Warning: This play contains cigarette smoking and strong language
Performance Schedule
Saturday, March 12 @ 8pm
Sunday, March 13 @ 3pm (GalleryTalks)
Thursday, March17 @ 8pm
Friday, March 18 @ 8pm (Alumni Night)
Saturday, March 19 @ 2pm
Saturday, March 19 @ 8pm
Sunday, March 20 @ 3pm
Thursday, March 24 @ 8pm
Friday, March 25 @ 8pm
Saturday, March 26 @ 2pm
Saturday, March 26 @ 8pm
Sunday, March 27 @ 3pm
Cast
Chief Bromden – Jonathan Mesisca
Dale Harding – James Swanson*
Billy Bibbit – Christopher James Russell
Scanlon – Dan Kellmer
Cheswick – John DeSilvestri
Martini – Justin Bennett*
Ruckley – David Littleton
Randle P. McMurphy – Joseph Cassese*
Ellis – Henrique Rizzo
Aide Warren – James L. Toback
Aide Williams – Brandon E. Burton
Dr. Spivey – David Mackler
Nurse Ratched – Sidney Fortner*
Nurse Flynn – Rhiannon McClintock
Aide Turkle – Timothy Covington
Candy Starr – Erin Whited-Ford
Sandra – Amy Scanlon
Staff
Executive Producer: Mark Harborth
Producer: Jonathan Bruce King
Director: Mark Harborth
Assistant Director: Kimberly Olsen
Scenic design: Robert Bianco
Lighting design: Scott Andrew Cally
Costume design: Tony Johnson
Sound design: Jorge Olivo
Prop design: Roxanne Goodby
Fight Director: Joseph Travers
Production Stage Manager: Roxanne Goodby
Asst. Stage Manager: Emily La Rosa
Press: Michael Martinez
Show art: performingpixel.com
Meet the Cast
Justin Bennett (Martini) New York Theater includes Laughter on the 23rd Floor, King Lear, Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet, Curse of the Starving Class, Cymbeline, Scenes from a Staten Island Ferry, Suits & Ties. Regional Theater includes Legend of Sleepy Hollow (East Lynne Theater Company), Comedy of Errors, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Alexander and the Terrible… (Mill Mountain Theater), West Side Story. National tours include one-man shows with Kid Power Productions and Slim Goodbody. He is also a freelance director. Justin recently directed The Adding Machine Off-Broadway. Other favorite directing credits include The Boys Next Door, All in the Timing, 45 Seconds from Broadway, Separate Tables. Classical and Contemporary Pianist. BA Theater Arts, LaGrange College, Summa Cum Laude.
Brandon E. Burton (Aide Williams) is an actor/director from Saint Louis, Missouri. Educated at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Brandon trained formally in 2011 at the William Esper Studio New York City. Brandon has worked as an actor for the last 3 years working with companies like The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival and PS 122 as well as with renowned performers like Rick Sordelet and Tim Miller. Brandon co-founded and serves as Artistic Director of the artist collective SSBKLYN, a social justice multimedia company dedicated to bettering the human condition by producing the works of underrepresented people and populations. Brandon co-hosts, curates and edits the company’s first project, “The Anti-Americana Podcast” which is now available on Soundcloud.
Joseph Cassese (Randle P. McMurphy) most recently It Runs In The Family and Run For Your Wife at The Gallery Players in Brooklyn, at The Players on Gramercy Park, in T. Williams’ I Can’t Imagine Tomorrow, other off-off Broadway stage productions include Waiting For Lefty, Fool For Love and Frankie and Johnny In the Claire de Lune. Independent feature films include A Better Place produced by Kevin Smith; studio films include Penny Marshall’s Riding In Cars With Boys. Joseph most recently produced and performed in a short film adaptation of Anthony Marinelli’s Theater Festival Award winning one act play, Acoustic Space which was accepted and screened in the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. He earned his BFA from Seton Hall University in Fine Arts and Criminal Justice Additional Training: Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute; Michael Howard; The Acting Studio, most recently the Atlantic Theatre Company under Karen Kohlhaas and Broadway Director Neil Pepe.
John DeSilvestri (Cheswick) An actor, voice over artist and producer, John most recently provided the voice for Bunsen in the Smithsonian’s animated series, “Good Thinking” on YouTube. He was last seen on stage at Manhattan Theater Club in the industry reading of Ben Bartolone’s Timepiece which he also co-produced. John was trained at the O’Neill National Theater Institute, holds a BA from the University of Hartford and an MBA from Fordham University.
Previous Credits; Theater – London Calling, New Light Theater Project; Timepiece, self-produced; The Mystery of Irma Vep, Cortland Repertory Theater. Television – “Redrum,” “Saturday Night Live.” Voice Over – “Good Thinking!” (animation), Western 1849 (iOS Video Game)
www.johndesilvestri.com
Twitter: JohnDeSilvestri
Sidney Fortner (Nurse Ratched) was last seen at Gallery as Aemilia in Othello. Other New York credits include: Lady Macbeth (Macbeth), Queen Margaret (Richard III), Katrine Stockman (An Enemy of the People), Charlotte (The Cherry Orchard), Lady Fidget (The Country Wife), Golda (Fiddler on the Roof), Mistress Quickly (Henry IV, Part Two), Lady Bracknell (The Importance of Being Ernest), Gertrude (Hamlet), Agatha Stanhope (Alison’s House); Regional credits include: Mrs. Malaprop (The Rivals), Amanda Wingfield (The Glass Menagerie), and Gabrielle (The Madwoman of Chaillot). MFA: The Shakespeare Theatre Academy for Classical Acting, The George Washington University. Contact: elsid14@verizon.net.
