KELSEY THEATRE OPEN AUDITIONS

---

ONE FLEW OVER
THE CUCKOO'S NEST

• THE MTM PLAYERS
• DIRECTOR: Rob Michael Lasky
• STAGE MANAGERS: Christine Heffron, Rachel Piscopo

MTM Players and Kelsey Theatre are committed to advancing an environment of diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. We aim to foster an inclusive environment for people of all races, genders, religions, sexual orientations, creeds, socio-economic statuses, nationalities and abilities.

ABOUT THE SHOW:

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. Time Period: 1960s

Cautions: Mild Adult Themes, Strong Language, Listed as Rated ‘R’ on the Kelsey website!

AUDITION DATES & TIMES:

• Saturday, January 10, 2026 (1pm-4pm) 
• Sunday, January 11, 2026 (6pm-9pm) 
• Monday, January 12th and Tuesday, January 13th will be set aside for callbacks or snow dates, if needed. (7pm-10pm)
• Callbacks by invitation-only 

Auditions will be held on the Mercer County Community College West Windsor Campus. Check the Kelsey Theatre signboard for a room location on the day of your audition. MCCC is located at 1200 Old Trenton Rd, West Windsor, NJ 08550

PREPARE:

• Fill out the application and conflict calendar provided at the sign-up site or by using this link: http://www.mtmplayers.org/cuckooauditionpacket.pdf. This is NOT an online form. This is a PDF that you need to download and fill out and bring with you to auditions along with a headshot. Should you not have a head shot available, we may take your photo which we do not keep after the casting process is over. Hard copies will be available when checking in if you cannot print your own. (Please be as accurate as possible as we schedule rehearsals around conflicts. Should you have a lot of conflicts, please reconsider auditioning. We do not like last-minute non-emergency conflicts.) No sides will be provided -auditioners will do cold readings from the script depending on the role(s) they seek.

APPOINTMENTS:

QUESTIONS:

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

ALL PERFORMERS ARE EXPECTED TO BE AVAILABLE ON SUNDAY, MARCH 15th FROM 1PM UNTIL LATE (with a dinner-break). LOAD-IN WILL BE ON THIS DATE AFTER THE PREVIOUS SHOW LOADS OUT. ALL PERFORMERS ARE EXPECTED TO BE AVAILABLE IN THE EVENINGS FROM MAR 16th -MAR 19th WITH NO EXCEPTIONS. ALSO, SET ASIDE THURS., MAR. 26th FOR A POSSIBLE BRUSH-UP REHEARSAL -7PM. SHOULD YOU KNOW YOU WILL NOT BE AVAILBLE FOR ANY OF THESE DATES, PLEASE RECONSIDER AUDITIONING.

SEEKING:

12 Male-presenting and 4 Female-presenting roles. Flexible age ranges for all roles. An ethnically diverse cast is desired. The role of Chief Bromden will require a male-presenting actor with Native American / Indigenous heritage.

Roles are open to performers of all races, sexual orientations, body types, ages and abilities except where certain ethnicities are needed for specific roles. We are striving to cast a diverse cast for this production. All are welcome!

Please note: all roles are Non-Equity and unpaid.

CHARACTER INFORMATION:

• RANDLE P. MCMURPHY - (Male presenting, Patient ‐ 20s to 40s) A gambler, a con man, and a backroom brawler. Has a devilish grin and has a wide-open extroverted air which is in harsh contrast to the environment of the ward. (Intimacy and Fight Choreography, Foul Language)
• NURSE RATCHED - NOTE: This role has been pre-cast
• CHIEF BROMDEN - (Male presenting, Patient ‐ 20s to 50s - requires an actor with Native American / Indigenous heritage) The huge, bull‐muscled, half‐breed son of an Indian Chief. He has been in the hospital for more than ten years, longer than any other patient in the ward. Bromden sees modern society as a huge, oppressive conglomeration that he calls the Combine, and the hospital as a place meant to fix people who do not conform. A gentle giant.
• AIDE WARREN and AIDE WILLIAMS - (Male presenting, Staff ‐ 20s to 40s) The daytime aides. Cruel, imposing and demeaning, they are Nurse Rached’s stooges. (Fight Choreography, Foul Language)
• NURSE FLINN - (Female presenting, Staff ‐ 20s to 60s) A vapid woman with apprehensive eyes and strict Catholic upbringing. She is fearful of the patients’ sexuality and in general.
• DALE HARDING - (Male presenting, Patient ‐ 40 plus) College‐educated with a sharp mind and tongue. He is President of the Patients’ Council. Although he is married, he is effeminate and questions he’s own masculinity. (Foul Language)
• BILLY BIBBIT - (Male presenting, Patient ‐ 20s to 30s) Shy and has a bad stutter. He seems younger than his age. Dominated by his mother, one of Nurse Ratched’s close friends. Billy is voluntarily in the hospital. (Intimacy Choreography, Foul Language)
• SCANLON - (Male presenting, Patient ‐ 20s to 60) Involuntarily committed to the hospital. He has fantasies of blowing things up. (Foul Language)
• CHESWICK - (Male presenting, Patient ‐ 30 ‐ 60) Eager and quick to argue or fight. Aggressively defiant yet cringing. All talk, no action. (Foul Language)
• MARTINI - (Male presenting, Patient ‐ 25 to 60) A little Italian man who lives in a world of delusional hallucinations. (Foul Language)
• RUCKLY - (Male presenting, Patient ‐ 25 to 50) A Chronic patient. Was once curable, but was transformed into a Chronic due to a botched lobotomy. (Foul Language)
• DR. SPIVEY - (Male presenting, Staff ‐ 40 to 70) The administrator and psychiatrist of the mental institution. He doubts that anything is wrong with McMurphy’s mind, but he defers to the opinion of Nurse Ratched.
• AIDE TURKLE - (Male presenting, Staff ‐ 50s to 70s) The nighttime aide for Nurse Ratched’s ward. He is an elderly technician / night watchman who smokes marijuana. McMurphy bribes him to help arrange the final party. (Foul Language)
• CANDY STARR - (Female presenting, Visitor ‐ 21 to 40) A prostitute from Portland with a "heart of gold." She is physically attractive and passive, and relieves Billy Bibbit of his virginity. (Intimacy Choreography, Foul Language)
• SANDRA ‐ (Female presenting, Visitor ‐ 30 ‐ 45) Candy's older and less bombastic but equally attractive friend. She comes with her to the party on the ward. (Intimacy Choreography, Foul Language)

 

REHEARSALS: 

Rehearsals will begin the week of January 18, 2026 with a meet and greet. We will focus mostly blocking at first and not all performers will need to be at every rehearsal depending on which scenes are being blocked. Generally, rehearsals will be scheduled either one of a Saturday afternoon or Sunday evening and two weekday evenings with a total of three per week. All rehearsals will be on the West Windsor campus of Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Rd., West Windsor, NJ 08550.

---

PLEASE CHECK BACK LATER FOR MORE AUDITIONS...