.
Auditions will be held at Coach House Players:
12 Augusta St, Kingston, NY on
April 29th & 30th from 7-9 PM.
*Call backs, if needed, will be held on May 1st.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
THE PATIENTS:
CHIEF BROMDEN: (30’S TO 50’S). A HUGE MAN, BROMDEN IS THE NARRATOR. THE SON OF A NATIVE AMERICAN CHIEF AND A WHITE WOMAN, HE IS SUFFERING FROM PARANOIA AND HALLUCINATIONS. CHIEF HAS RECEIVED MULTIPLE ELECTROSHOCK TREATMENTS, AND HAS BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL FOR 10 YEARS, LONGER THAN ANY PATIENT IN THE WARD. BROMDEN SEES MODERN SOCIETY AS A HUGE, OPPRESSIVE CONGLOMERATION THAT HE CALLS “THE COMBINE”. HE SEES THE HOSPITAL AS A PLACE MEANT TO “FIX” PEOPLE WHO DO NOT CONFORM. BROMDEN CHRONICLES THE STORY OF THE MENTAL WARD WHILE DEVELOPING HIS PERCEPTUAL ABILITIES AND REGAINING A SENSE OF HIMSELF AS AN INDIVIDUAL.
DALE HARDING: (40’S TO 50’S). AN ACERBIC, ERUDITE PATIENT AND PRESIDENT OF THE PATIENTS’ COUNCIL. HARDING HELPS MCMURPHY UNDERSTAND THE REALITIES OF THE HOSPITAL. ALTHOUGH HE IS MARRIED, HARDING IS A HOMOSEXUAL, AND HAS DIFFICULTY DEALING WITH THE OVERWHELMING SOCIAL PREJUDICE AGAINST HOMOSEXUALS, SO HE HIDES IN THE HOSPITAL VOLUNTARILY. THE ACTOR PERFORMING THIS ROLE MUST BE COMFORTABLE SMOKING A CIGARETTE AND APPEARING ONSTAGE IN HIS UNDERWEAR AND UNDERSHIRT.
BILLY BIBBIT: (31-PLAYS MUCH YOUNGER). A SHY PATIENT WHO IS A CASE STUDY IN ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT. BILLY HAS A BAD STUTTER, AND SEEMS MUCH YOUNGER THAN HIS 31 YEARS. HE IS DOMINATED BY HIS MOTHER, ONE OF NURSE RATCHED’S CLOSE FRIENDS. NURSE RATCHED USES THIS RELATIONSHIP NOT ONLY TO KEEP HIM IN LINE, BUT TO EMASCULATE HIM AS WELL. THE ACTOR PERFORMING THIS ROLE MUST BE COMFORTABLE WITH BOTH KISSING A FEMALE ACTOR, AND APPEARING ONSTAGE IN HIS UNDERWEAR AND UNDERSHIRT.
SCANLON: (20’S TO 60). THE ONLY ACUTE PATIENT BESIDES MCMURPHY WHO WAS INVOLUNTARILY COMMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL. HE IS CRANKY, STAND-OFFISH, USES FOUL LANGUAGE, AND IS POTENTIALLY VIOLENT. SCANLON HAS FANTASIES OF BLOWING THINGS UP. THE ACTOR PERFORMING THIS ROLE MUST BE COMFORTABLE APPEARING ONSTAGE IN HIS UNDERWEAR AND UNDERSHIRT.
CHESWICK: (30 TO 60). A MAN OF MUCH TALK AND LITTLE ACTION. HE HAS A NERVOUS DISPOSITION, AND IS PRONE TO HYSTERICAL OUTBURSTS. WHEN MCMURPHY ARRIVES, CHESWICK BELIEVES HE HAS FOUND A SAVIOR WHO WILL STAND UP FOR HIM AND THE OTHER PATIENTS. THE ACTOR PERFORMING THIS ROLE MUST BE COMFORTABLE APPEARING ONSTAGE IN HIS UNDERWEAR AND UNDERSHIRT.
MARTINI: (25 TO 60). A DELUSIONAL ITALIAN/AMERICAN MAN WHO LIVES IN A WORLD OF HALLUCINATIONS. HE HAS A HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS AND RECOGNIZABLE LAUGH. MCMURPHY FREQUENTLY INCLUDES HIM IN THE CARD GAMES WITH THE OTHER PATIENTS, EVEN WHEN MARTINI IS INTERACTING WITH HIS OWN HALLUCINATIONS. THE ACTOR PERFORMING THIS ROLE MUST BE COMFORTABLE APPEARING ONSTAGE IN HIS UNDERWEAR AND UNDERSHIRT.
RUCKLEY: (25-50). ONCE AN ACUTE PATIENT, HE WAS TRANSFORMED INTO A CHRONIC PATIENT DUE TO A BOTCHED LOBOTOMY. HIS FEW LINES ARE MOSTLY PROFANITIES, BUT HIS TORTURED SILENCE AND STILLNESS SPEAK VOLUMES. HE REMAINS IN A “CHRIST-LIKE POSE” FOR MUCH OF THE PLAY.