Dan Kellmer (Scanlon), is very proud and grateful to be joining the talented cast and crew of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest at The Gallery Players. Dan moved to New York from Philadelphia three and a half years ago to attend graduate school and earn his M.F.A. in acting from The Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University. Favorite roles include Mark Rothko in Red, George in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and his thesis role, Graham, in Lady. When not acting, Dan loves oil painting and is passionately in pursuit of creating the world’s greatest bacon, egg and cheese sandwich of which he believes he is close. He wishes to thank his family, dear friends and fiancée Stacie for their love, strength and support. Dan is especially grateful to director Mark Harborth for giving him a shot right out of school.
David Mackler (Dr. Spivey) most recently appeared at The Heights Players as another doctor (Dr. Einstein – no, not Albert) in Arsenic and Old Lace. Other New York credits include A Christmas Carol (Bob Cratchit), Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot (Felix Geisel), Wendy Wasserstein’s Isn’t It Romantic (Simon Blumberg), Agatha Christie’s The Hollow (Edward Angkatell), Noel Coward’s Waiting in the Wings (Alan Bennet), Enchanted April (Frederick Arnott), Room Service (Harry Binion), Morning’s at Seven (Homer); as well as the occasional musical: My Fair Lady (Col. Pickering), Mame (Lindsay Wolsey and Uncle Jeff), Urinetown (Senator Fipp). Thank you to director Mark Harborth for the opportunity to be on the Gallery stage.
Rhiannon McClintock (Nurse Flynn) is excited to be onstage in her first Gallery Players production, although she is no stranger to the organization. She currently serves as a house manager, director of development and secretary of the board, and was assistant stage manager for 2012’s A RAISIN IN THE SUN. Previous roles in New York include Aphrodite in AN EVENING WITH APHRODITE, Molly in LINE, and various characters in MEN. An active volunteer and advocate for the arts, Rhiannon works at the Arts Initiative and Miller Theatre at Columbia University, where she is also pursuing a master’s degree in fundraising management.
Jonathan D. Mesisca (Chief Bromden ) Jonathan is excited to be back at the Gallery after appearing as Juan Perón in Evita. Select NYC Credits: Rachel, the Musical (Higgins), Goreé Crossing (Sheriff Bucky), The Devil of Delancey Street (Devil), Once Upon a Mattress (The Minstrel). National Tour: Laura Ingalls Wilder (Pa Ingalls). Regional Theatre: Evita (Perón) at The Theater Barn, The Fantasticks (El Gallo) in Ogunquit, ME. Education: University of Southern California. Jonathan thanks Mark for giving him another wonderful opportunity, the Gallery Staff and Crew, and his family and friends for their never-ending love and support.
Henrique Rizzo (Ellis) was born and raised in Brazil where he trained at Oficina De Atores Nilton Travesso. He moved to New York recently and is excited to be part of his first production at The Gallery Players. Henrique performed with the Municipal Theater of São Paulo in FALSTAFF, CARMEN, SALOME, CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA, PAGLIACCI, TOSCA and OTELLO. He was Sebastian in THE LITTLE MERMAID and Clayton in TARZAN (Cia Marquesa De Teatro). Henrique also appeared as The Devil in VIÚVA PORÉM HONESTA and Loco in BARRELA (Cão Bravo Produções).
Christopher Russell (Billy Bibbit) Christopher was born and raised in the United Kingdom, growing up he became passionate about comedy and acting when he discovered they were subjects in school that actually held his attention. He moved to the U.S. in 2012 to study acting at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. When he graduated from The Academy he performed in Romeo and Juliet and Robin Hood: A New Musical by Tony Nominee Douglas Carter Beane at the 2015 Scranton Shakespeare festival. He is excited to be part of this production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and would like to thank his family for the support.
Amy Scanlon (Sandra) is thrilled to be back at Gallery Players. Training includes: Film and Theatre BA, Musical Theatre RADA, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Theatre credits include: It runs in the family, Midsummer Nights Dream, Blithe Spirit (Gallery Players), For Now (NYFringe), The Rental (The Secret Theatre), Scenes of a Sexual Nature (Water People Theatre), Balladeers Play to the Moon (Joe’s Pub) www.amy-scanlon.com
James Swanson (Harding) is a New York-based actor with a penchant for classical theatre, British farces, and all projects intellectual & eccentric. James graduated from New York University, studying acting at the Stella Adler Studio with a semester at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. Previous credits include Run for Your Wife (Gallery Players), Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Taming of the Shrew, Julius Caesar (Shakespeare in the Square), As You Like It (No Stone Productions), Blood & Ice, Three Sisters Two (Stella Adler Studio), Snow White, and Scapino! (Peterborough Players). James is incredibly excited to return to this wonderful company and go just a little mad.
James L. Toback (Aide Warren) is from New York City and is extremely excited to make his debut with The Gallery Players! James studied at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting and SUNY Buffalo State, where he appeared in a variety of shows, including Footloose (Willard), The Night of the Iguana (Jake), Den of Thieves (Paul), and Red Demon (Tombi). Love to Mom, Dad, and The Kid
Erin Whited-Ford (Candy Starr) loves a good character! She is therefore ecstatic to portray the kooky Candy Star in her debut with the Gallery Players! Favorite past roles include Solange in The Maids, Joanna in Home Free, and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing. Erin is honored to work with such a strong group of collaborators and would like to thank everyone involved in the production. Erin is a graduate of the William Esper Studio.