Reader’s Theatre response to Ken Kesey’s One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Simple Readers Theatre emphasizes the oral interpretation of literary texts, that is reading
non-dramatic literature aloud — literature not written in the genre of drama — as if it were
drama. It is essentially presentational in nature in that it does not attempt to recreate events,
but rather suggest them in the minds eye of the audience. In a sense it is ‘theatre of the
imagination’ in that the audience must share the job of making the words come alive. Normally
Simple Readers Theatre is performed with the use of offstage focus. Offstage focus is rarely
used in stage plays. It is a technique in which performers, generally seated in a line facing the
audience, never look directly at each other. They visualize the characters as being out
beyond the audience. This method enables the audience to see every nuance in the face of the
interpreters while making them feel that they are a part of the conversation. While this
approach may seem awkward and artificial, it is surprisingly effective and powerful if done
correctly.
For Ken Kesey’s Cuckoo’s Nest, the class will divide into TWO groups of four (4) & ONE group
of five (5) students. Each group will be responsible for interpreting one of the novel’s four
parts:
Part 1: from introduction to baseball game episode
Part 2: up to breaking of nurse’s glass window
Part 3: featuring the fishing expedition
Part 4: ‘last supper’ orgy and conclusion
(a. The group’s first job is to figure out which scenes or moments are the high points of their
allocated part — and how to emphasize them in a reading. They must endeavour not only
to bring out the dramatic development of the narrative in their part, but its significant
references to the novel’s themes (e.g. McMurphy’s transformative effect on the male
patients; Nurse Ratched’s abuse of power; etc.). These choices should also fit into the
parameters of roughly equal time for each group member within an overall performance
of at least 5 minutes.
(b. The students in each group have to come up with what some experts refer to as a
performance concept. That is, students have to determine how many distinct, individual
voices the scene requires — how these voices should blend and how these voices should
contrast: Should there, for example, be a separate voice for each character in the scene,
or will one person read the lines of more than one character? Along the same lines, the
students in each group must decide how to handle the narrator: Will just one student
read Bromden’s narration, or will several? Should the narrator always be read by a
chorus — that is, voices in unison? How will the group treat the characters’ tag lines—let
the person reading the character say them? give them to the narrator? give them to
someone else? leave them out altogether?
(c. Once a basic performance concept has been agreed on, the students in each group must
actually prepare a script based on the novel—who says which words, sentences, and
paragraphs and how should the lines sound? (see over the page for a suggested
approach)
(d. Although an oral interpretation or readers’ theatre expects the performers to stand or sit
rather than move around a stage, as students work out their script, they may want to
indicate some slight gestures and even sound effects. For example, in much of
Bromden’s narration, sound is suggested through the use of onomatopoeic language, and
McMurphy’s laughter is also a significant feature of the text. Yet the script can call for
choral sound effects during Bromden’s commentary.
(e. Readers are not acting per se, but they must still pay attention to characterization. That
is, they should always be aware of a character’s major traits and figure out how to
communicate those through tone, pacing of speech, pausing, and so on.
(f. Connection with the audience is important also. Students will be reading from their
scripts, but whenever possible, each reader should establish eye contact with some
members of the audience. After all, the students, first and foremost, are telling a story,
so there should be some signs of intimacy between storytellers and audience.
(g. An oral interpretation can’t just begin. Someone in the group has to introduce it—“set the
stage,” so to speak.
Reader’s Theatre - How to Adapt a Script
1. Choose the passages in your part of the book that highlight key moments and
come to at least 5 minutes long and photocopy it.
2. Decide what characters and narrators are needed and assign a marker colour to
each.
3. Highlight all dialogue with the appropriate marker.
4. The text that is left is narration. Assign narration creatively by determining
which character it pertains to and splitting it between the character and the
character’s narrator.
5. Add creative touches wherever possible.
6. You are now ready to assign parts and rehearse. Review "student objectives".
Reader’s Theatre – Student Actor Objectives
When performing reader’s theatre, the student actor should be striving to achieve the following
(their assessment will be based on these as a detailed elaboration of the SACE Board’s oral
criteria – “understanding” & “application”):
Poise and Focus: The actor must stay “in character” at all times. There should be no fidgeting
or looking around. The cardinal sin of any theatre class is GIGGLING. It is important that
actors understand the difference between the humour of their characterization causing the
audience to laugh and they themselves laughing while performing.
Characterization and Acting: The actor should have a full understanding of the scene and
her role in it. This should be apparent in vocal inflection, facial expressions, and body position.
Eye Contact: The audience should always be able to see the actor’s eyes. This means that the
actor must look down quickly to remind him of the line but must have eyes up when speaking
the line. Focus should be on a fixed point above the audience. When characters speak to each
other, the actors do not look at each other but speak to their focus area as if it were the other
character.
Projection and Diction: The student should be able to be heard clearly from the back of the
classroom. Every student is capable of this but may need to practice, as with any skill.
Pace: While an actor is performing, the pace should be comfortable but never too fast. Actors
need to anticipate their cues and come in immediately with no pauses. The entire cast should
use accelerated tempo to build a scene to a climax.
Ensemble: All actors in a scene should be working together to create their performance.
There should never be a feeling of the actor grandstanding or performing in his own little
world.
Peer Evaluation: When a group is performing the rest of the class should be watching and
noting whether the above objectives are being met. Each group will be ‘paired’ with another
group who will perform this peer assessment, matching one group audience member for each
performer.
Reader’s Theatre – Interpreting the Text
How well each group interprets Cuckoo’s Nest through Reader’s Theatre will be assessed by their:
 adaptation of a script that brings out the novel’s key features
 convincing performance of roles
 evidence of thoughtful reflection in individual oral commentaries
After your group has presented the ‘readers’ theatre’ dramatisation of a key scene (5-8
minutes in length), each individual will explain one of the following questions to the class
as it relates to your group’s allocated part I, II, III, or IV of the novel (2-3 minutes each).
1
Point of View & Time: “It’s the truth even if it didn’t happen”
a) Explain how Chief Bromden’s point of view is used to tell the story. How and why does it change
as the novel progresses?
b) Track time sequences in your group’s part of the novel’s structure to see how it is controlled – or not
controlled – as well as suspense, ‘time out’ passages and specific references to time itself.
2
Character Analysis: Present a detailed analysis of McMurphy (Part 1), Nurse Ratched (Part 2), Dale
Harding (Part 3) and Billy Bibbit (Part 4)
a) Explain their personalities, motivations and how they change throughout the novel.
b) What is their role and how is it developed at a symbolic level?
3
Imagery and Symbolism: Explain how Kesey uses machine imagery in your group’s part of the novel as
well as the view of society that the symbolism of the Combine represents. What other kinds of imagery
or symbolism (religious, natural, human, etc.) does Kesey use to explain the relationship between
McMurphy and the other patients in your group’s part of the novel?
4
Themes:
EITHER1
Madness or Hysteria: Using examples from your group’s part of the novel show how ‘clinical’
madness comes to represent social control, while hysteria is used as a technique of maintaining power.
OR
Choose TWO of the following and demonstrate how they are explored in your group’s part of the
novel:
1

Physical and moral courage

Therapeutic role of nature

Self-reliance

Importance of sexuality

Independence

Anti-feminism - superiority of males

What is insanity?

Human freedom vs. control

Group effort - The Combine

Humour and satire, the power of laughter

Morality - good over evil

Modern version of Western

Biblical allegory

Cartoon imagery

Challenging symbols of conformity

Symbolism of names
In a group of FIVE, one person will have to choose the theme of Madness or Hysteria while another chooses two of
the secondary features to discuss listed beneath it.