RANDLE P. MCMURPHY: (30’S TO 40’S). THE PLAY‘S PROTAGONIST, MCMURPHY IS A CHARISMATIC, LARGER-THAN-LIFE, PROFOUNDLY MASCULINE GAMBLER, CON MAN, AND BACK ROOM BOXER. HIS BODY IS HEAVILY SCARRED AND TATOOED. AFTER BEING SENTENCED TO 6 MONTHS AT A PRISON WORKFARM, HE DIDN’T PROTEST WHEN HE WAS DIAGNOSED AS A PSYCHOPATH AND TRANSFERRED TO THE HOSPITAL INSTEAD. HE FIGURED LIFE IN A MENTAL WARD WOULD BE EASIER THAN PHYSICAL LABOR. MCMURPHY BEGINS BY TAKING EVERYTHING HE CAN FROM THE OTHER PATIENTS, BUT LATER CHANGES SOME OF HIS WAYS. HE ULTIMATELY BECOMES A CHRIST-LIKE FIGURE TO SOME OF THE PATIENTS. THE ACTOR PERFORMING THIS ROLE MUST BE COMFORTABLE SMOKING A CIGARETTE, KISSING A FEMALE ACTOR, SAFELY ENGAGING IN STAGE COMBAT, AND APPEARING ONSTAGE IN ONLY HIS BOXER SHORTS.
THE STAFF
AIDES WARREN & WILLIAMS: (20’S TO 50’S). THE HOSPITAL DAYTIME AIDES ARE ANGRY AND DISENFRANCHISED EMPLOYEES. AFTER HIRING THEM, NURSE RATCHED USES THEIR HATRED OF SOCIETY TO HER OWN ADVANTAGE. THEY BOTH SUBMIT TO HER WISHES COMPLETELY. THE ACTORS PERFORMING THESE ROLES MUST BE COMFORTABLE SAFELY ENGAGING IN PHYSICAL SITUATIONS, INCLUDING SMALL HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT.
DR. SPIVEY: (40’S TO 70’S). A SMART BUT SOFT PUSH-OVER OF A DOCTOR WHO IS EASILY CONTROLLED BY NURSE RATCHED DUE TO HIS MILD-MANNERED AND MILQUETOAST DEMEANOR. WITH MCMURPHY’S ARRIVAL, HE, LIKE THE PATIENTS, BEGINS TO ASSERT HIMSELF. HE THEN OFTEN FINDS HIMSELF SUPPORTING MCMURPHY AGAINST NURSE RATCHED. ULTIMATELY, THERE IS A TURNING POINT IN THIS SUPPORT.
NURSE RATCHED: (30’S TO 50’S, BUT OF AN INDETERMINATE AGE). THE DOMINEERING HEAD NURSE OF THE HOSPITAL WARD, AND THE PLAY’S ANTAGONIST. SHE IS A FORMER ARMY NURSE WHO RULES HER PATIENTS WITH AN IRON HAND FROM BEHIND A PLACATING BUT ICY FAÇADE. SHE SELECTS HER STAFF FOR THEIR SUBMISSIVENESS, AND SHE WEAKENS HER PATIENTS THROUGH A PSYCHOLOGICALLY MANIPULATIVE PROGRAM DESIGNED TO DESTROY THEIR SELF ESTEEM. SHE MASKS HER FEMININITY BEHIND A STIFF, PATRONIZING PERSONA. RATCHED’S EMASCULATING, MECHANICAL WAYS SLOWLY DRAIN ALL TRACES OF HUMANITY FROM HER PATIENTS. THE ACTOR PERFORMING THIS ROLE MUST BE COMFORTABLE IN SAFELY ENGAGING IN LIGHT STAGE COMBAT AND HAVING HER TORSO EXPOSED WHILE WEARING A BRA.
NURSE FLINN: (20’S TO 30’S). A MEEK, INEFFECTUAL, AND HIGHLY RELIGIOUS YOUNG WOMAN. NOT ONLY IS NURSE FLINN FEARFUL OF THE POWER NURSE RATCHED WIELDS OVER HER; SHE IS AFRAID OF THE PATIENTS’ SEXUALITY AS WELL AS HER OWN.
OTHERS
CANDY STARR: (20’S). A BEAUTIFUL, GAMINE PROSTITUTE FROM PORTLAND, OREGON, CANDY HAS A “HEART OF GOLD”. SHE IS PHYSICALLY ATTRACTIVE, PASSIVE, AND WHEN TOLD TO DO SO, RELIEVES BILLY BIBBIT OF HIS VIRGINITY. SHE HAS “BEEN WITH” MCMURPHY IN THE PAST, AND WOULD DO MOST ANYTHING FOR HIM. THE ACTOR PERFORMING THIS ROLE MUST BE COMFORTABLE KISSING A MALE ACTOR, AND BEING IN VARIOUS STAGES OF UNDRESS ONSTAGE.
SANDRA: (30’S). AN EARTHY, EDGY PROSTITUTE WITH A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR. SHE IS GOOD FRIENDS WITH CANDY, AND HAS A PAST “RELATIONSHIP” WITH MCMURPHY. SHE ACCOMPANIES CANDY TO THE ILLICIT NIGHTTIME PARTY THAT MCMURPHY HOSTS ON THE HOSPITAL WARD. THE ACTOR PERFORMING THIS ROLE MUST BE COMFORTABLE KISSING A MALE ACTOR ONSTAGE.
Please refrain from using perfumes, colognes, body oils, and other noticeable fragrances when auditioning or if you are cast in a show.