One of America’s most famous novels comes to the stage in Milford.
Milford’s Second Street Players present a stage adaptation of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest beginning February 7.
Marge Ventura is the play’s director. She says that as the play gets ready to open on February 7, actors and production staff are working hard.
“We rehearse three times a week and for two to three hours each day, and simultaneous to that, we are also building the set," she said.
Ventura said that close to three dozen actors showed up to audition for the play, and choosing the final 16 or 17 players was a tough task.
Ventura said in preparation to direct the show, she re-read the novel, but avoided re-watching the famous movie starring Jack Nicholson.
“The novel goes into such detail of the characters and how the characters came to be," she said. "I never watched the movie again. I want it to be my vision.”
A big part of that vision, Ventura says, is attention to detail - especially the use of color - in the set design and how it conveys an institutional bleakness.
“It's cinder block, subway tile, and keeping in the theme of the 60s, there's also some green paint involved," Ventura said.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest opens at the Riverfront Theater in Milford on Friday, February 7 with shows that weekend and the following weekend. Showtimes and ticket information are at secondstreetplayers.com.
